superclock Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 I just got KYB GR-2 struts on my '96 Legacy GT. The original struts were toast and I read lots of reviews of the GR-2's which said they made the ride better. It's too rough on my bum! I was thinking about getting the Monroe Sensa-trac, but I want to make sure I'm not making another bad decision. Help??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 I've got the KYBs on my '91 Legacy wagon and I love them. Not harsh at all and the car tracks like a dream. I don't know what to tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 My own experience with Monroe struts is on my '92 dodge. THEY SUCK!!!! After 30k miles they are getting squishy and wimpy. It's starting to feel like a boat again. The KYB OEM replacements I put on the rear of the outback are nice. OEM ride quality with OEM longevity (140k out of first set). I think Monroes on your car are risky at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuwan Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 they are 15% stiffer over stock.... you probably got really used to the quishy ride your car had before the replacement see what your passengers tell you about the ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimpomm Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 eom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklaine Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 When I first put these on my car I backed it out of the garage and thought, man these are REALLY stiff. A few hours and a handful or bumps and corners changed my mind. The ride is great for struts at this price. I stuck with stock springs BTW. -Heikki Next for my budget daily driven corner carver...16" WRX rims and SS brake lines (to be installed by the end of next week - goodbye snow tires). Anyone have recomendations on strut tower braces? I am told that the ride improvement is considerable, especially since I have a wagon. Thoughts? Sources? Off Topic: cool legacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superclock Posted March 16, 2004 Author Share Posted March 16, 2004 Maybe I got really used to the squishy ride. I'll give it some time and see. Are there aftermarket springs available that help with ride comfort? I put 2003 WRX wheels on my '96 Legacy GT. They look good. I got them on ebay for a great price. I'm about to add front and rear strut tower braces as well as a rear anti-sway bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklaine Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Nice. Looks like you got them at a decent price. I was thinking about bidding on those (the 2 braces and the bar) but since the rear brace was sedan-only it gave me an excuse not to spend money on that. Probably good since I ordered the tires and brake lines yesterday as well. That was enough for one day. Let me know how the braces and bar work out on your car and what kind of a change you notice in the handling. Thanks. -Heikki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superclock Posted March 16, 2004 Author Share Posted March 16, 2004 I should have the strut tower braces and anti-sway bar on by the weekend after this. I'll let you know how it works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Originally posted by 99obw The KYB OEM replacements I put on the rear of the outback are nice. OEM ride quality with OEM longevity (140k out of first set). 99obw I'm not sure what you mean. Did you buy "Subaru" struts, or KYB aftermarket struts? I am in need of new rear struts on my 97 OB (7+ years and 237k miles). I've heard before that the KYB aftermarket struts are 15% stiffer as Nuwan mentioned. For my purposes, I don't want stiffer struts. However, Subaru (Canada) wants a ridiculous price for the OEM struts. Twice as much or more than aftermarket. I'm actually considering ordering from Liberty or 1stSubaruparts as it would still save me considerable money, even with currency exchange, shipping, brokerage, etc. I'm currently in contact with KYB trying to confirm the 15% stiffer bit. Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 I bought Subaru struts from 1stsubaruparts and ebay. They say both Subaru and KYB on them. They are identicle to the ones I removed. I have one new strut left over from the job. I will be traveling through your area in April, July, and September. PM me if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin1walsh Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 how about a nice set of michelin tires (harmont. ect) or yokohama avid touring. these are premium tires and will drastically improve ride "feel" dont do the shock swap, try tire replacement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerFahrer Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Originally posted by 99obw My own experience with Monroe struts is on my '92 dodge. THEY SUCK!!!! After 30k miles they are getting squishy and wimpy. It's starting to feel like a boat again. I agree wholeheartedly. I replaced all my factory struts with Monroe Sensatracs on my Legacy. It still rides good, not floaty, but the body roll is shameful! I feel like I'm going to roll over before I get the tires loose! That's why I am without a doubt replacing them with KYB GR2's this summer, along with a Legacy Turbo rear swaybar that's on its way to my house right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 I'm in Quebec and I just bought 2 rear shocks from 1stSubaruparts.com..$87 U.S. a piece...NAPA wanted around $240Cdn each and the theivin' dealer wanted around $300 cdn,(a piece). The cost me ~ $175U.S.,(229cdn), and when the UPS guy came to the door I gave him another $50 for shipping and customs. They've got KYB stamped on them but they seem to be only as stiff the the originals. I noticed that they're even cheaper at tirerack.com but I'm not sure if they're the aftermarket KYB's or the OEM KYB's. Either way....your gonna save enough $$ for about 5 cases of beer !!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 Chip, Interesting. Yes, I've been looking on 1stSubaruparts and am highly considering going that route. NAPA here quoted me $115 Cdn for Gabriel (sp?) struts. Performance Improvements quoted me $140 Cdn for KYB GR2's. I'd go that route, except I do "not" want a stiffer strut. I'm going to talk to the dealer. They quoted me $280 for the rears. (I recall this pricing discussion in an early thread several weeks ago.) There is definitely something out of line with Subaru of Canada's pricing on these struts. I've looked at some of the other bits and pieces (springs, mounts) and they seem to be in line. Did you only replace the struts? What about mounts, springs, boots, etc? Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted March 17, 2004 Share Posted March 17, 2004 When I changed mine I did the struts, strut mounts, springs, lower spring seats, and dust boots. The strut mounts frankly did not need to be changed, but I had the parts and had it apart so I did them anyway. If I were you I would probably buy them just in case and return them if you don't end up needing them. The springs were pretty tired at 140k miles. We have hauled a lot of stuff and the used springs were 1/2" shorter than the new springs I put in. The lower spring seats go between the spring and the strut. These tend to deteriorate and get pounded down over time. The dust boots had some holes in them. There is also an upper spring seat, but they were like new on our car so I did not replace them. There is also a bump stop but those don't seem to wear. Be sure to buy new copper washers for the brake caliper, as the brake hose must be disconnected from the caliper in order to get the struts out. You can cut the bracket on the strut instead of removing the brake hose if you want to. I can provide part numbers if anyone is interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted March 18, 2004 Share Posted March 18, 2004 in good condition and the ride is fine. Tires, springs, and stuts have to be viewed as a system. In order to get a working system you can't change bits willy nilly. If the ride is too harsh go to tires with a bit more profile. The cheapest way would be to try a friends similar tires on yours to see if that is what you want before spending a lot of money. If you are trying to make a performance car you will have to live with less ride quality. My BMW rides like a truck but it is flat as a brick in a corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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