What are the longest lasting struts/shocks

[95se]

I have a '95 240sx se with 115,000 miles on it. I have gone through 3 sets of struts/shocks now. Springs are stock, haven't been cut, and tires are stock size. I haven't done any racing but the roads in Arlington, TX are pretty bad. I had the factory ones on till about 65-73K miles and the right rear was totally gone and had been probably starting at 50K but the others weren't too bad. I replaced them with the AGX's at the end of 2002 and had them on till Sept. of 2007. I did put 30mm z32 front brakes on and put in a 5ch amp and 8in sub in box in the trunk that added weight I think just before the AGX's went in. I replaced them with the GR2's at abt 104K miles, Sept of 2007, and also replaced the front tc rods at that time with the SPL V2's. The fronts are totally gone now in just a yrs time at 115K miles. So I'm looking at all the options of what will last the longest. The KYB's were supposed to last between 50K and 80K miles, I think that was what I was told. They have warranty but obviosly its still a hassle and money spent on labor and alignment evertime they are replaced.

thanks for any advice,
C

[Om1kron]

the ones you buy and never mount on your car, it's all dependent on the driving conditions and then the spring strut combo.

[projectRDM]

Exactly. A proper set on a car that never sees speed bumps, potholes, curbs, ditches, or anything else will last the longest. When you carry around dead bodies and engine blocks and drive over tree trunks they're going to wear out fast. Typically you'll only see 80-100k miles on a set at best, even when driven nice.

[Zilvia4eva]

^^^lol

I would say Ohlins,koni,kyb.....hey stock shocks last a long time on most cars,but then again you have to put the vehicles weight and the kinda of roads they are drivin on into consideration

[Teknolust72]

Why did you downgrade from AGX to GR2?

[racepar1]

Koni, they almost never wear out. When they do wear out you can just get them re-built rather than buying a whole new set. Bilsteins are dope and last forever as well, but good luck finding them.

[mobilesuit818]

Koni, they almost never wear out. When they do wear out you can just get them re-built rather than buying a whole new set. Bilsteins are dope and last forever as well, but good luck finding them.

+1, Koni are one of the best, and have great support.

[Unique]

before my coilovers it was Koni

[vodka2]

stock . . . . .

[95se]

Why did you downgrade from AGX to GR2?


The AGX's only lasted 30K at the most. So I tried the GR2's hoping they would last longer but they only lasted less than 10K.

Koni's are really expensive. Getting them rebuilt I assume would also be cosly and time consuming. Plus they are only adjustable if taken off the car.

[ZX88]

when i have gr2 on my car they lasted like 10k as well. i was also stupid and running sportlines on them. Well fuck now i have coilovers and have no more problems. my friend with an s13 also always blows his rear struts and is running non aggressive springs. i would just get stock Monroe or what ever brand came with the car kyb gr2 are junk.

[Om1kron]

Why did you downgrade from stock and buy kyb shocks?

fixed.....

[Deftec]

I'm running tokico's right now and have had 0 issues with them. They've been on the car the past 2 years and have seen many roadtrips including a 2400 mile trip.

[drift freaq]

The AGX's only lasted 30K at the most. So I tried the GR2's hoping they would last longer but they only lasted less than 10K.

Koni's are really expensive. Getting them rebuilt I assume would also be cosly and time consuming. Plus they are only adjustable if taken off the car.

Koni's are not that expensive and actually you will pay more but they will last longer and ride/handle better.
Fact is a Set of AGX's average around $375 unless you find someone to give you a hook up deal.
Fact is a Set of Koni's can be had for around $550! So basically for the extra $175 your getting a much better shock. A shock that rides and handles much better than a AGX ever could.

Oh and on top of that if you're good with your hands? You can by a Ground Control kit and turn the Koni's into coilovers. Coilovers that will pretty much own almost all Coilovers under the price of $1600 and some of the ones that cost more as well.

[Tearlessj]

before my coilovers it was Koni
Hope you got some epic coilovers. lol

[94cc0rd]

I have Megan Racing Street series coilovers and they have lasted me 70k+ miles in a bit over 2 years. I do try to drive carefully but these coils have seen their fair share of bumpy/bad roads.

