Replaced front shocks with sensatracs two years ago. Only drove it 5000 miles or so. Started removing front end suspension parts for new bushings and noticed that front shocks had no rebound when pushed in. The lay there like dead fish. Have problems at 65 mph and up with floating that is why I am putting in new bushings. I was shocked when I saw no action from the shocks! Will try to return them to advance auto, but don't really want two more. Am I testing them right? Anybody experience shocks failing this fast? Thanks for any info.
I put new Sensa-Tracs on the front of my AMX last summer and I took them off the next day. They were fine in most driving conditions, but when riding over small bumps they sounded loose. (they were not loose) I put a set of Gabriels on and it solved the problem. When it comes to budget stock replacement shocks, I think it is hit and miss depending on the vehicle, spring rate, vehicle weight, condition of other suspension components, etc.
I realize shock choice has been gone over and over but what did you go with to replace them? I see KYB are more money but wow this budget stuff turns into a hassle. A little more money and less headache.
------------------ FIEROBUG!!!!!!!!!!
[This message has been edited by fierobug (edited 01-11-2014).]
I have the cheapest monroe shocks on the front of the 86 Fiero, just wanted to try them out ,,One is great, the other install at the same time bottoms when i go over the rail road tracks.. the midas shocks I replaced work better than one of the new Monroe,s My SUV jimmy .. I had the thing 12 years with unknown shocks ,no telling how old, still work great going over the same tracks the cheap Monroe & gabrial are minimal for the family sedan the Fiero deserves quality brake pads & quality shocks , you can feel the difference
I ordered two Monroe rear struts for my 85. (from Rockauto not that it mattered) Made the mistake of not putting them on for a year and made mods to them before installing so the warrenty was long over. Took them out of the box and installed. One was completely bad one was good.
Called Advance Auto and they think there should not be a problem since I have the online receipt They will give credit towards new ones. I asked if they would let me purchase KYB's instead and he thought that wouldn't be a problem. From what I read I guess they are somewhat stiffer but that is OK. Don't know until I try them. Stiff is O K. Bottoming out is not. 5000 mile failure is ridiculous.
I have also had Monroe's fail. Kybs are much better, I've had koni reds on two of my vehicles, and theyve lasted the life and then some of the vehicles.
I've had a bunch of sensatracs, on my Fiero (front and rear), a 96 Camaro, and 3 Ford Explorers. Never had any of them fail.
I did have a failure of a "standard" replacement shock from NAPA, which I think Monroe makes. Found fluid leaking out of it after about 6 months of use. It was on my Fiero, maybe the Fiero's front end is especially hard on shocks for some reason.
I had one Sensatrac strut, defective out of the box. The good one could be compressed, and would slowly extend back out. The other would stay compressed, or would jump back out at irregular intervals. Seemed to be binding.
The good thing about most auto parts stores, is various brand options. Take those monroe back to Advance for a Warranty Refund or Warranty Upgrade. The KYB option is alittle more but way worth it!
Back in the day (mid/late 1990s), I put a set of Monroe SensaTracs on the Fiero I had at the time. The ride was nice. But after a couple years, they started getting soft.
My current Fiero has KYBs, which I installed in 2004. They're still working fine. But as mentioned above, the KYBs are stiffer than stock. For me, that's fine. But if your Fiero is a daily driver or a boulevard cruiser, you might not like it.
The damping is heavier, so the ride is more firm. On bumpy surfaces, it will feel more harsh. You'll definitely want to slow down for railroad crossings.
Thanks Blacktree. Pondering the change. Think I'll try the KYB. Gun shy now with monroe. Struts are new monroe. Work great - for now lol. Don't have time to keep crawling around under car to perform quality control on things that are suppose to be OK. Though glad I found out working on Bushings!
working at advance, its kinda sad to see in person how many failing products there are within the warranty period too!!!
soo much work is generated for the second hand auto service industry... and a lot of it unwanted! who wants to spend 4 plus hours to remove and replace a part that they just put in not even a month earlier? and its even worse with items that are defective out of the box...
I've been so much on the fence about buying certain products placing importance in name brands and everything... soo many things are hit and miss... some products... I cant believe how bad they are, even if they are.
I was going to buy some sense-tracs for my gt but I think I'll just... NEVER... the %20 discount is loosing its applicability...
I have to wonder if some of these parts have been sitting on shelves for a long time and the seals and check balls that make up the damping unit are defective from just sitting. I purchased all of my suspension / brake parts from Rock Auto. The packaging of the brake pads tells me they are at least 10 years old. I did buy the sensa tracs because I've had good performance from them on every other vehicle I've put them on. Those other vehicles were newer and had many more units produced. Just wondering if it may be a causal factor. Low demand = low production = old "new" parts???
I have ordered parts from some companies and that is exactly what I got. Product looking like it has been returned and boxed ripped open, missing instructions. Also being manufactured long ago old as already said. Some things don't matter, but others do. Send it back and you pay shipping. Guess I need to call customer service more often. Hate to get into it. Time and energy.
