I'll be going KYB when needed, I certainly wouldn't go for overpriced factory parts.....

 

Thnak you for reassuring my woes over buying aftermarket supplies. If all goes well I can have these things ordered, shipped and delivered by the weekend. Then installed in one afternoon.

As long as the replacements still allow me travel at like 75 MPH down an exit ramp I should have no complaints

 

Do any of you think I should need a new mounting kit?

 

Whenever I had front suspension (shocks etc) replaced, I recommend to have a front end alignment done. Whenever I didn't have one done, the alignment was off and my tires wore rather rapidly.

 

I suggest replacing the "mounts"/"bearings" while you are at it, they are expensive. But it's kind of like replacing a throw out bearing at the same time you replace a clutch. And the alignment is a good idea, but theoretically not needed since there is no camber adjustment unless you add the aftermarket kit. If you really want to do exit ramps at 75 MPH, you should look into a rear sway bar!

 

I plan on having this done...


Not sure if I am going to replace the bearings being as they are at least 100 each.

 

Wow....no, the oil is the blood of the shock..without the oil there is no shock, its the oil passing thru the valving that creates the damping that controls the spring occilations... the seals eventually break down from dirt or whatever and the oil basically pumps out....it can be messy
If your not having any tire wear issues now, you should be ok without an alignment,,but if your having any kind of odd wear get it done.....

 

On gas shocks there is a lot less oil, than hydraulic-shocks..

OhioPest-

Maybe that mechanic of yours can 'mark up' more money on OEM parts..

Aftermarket is fine & You should be able to do yourself.. To remove the front coil springs off your struts, you will either need a spring compressor, or have a local shop do the spring change & you do the R&R

 

Yes there is tire wear...

I will get a spring compressor from the local shop and do it myself.

 

I was only tryint to let him know why he see's oil on the shock.... If you wanna get technical...The development of gas charged shock absorbers was a major advance in ride control technology. This advance solved many ride control problems which occurred due to an increasing number of vehicles using uni-body construction, shorter wheelbases and increased use of higher tire pressures.

The design of twin tube gas charged shock absorbers solves many of today's ride control problems by adding a low pressure charge of nitrogen gas in the reserve tube. The pressure of the nitrogen in the reserve tube varies from 100 to 150 psi, depending on the amount of fluid in the reserve tube. The gas serves several important functions to improve the ride control characteristics of a shock.

The prime function of gas charging is to minimize aeration of the hydraulic fluid. The pressure of the nitrogen gas compresses air bubbles in the hydraulic fluid. This prevents the oil and air from mixing and creating foam. Foam affects performance because it can be compressed - fluid can not. With aeration reduced, the shock is able to react faster and more predictably, allowing for quicker response time and helping keep the tire firmly planted on the road surface.

An additional benefit of gas charging is that it creates a mild boost in spring rate to the vehicle. This does not mean that a gas charged shock would raise the vehicle up to correct ride height if the springs were sagging. It does help reduce body roll, sway, brake dive, and acceleration squat.

This mild boost in spring rate is also caused by the difference in the surface area above and below the piston. With greater surface area below the piston than above, more pressurized fluid is in contact with this surface. This is why a gas charged shock absorber will extend on its own.

The final important function of the gas charge is to allow engineers greater flexibility in valving design. In the past such factors as damping and aeration forced compromises in design.