But, I'd listen to Dave (drift freaq), he knows what he's talking about.

[racepar1]

The AGX's only lasted 30K at the most. So I tried the GR2's hoping they would last longer but they only lasted less than 10K.

Koni's are really expensive. Getting them rebuilt I assume would also be cosly and time consuming. Plus they are only adjustable if taken off the car.

Sounds like the problem is something other than your shock selection. KYB's last for a long ass time. I ran a set of gr2's for like 3 years, no problems. I have handled plenty of AGX's that were more than a couple years old and they were fine.

The initial cost of koni's is high, but they hold much more value than anything else you can get. I have seen the ORIGINAL koni's come off ORIGINAL shelby mustangs and they STILL weren't blown. The only reason they were re-built was to get re-valved for racing. Not only will koni's last longer, but you will re-coupe the additional cost of the initial investment on the first re-build. The koni's will certainly cost less than $100 each to get re-built including shipping. So you will end up pretty much even with buying two sets of any other high performance shock. You would probably go through at least 3 (probably much more) sets of pretty much any other shock by the time you have to get the koni's re-built for the second time. On top of that when you DO get them re-built they can be re-valved for more aggressive springs. That means that rather than buying coilovers you can just get ground control sleeves and turn your koni's into a badass set of coilovers. If you decide to sell them the koni's will hold their value much better than any other shocks that are readily available. The s-13 rears may not be externally adjustable, but the eclipse rear shocks ARE externally adjustable and bolt in to an s-13 (I think there is a solution for the s-14 rears too). The s-14 front koni's are externally adjustable. Don't be a cheap ass. You asked for the longest lasting shocks and here they are, they are worth every single penny of that added cost.

[seanc]

O...E....M. hey you asked what would last the longest not what performed the best.

[Icy13]

Koni's are not that expensive and actually you will pay more but they will last longer and ride/handle better.
Fact is a Set of AGX's average around $375 unless you find someone to give you a hook up deal.
Fact is a Set of Koni's can be had for around $550! So basically for the extra $175 your getting a much better shock. A shock that rides and handles much better than a AGX ever could.

Oh and on top of that if you're good with your hands? You can by a Ground Control kit and turn the Koni's into coilovers. Coilovers that will pretty much own almost all Coilovers under the price of $1600 and some of the ones that cost more as well.

the koni yellow + ground control kit is the most price effective value for money decision that I have ever heard of and the one I plan to use. There is an autocross guy who did a 'scientific' (well, more so than other people's "man these coils be totally rad" reviews) battery of tests and decided that most japanese coilovers are crap (in his opinion based on not being very consistent with their adjustable settings and varying shock to shock).

Google to look for the extensive review, I dont remember what to search, but he comes to the conclusion that bilstien (spelling?) is your best bet but $$$$$$ and impossible to find for the 240 and that koni is basically best bang for buck and pretty damn decent in its own right.

So: koni yellow + GC = about 800-900 "coilovers" that will beat anything costing 1600 premade.

[mrmephistopheles]

fixed.....

:rofl:

OEM shocks are made by KYB.

I've driven by the factory where they made them tons of times. :keke:

Check those old stockers sometime - see if they don't have a KYB stamp and maybe another that says 'ATSUGI'

[burnsauto]

"bla bla bla, my names kevin...i drive by awesome places ALLLLLL the time, bla bla bla" :keke:

[mrmephistopheles]

"bla bla bla, my names kevin...i used to drive by awesome places ALLLLLL the time, bla bla bla" :keke:

Fixed.... :wtc:

[Om1kron]

Fixed.... :wtc:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: - that's what you get...

I've had agx, they blew like in 3 months but I live in california not europe where the roads are like beautiful tiled floors.

[95se]

So the koni's will last much longer than any of the KYB's and stock struts/shocks even on really bad roads?? If they are stiffer I would think they would blow out even quicker. How is the ride compared to the GR2's and AGX's? I don't plan on lowering it because I don't want to bottom out the front end so they will be used with stock springs. The ground control springs I assume lower it correct? I wrote a dealer once and they said their stock ones were Tokico or Nissen and the fronts were priced at least $225 each, rears were for much less at $90.

