[Shotimes] Replacement Struts

[George Fourchy]

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 06:23:34 -0800 (PST), Peter Chase wrote:

>I see that Advance has Monroe Sensa-tracs, but I'm guessing they're regular Taurus struts, and I'd really like to have something stiffer than a stock Taurus. 

If you are upgrading your springs, you will have problems with anything other than
Tokiko or Koni.  For stock springs, most all of which are getting pretty soft
nowadays, those other struts _might_ work, but for a SHO, you may well not be
satisfied with the ride, and what you do get won't last very long.  

That's the concensus of threads we've had about this subject over the last few
years.  In my experience, KYB made good shocks in the '90s for Mustangs and other
older Fords I've installed them on, but when I put a new set of their struts on an
Eagle Talon a few years ago, the original struts, with over 100k miles, were stiffer
then the new ones.

Monroe made a REALLY stiff set of struts for my Turbo-Coupe.... Monroe 500 struts I
think they were....haven't seen a set of them for anything in a long time.  I did
the T-bird in the early '90s.....(paid to have it done.....won't do THAT again!!!).

I'm at about 180k miles on Lowrider's Tokikos.....the original tautness has
definitely deteriorated, but they are still definitely stiffer than the original
struts (and easily still trackable).....not as much as the wagon's struts, with 
only about 50k miles, but still within my realm of satisfaction.  Over boundy 
type bumps at speed on I-80, like where bridges stop and the ground begins, 
they will bottom to the point that the slightly too wide Michelins will kiss the 
fenders (perhaps also due to the aging of the 4 year old PnP springs in front), 
but other than that it is still a fine combination.  I'd say they lasted a lifetime.

The black car will have new Tokikos on new CCoils all around.  That'll take some
getting used to!!!

George