[pont3]

What's your opinion of them. Last Saturday I replaced the original struts on my '04 GTO with KYB. I don't particularly like them as they seem to ride harsher than the 86k mile originals. They were advertised oem replacements, so I assumed that they would ride like the originals.

[Cardo]

I love the KYB's. That being said it depends on which one's you buy. The G2's are about the same as stock, the Gas Adjust are always stiffer. Personally i prefer the stiffer ride.

[ID67goat]

Originally Posted by pont3

What's your opinion of them. Last Saturday I replaced the original struts on my '04 GTO with KYB. I don't particularly like them as they seem to ride harsher than the 86k mile originals. They were advertised oem replacements, so I assumed that they would ride like the originals.

Had the same experience with a fox body mustang...was too harsh for my taste.

[Geoff]

The assumption that gas shockers will always be stiffer is incorrect. The function of the gas is stop the oil aerating by pressurising the oil & stop air bubbles forming. The shock characteristics then remain more constant.

[389]

I would pass on them. Every shock I ever bought from them leaked sooner or later.. Look up Bilstines..

[78w72]

kyb are a good OE type replacement shock & have a lifetime warranty if they leak. overall they get great reviews for the shocks & the all in one replacement struts or coil over shocks. & they are much better than other same priced shocks like monroe.

they will feel stiffer for 2 reasons, #1 they are designed to be about 10% stiffer valving & springs over shock to make up for other worn parts, thats straight from kyb when i asked. #2, when you replace shocks with high miles or that are worn out, you have gradually become accustomed to the softer worn out ride, then you put in new correct working shocks, some stiffer than OE, & you suddenly think they are so much stiffer than what was on there, but in reality its restored the car back to what it should be. they will soften up some over time.

i just replaced alll 4 shocks (fronts are coil over) in my 4runner & the kyb's ride & handle very good, especially for the price compared to more expensive shocks, yes bilstein & koni etc are better shocks but then again they cost 2-3 times as much as kyb.

im happy with the way they ride, the price & the lifetime warranty should anything go wrong with them down the road.

[GT182]

I run a set of KYB gas shocks up front and I like them. Stiffer than sock but not all that bad. Would I buy them again? Yes.

[pont3]

Originally Posted by 78w72

kyb are a good OE type replacement shock & have a lifetime warranty if they leak. overall they get great reviews for the shocks & the all in one replacement struts or coil over shocks. & they are much better than other same priced shocks like monroe.

they will feel stiffer for 2 reasons, #1 they are designed to be about 10% stiffer valving & springs over shock to make up for other worn parts, thats straight from kyb when i asked. #2, when you replace shocks with high miles or that are worn out, you have gradually become accustomed to the softer worn out ride, then you put in new correct working shocks, some stiffer than OE, & you suddenly think they are so much stiffer than what was on there, but in reality its restored the car back to what it should be. they will soften up some over time.

i just replaced alll 4 shocks (fronts are coil over) in my 4runner & the kyb's ride & handle very good, especially for the price compared to more expensive shocks, yes bilstein & koni etc are better shocks but then again they cost 2-3 times as much as kyb.

im happy with the way they ride, the price & the lifetime warranty should anything go wrong with them down the road.

Sorry, but this is just nonsense. I remember perfectly how this car rode when I bought it new in June 2004. The PRIMARY reason I replaced them is because the strut mounts were failing and since I had to replace them I thought I'd just replace the struts while I had them out. My car rode MUCH better with the original struts than it does now with the KYBs.

I also have a 11k mile original '06 for comparison.

[78w72]

its not nonsense at all... it's highly unlikely anyone can remember "perfectly" how a car rode 15+ years ago. after that long you have gotten used to the gradually worn shocks that got softer over all that time, now you have new shocks that are 10% stiffer than stock & its a drastic change that is & feels stiffer than when the car was new... maybe you have a recollection of how it rode but the new stiffer shocks are a sudden change & make you think they are overly stiff.

just like when you get a new pair of tires, they feel totally different than the hard worn out ones you got used to over 50k miles. same applies for new shoes or anything you get used to over time but then replace with new, it feels different.

kybs are good shocks, for the price point, they may not be as good as the OEM shocks & are made to be stiffer, so they feel different. thats all i was saying.

[ZeGermanHam]

Agreed that it isn't nonsense, and it seems a bit of an odd point to argue, for a few reasons. We get used to a lot of things that are difficult to perceive over time. All 78w72 was saying is that you probably noticed a difference because A) the shocks you installed are designed to be stiffer thank stock, and B) they are brand new and don't have 86k miles on them. Perhaps the difference you are feeling is mostly due to the design differences, but both are fair points.

