I'm in Toronto and have a 96 Corolla SD. My shocks and struts seem dead (last winter, every bump was like getting smacked with a metal pan, sorry for the mental image ).
So I need to get them changed. However, I don't know much about cars so wanted to get some advice before i went ahead.
So what brands would be best? I've heard of Monroe, KYB, Bilstein, but don't know much about them.
As well, any idea where I can get them cheap? Partsource? Canadian Tire? eBay? somewhere else?
KYB makes a decent strut. Koni is the best if you can afford it. Koni strut cartridges and GC coilovers. If you want good springs there are several but there again it depends on how big your wallet is and if you want OEM or you want sport driving.
Intrax makes good springs, and from what I've been told they are reasonably priced.
Eibach makes good springs and they are about $215.00 for a set of 4.
Koni from everything I've read, heard and been told is the best.
To answer your question: you only need struts and springs. Just depends on what kind and type you want.
Look in the fender well and see what you have. You should have a spring and a strut. A strut is basically a housing that holds a shock within it internally. The spring sits on the strut. The strut keeps the car from bouncing and the spring keeps the car from leaning too hard in a curve and from falling on the strut (so to speak). There are several variations that you can do for your car. If you want to drive strictly to and from work or more agressive driving styles. They play a part in what kind of assemblage you want on your car. Plus how much you are willing to spend.
Having just done this...if you go with aftermarket springs, they will KILL OEM-spec shocks in relatively no time. Eibach Pro-Kitsprings are great compared to stock, much less body roll. However with stock-spec shocks (Monroes, in my case) the bump damping is completely wrong. The springs will soak up the initial bump instantly, but the shocks are damping at this comparatively leisurely rate, so the car will keep oscillating longer than it should.
The only US company that makes adjustable shocks for our generation car (that I'm aware of after some research into all the major brands) is Koni. And those aren't really shocks, those are inserts, which means somebody's going to have to cut apart your struts and put the cartridges in. Nowhere seems to have them in stock for the back, either (1 months and waiting via tirerack) so your best bet may be going with KYB or Bilstein and your choice of springs.
I'm on a budget. Getting hitched soon, so I have to keep expenses low. I want to get something reasonable - low cost but comfy ride for a family car. What would be best in my situation?
Also, I've heard it's struts in front and shocks in the back, but when I look for 96rolla shocks (i.e. on monroe's website), it lists struts for front and rear. Is this the case for the 96's chassis?
Chances are, your springs are still in good shape. I've never replaced the springs in my Corolla, and my suspension is just as tight as anyone else’s...Unless you've really abused your car, my guess is you can reuse them.
Autozone sells a less expensive strut assembly made by Quantum. They aren't Monroe’s, but they're just fine. They cost about $59 each for the rear, $69 for the fronts.
So if you go this rout, all the parts will cost you about $250. I've been doing this on the cars I work on and have never had any complaints on the drivability or suspension.
Now...if you really want to save money, do the job yourself. However, once you have the old strut assemblies out, bring them and the new struts to a mechanic shop and tell them to put the old springs on the new struts. For a few dollars, its worth saving the hassle of messing with a spring compressor.
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Also, I've heard it's struts in front and shocks in the back, but when I look for 96rolla shocks (i.e. on monroe's website), it lists struts for front and rear. Is this the case for the 96's chassis?
Corollas use McPherson struts for both front and rear. This is composed of the lower hydraulic shock, and the upper spring assembly.
Just my thoughts on the issue, which may or may not be of use to you.
When I replaced my struts, I inquired about the cost of replacement at the local auto shops. They wanted at least $800.00. I bought 4 struts for $160.00 and replaced them myself. I used the free tools at autozone ( autozone.com ) , the spring compressor. The springs are in great shape. No need to replace those. But, I warn, you, it's lots of work.
Ahhh. Budget, check. Not everybody's my level of insane. =)
All I can contribute is how to verify spring integrity versus shock integrity. It's the old put-a-foot-on-the-bumper test...with good springs, the bumper shouldn't sink more than two to three inches. With good shocks, the car should (when you jump off) stop rebounding after one, maybe two up-and-downs.
I called Partsource. They said they could get Monroe Sens-Trac for ~$75 each in a day or 2.
The other option's getting KYB, Tokico or Bilstein (twin-tube touring-class, didn't see their monotube anywhere on ebay), from ebay for < $350 with shipping, which comes to a little < $90 each.
I also read about the Monroe Quick-Strut on Monroe's website, but couldn't find it for 96 Corolla's anywhere.
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96rolla, shocks dead, what brand should I get?
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