Hi, I have a glk250 with 108.000kms (67.000 miles) and this weekend I replaced all 4 rotors with pads and noticed that 1 strut is done, a lot of oil !!
I just look at rockauto and ebay, there's a lot of options.......first, just the strut or a complete new unit even with new springs.
Any tips on what brand should I get?
FCS is the cheapest option, then KYB and last is Bilstein, I also reed this brand (completestruts) in the forum.

https://www.completestruts.com/produ...glk-class-x204

 

I bought from Fcp euro because of the lifetime warranty they offer, and went with MB because other brands are known to have harsher rides and are inconsistent. If you just drive mainly highway that would not be bad but I do all city driving . I got the strut and reused the spring. At 70000m I replaced everything with a bushing in front. Find out what else needs replacing first . If a strut is bad likely other component’s are worn.

 

No tips on brands but definitely recommend you replace them as a pair. Both fronts or both rears, as the case may be.

 

I would say this is mandatory unless maybe the other one is OEM, and in good shape, and you're broke, and you replace the bad one with OEM. (Still a good idea to do both.)

I would do all 4 if you're changing brands.

 

I'm going with KYB for front struts and rear shocks. Seemed like the best value. Might upgrade to Bilstein B6 next time.

 

You know KYB is an abbreviation for Keep Your Bilsteins, right?

 

Part of the reasons MBs ride well is because of their higher quality suspension components. You typically pay a premium for high quality. I would advise waiting until you can afford at least Sachs, if not the OE equivalent which are Bilsteins.

Do the job once with the best parts you can afford, then ride in comfort for years. That's my advice.

 

Was looking around rockauto, and noticed a premium quick strut assembly from Arnott, nothing on the web about them, anyone use them?

 

Haven't heard of them, but the very first hit in my 'Net search is this:

https://www.arnottindustries.com/

I see quite a few nationwide (local) auto parts stores carry the brand (O'Reilly, Advanced, etc) - RockAuto is listed, as well as FCP Euro, etc

 

Was curious if they would be worth the upgrade. The Monroe quick struts, would be around $400 for the pair Canadian, Arnotts around $750, I could get the Kyb gr2 for around $350 but it doesn’t include springs, mounts etc and would have to get the springs swapped out or get new ones. The car is 16 years old and at 350k km so was thinking got just replacing the whole assembly in one go, much easier.

 

While complete assemblies like Arnott and FCS might seem appealing, both in cost and ease of installation, they are cheap for a reason. The question is do you want to be doing them again in 1-2 years? I think probably not, and the ride quality won't be the same as OE replacements. It's your money and time, so do what works best for you. I would say if you plan to keep the car another 5+ years, you should stick to OEM quality and brands like Bilstein, Sachs, etc.

Don't forget that along with the shock/strut itself, you'll need strut mount and strut bearing, and probably stabilizer bar endlinks. You want good quality parts there too, such as Febi/Bilstein, Lemfoerder, etc. Get in there once, do the job right, and not worry about it again.

If budget is the issue, consider just doing the front since that's what takes the most abuse. I replaced all four corners but the fronts were the main problem; the rears would've been fine for at least another 2-3 years.

Here's what I'd get, all from FCPEuro for their lifetime warranty:
* 2 Sachs front struts ($168 each)
* 2 front strut mount and bearing kits ($57 each)
* 1 front (right) swaybar link ($45)
* 1 front (left) swaybar link (49)

That comes to $544 or so, and will completely refresh your front end suspension (minus the control arms and tie rods, which you can do at any other time). Get an alignment right after and you should be golden.

Yes, there will be work involved to remove the springs and spring perch (the rubber base at the bottom of the spring where it sits on the shock tube) and reinstall them onto your new shocks, but you will maintain the ride quality and height.

The Arnott assemblies are around $250 each, so still in the ballpark of $500 to get the front done. The real difference will be in quality and longevity of those parts. You can take the gamble, or you can do it right and rest easy.

 

thanks for the links, I played with the spring compression tools before, and prefer not to do that again especially on a 16 year old spring, I called a few shops around to see it they can do a springs swap from old to new but it sounds like they have no ideal what Im talking about and all 3 of them advised me to just get a complete strut, guess ill keep trying.

 

I agree entirely with Andreigbs. The loaded strut route looks better on paper than after you get them installed. It's almost certain that they'll change the ride height (alone, a total show-stopper for me), and of course, ride quality.

For me, the sweet spot in the line-up of available struts (naked struts...) is the Bilstein B4. They're designed to replicate the OEM ride quality and characteristics, and on an SUV designed to be as sport AND comfortable as the GLK, that's a good thing. I know lots of folks prefer the stiffer ride and handling of the B6, but I figure nothing you're ever going to do to a GLK is going to make it anything other than a "sporty SUV", which is kind of an oxymoron to start with. Replacing them with the OEM Sachs struts would also be a good call. And FWIW, I've had nothing but good luck with KYB shocks and struts in the past, and consider them a very viable, high-quality option - but on a car that's going to get the miles my GLK (and new Mini Cooper project car), the Bilstein B4 checks all the right boxes.

Swapping over the springs isn't rocket science or a huge deal, though it's not trivial, and does require using spring compressors which can end badly if the operator doesn't have a grasp on mechanics and physics. ;-)

 

I found a garage that will assemble both for $150, swapping out old springs, mounts, bearings to new, if i bring in the parts off car. I did the swap before on a not so old spring, it wasn't fun, kind of nervous on an old/high milage spring, havent decided if i want to do it myself again, last time rented out the tool. The mechanic also suggested that due to age and mileage, to consider replacing the springs. BTW I have KYB shocks on on the back, they are a few years old. Basically without new springs, it would something around $800 or $700 Canadian with B4 or KYB with new hardware, not including the labour for swap. With new springs probably around $1k. The Arnotts are not much cheaper, only significant savings would be going with the cheapest stuff like the Monroes which would be around $400 all in, but probably not going with those.