As far as KYB vs. OEM vs. other stuff, I've always regarded KYB as a decent budget brand. On a car that has a decent chassis underneath it, I would pony up the extra $$$ for Bilsteins, Konis, or KWs, but you would then likely encounter a stiffer ride than stock with those brands as well. If you want an OEM ride, install the OE parts, not OEM "equivalent" parts.

[Skip Fix]

I have an 04 with only 40K miles and the car handles decent, actually a little stiff on bumps but the shocks are a little on the soft side when I toss it in a turn. So any shock might even feel stiffer.
Not sure but I bet there is an adjustable strut out there to tune to how you like the ride.

Bilsteins in my '97 Chevy truck are real stiff but handles good on curvy roads!

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by pont3

I also have a 11k mile original '06 for comparison.

That vehicle may only have 11K on it, but those shocks/struts have been supporting that weight for 14 years.

I've had the opportunity to attend the Monroe driving experience (not claiming Monroe to be the best units, just that they were one our aftermarket vendors as we also carried ACDelco, Motorcraft and Mopar OE units) several years ago.

They had 3 sets of identical vehicles. All vehicles had between 40 and 50,000 miles on them. One of each set still had the OE shocks/struts and the other had new Monroe units.

We got to make a run with both around a controlled course with washboard corners, sharp S turns, a simulated set of railroad tracks and a panic stop. We were encouraged to drive the vehicles hard. And we did.

My vehicle was a Mercedes sedan. It was amazing the difference that a 2 year old vehicle with only 43,000 miles (that's how many miles were on the OE strut version) had with worn OE vs brand new on the same model.

MY bosses drive turned out to be in a Chrysler minivan. I rode along just for the hell of it. Same results.

The difference with how the new shocks/struts dealt with keeping the tires in contact over the washboard surfaces, the greatly reduced body lean in the S turns and the pronounced nose dive of the worn front units in the panic stop was readily apparent.

Overall, it was a fun and educational experience. Lot's of tire squealing, and laughs as we watched others going through the same course.

My personal vehicle had about 65,000 miles on it at the time. I replaced my struts the following week after that test driving experience.

[pont3]

Okay, let me see if I can clean this up a bit. The '04-'06 GTOs have never been soft-riding cars, but when new they actually rode pretty good. I'm not saying KYB are bad, just that they don't live up to what was advertised as far as OEM ride and handling characteristics. I was perfectly happy with how my car handled until it deteriorated to the point that something didn't feel right. Upon disassembly, I found broken strut mounts and struts that didn't extend after compressing them. I found cracked, dry-rotted radius rod bushings, and sway- bar end link bushings that were installed incorrectly. So I replaced EVERYTHING only to find that my car rode much harsher than before I touched it, and only a SLIGHT improvement in handling. I also found that my original struts are MONROE.

Sorry W78W72, I wasn't trying to diss you. Glad you chimed in Champ and maybe you could expound a bit on exactly who is building what now as far as shocks and struts are concerned. Obviously, AC Delco IS made by Monroe. Are KYB the same with just a different name? My KYBs state on them "made in Australia", but look exactly like the Monroes. Are OES Monroes the same as what was installed by the factory? If so, that's what I want.

[pont3]

Originally Posted by ZeGermanHam

Agreed that it isn't nonsense, and it seems a bit of an odd point to argue, for a few reasons. We get used to a lot of things that are difficult to perceive over time. All 78w72 was saying is that you probably noticed a difference because A) the shocks you installed are designed to be stiffer thank stock, and B) they are brand new and don't have 86k miles on them. Perhaps the difference you are feeling is mostly due to the design differences, but both are fair points.

As far as KYB vs. OEM vs. other stuff, I've always regarded KYB as a decent budget brand. On a car that has a decent chassis underneath it, I would pony up the extra $$$ for Bilsteins, Konis, or KWs, but you would then likely encounter a stiffer ride than stock with those brands as well. If you want an OEM ride, install the OE parts, not OEM "equivalent" parts.

I would gladly pony up for Bilsteins or whatever brand would give me back my car's original ride. But as you say, I would likely encounter a stiffer ride and I don't want that. Perhaps you are or work for a retailer, (based on your last comment), and to that I say, BE HONEST IN YOUR ADVERTISING! Don't tell me your product fits and functions the way the factory installed parts did, if there is even the slightest deviation. And if it does differ, be honest in describing the differences so I can make a better choice. Is it really that hard to tell a potential consumer that product A will ride harsher than the original?

At this point, after two weeks, I'm seriously considering putting my original struts back on with only the new mounts, which is probably what I should have done initially. My 16 year-old struts rode much better and handled just as well as these KYBs.

[78w72]

no problem, didnt take it as a diss at all. just wanted to point out kyb were designed to be 10% stiffer than OEM so that is a big factor.

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by pont3

Glad you chimed in Champ and maybe you could expound a bit on exactly who is building what now as far as shocks and struts are concerned. Obviously, AC Delco IS made by Monroe.