[JVD]

Tokicos blew on my S14 in like a year or less.

Forced me to purchase coilovers. :(

LOL.

[racepar1]

So the koni's will last much longer than any of the KYB's and stock struts/shocks even on really bad roads?? If they are stiffer I would think they would blow out even quicker. How is the ride compared to the GR2's and AGX's? I don't plan on lowering it because I don't want to bottom out the front end so they will be used with stock springs. The ground control springs I assume lower it correct? I wrote a dealer once and they said their stock ones were Tokico or Nissen and the fronts were priced at least $225 each, rears were for much less at $90.

The koni's are not necessarily any "stiffer", they are designed and valved better so the shocks work more efficiently. The ride will likely be much better with the koni's because they are simply better shocks.

[96Turbo]

couldn't the reason be he's blowing shocks so quickly is that he's still using OEM springs?

I thought aftermarket shocks were designed to work in a specific range (when coupled with a lowering spring).....which is why you replace the OEM shock anyways.

So by using an aftermarket shock with stock spring, couldn't this be the cause for wearing out the shocks?

OEM springs-OEM shocks
lowering springs-aftermarket shocks

[95se]

couldn't the reason be he's blowing shocks so quickly is that he's still using OEM springs?

I thought aftermarket shocks were designed to work in a specific range (when coupled with a lowering spring).....which is why you replace the OEM shock anyways.

So by using an aftermarket shock with stock spring, couldn't this be the cause for wearing out the shocks?

OEM springs-OEM shocks
lowering springs-aftermarket shocks

KYB GR2's are oe replacements. They are supposed to be used with stock springs and the AGX's work better with stock springs as well. If you use lowering springs the struts will blow quicker.

[Camarada Clive]

Whoa, I have really been thinking about getting a set of GR2'S before the end of the year, since the ones on my s13 are pretty much gone, now you guys seriously have me skeptical on what I should get, pls$$$ is short so I thought the gr2 would ne best bang for your buck combining performance with affordability

[Rasty180SX]

couldn't the reason be he's blowing shocks so quickly is that he's still using OEM springs?

I thought aftermarket shocks were designed to work in a specific range (when coupled with a lowering spring).....which is why you replace the OEM shock anyways.

So by using an aftermarket shock with stock spring, couldn't this be the cause for wearing out the shocks?

OEM springs-OEM shocks
lowering springs-aftermarket shocks


Wow...I never knew that. Anybody else had the same experience blowing their shocks with aftermarket lowering springs. This thread makes me wanna buy coilovers instead!!!

[xs240]

This thread is cute hehe,

KONIs are on all my rides :)

[Zen S14]

Interesing, my Apexi World Sports have lasted me more than 5 years now. Downside is they are not dampening adjustable. Height and ride is pretty nice though.

[T-RexRacer]

Not to hijack the thread......but if you are looking for a great setup.
I have a full Ground Control Advance Design Coilover/Shock set up for sale. They are fully adjustable, compression and rebound, and relatively softly sprung. I am selling it for what most of the aftermarket Japanese kits are going for. They can all be rebuilt at Ground Control for 70.00 bucks each, and can be revalved for different spring rates. Sorry to throw out an ad in the middle of your thread, but thought I would pass it along. They were on my SCCA ITA 240sx.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5598/240sxparts021pi7th1dp3.jpg http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/2810/240sxparts022az4.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/679/2003fullcar2xl4.jpg

[RIMTUCK]

__________

[T-RexRacer]

As one of the poster stated earlier, the shocks have to be valved for the spring rates that you are running. Other wise you are just wasting time and money.

[RIMTUCK]

__________

[95se]

The only Koni's I have found for the S14 are the koni yellow sports. The front's are externally adjustable but the description says something about having to cut the top off to mount or something of that nature. Not sure what they are talking about. The rears are only adjustable off the car so they better be set right when putting them on or you are going to have to spend time and money each time you have to take them off to readjust.

[T-RexRacer]

Usually that means you have to cut up the stock coilover tube and insert the Koni in the stock tube. At least that is what is commonly done on strut type set ups.