If I gave you the impression the Monroe is building the ACDelco units - that is not what I meant to say.

We handled Monroe simply as a lower cost alternative to OE units as most people don't want to pay for OE when they replace shocks/struts on a vehicle with 100,000+ miles (usually when they are forced to because of failure).

[78w72]

Originally Posted by pont3

Okay, let me see if I can clean this up a bit. The '04-'06 GTOs have never been soft-riding cars, but when new they actually rode pretty good. I'm not saying KYB are bad, just that they don't live up to what was advertised as far as OEM ride and handling characteristics. I was perfectly happy with how my car handled until it deteriorated to the point that something didn't feel right. Upon disassembly, I found broken strut mounts and struts that didn't extend after compressing them. I found cracked, dry-rotted radius rod bushings, and sway- bar end link bushings that were installed incorrectly. So I replaced EVERYTHING only to find that my car rode much harsher than before I touched it, and only a SLIGHT improvement in handling. I also found that my original struts are MONROE.

Sorry W78W72, I wasn't trying to diss you. Glad you chimed in Champ and maybe you could expound a bit on exactly who is building what now as far as shocks and struts are concerned. Obviously, AC Delco IS made by Monroe. Are KYB the same with just a different name? My KYBs state on them "made in Australia", but look exactly like the Monroes. Are OES Monroes the same as what was installed by the factory? If so, that's what I want.

if your struts were so worn that they didnt expand after compressing, i would not put them back on the vehicle, they are shot. if you dont like the kyb's then maybe try monroe that are supposed to be more like stock shocks & are not as firm as kybs. & if you go to billsteins you wont like them either as they are even stiffer than kybs, but will handle better. its a trade off.

& again, if the originals were that worn out they were providing a softer ride compared to when they were working right. now the 10% stiffer KYB's & the other new bushings you replaced etc make the car ride much firmer than it was over the last 10+ years. new shocks/springs will soften out & settle some over time.

as for who makes what, kybs are not renamed monroes. & ive read kyb makes many OEM shocks for foreign vehicles. not sure who makes acdelco today, have read they are made by another company & not what acdelco used to be.

just trying to help & provide accurate info on the shocks. hope you find something you're happy with.

[rohrt]

Some tune with stiff springs and light shocks and some tune with soft springs and stiff shocks.

When I put Hotchkis springs and KYB's on my FB it was horrible. I changed to a shock that was designed for the spring and it road much better.

I took the same KYB's and put them in the front of my 64 tempest that has the original springs. They worked great in that application. Before I would occasionally bottom out the front of the car and there was very little stability. The KYB's were a night and day difference. In all fairness the old shocks on the front were almost completely worthless.

The point is that all shocks are tuned for their compression and rebound rates and some shocks work better then others depending on the springs they are paired with. On top of all this is the fact that ride quality is subjective.

If you really want an education on the subject give Marcus a call at https://scandc.com/

[pont3]

Originally Posted by The Champ

If I gave you the impression the Monroe is building the ACDelco units - that is not what I meant to say.

We handled Monroe simply as a lower cost alternative to OE units as most people don't want to pay for OE when they replace shocks/struts on a vehicle with 100,000+ miles (usually when they are forced to because of failure).

Around 2005 or so I read on LS1GTO that the original equipment struts were Monroe. I've owned my car since new and stamped right on the struts are the word Monroe. So I can confirm that statement. So, would Monroe build to a different standard for oem than for aftermarket, maybe via an agreement with the manufacturer? Because if the AC Delco parts, which claim to be OEM, are the EXACT parts that were originally installed, these KYBs are coming off and replaced with AC Delco..

[The Champ]

Originally Posted by pont3

Around 2005 or so I read on LS1GTO that the original equipment struts were Monroe. I've owned my car since new and stamped right on the struts are the word Monroe. So I can confirm that statement. So, would Monroe build to a different standard for oem than for aftermarket, maybe via an agreement with the manufacturer? Because if the AC Delco parts, which claim to be OEM, are the EXACT parts that were originally installed, these KYBs are coming off and replaced with AC Delco..

I can confirm that when a vendor is signed to build anything for ACDelco - it is built to ACDelco specs. Why? Because ACDelco knows what the OE specs were and they want the part to be built to those specs (unless they have identified a problem area and then they will redo the specs to alleviate said problem). They also are restricted from using that exact spec for their own products.

If a vendor is signed to build a part for ACD, it doesn't mean that they build that part for all makes or models for ACD.

I can tell you that In 8 years of working with both ACDelco and Monroe reps (2010 - 2018) neither rep ever said anything about Monroe building ACD shocks or struts. Many of my aftermarket reps were proud to let me know that they were vendor ACD was using for XXX parts.

Doesn't mean Monroe didn't build them in the past, just that during that time period I don't believe it did.