I need info on struts/shocks?

Question

I have a '00 nissan altima and it goes " boing, boing" in every single bump i find. My mechanic says that I need to change the struts but he charges about 900 bucks (Including parts)(4 sides) or I can get the parts and he does da labor. I went to ebay and check out some prices and I found a lot of confusion there. What is struts/schocks.Do I need to buy springs. or Should I let the mechanic do whatever he needs to do.

Answer 1

A blown strut could certainly cause the condition you describe and yes, strut replacement is expensive. The quote is reasonable. The 00' Altima has MacPherson struts in the front (which are vertical, not horizontal) and in the rear.

Struts are labor-intensive to replace because unlike shocks, they perform multiple functions. A strut not only dampens suspension motions (like a shock) but also forms the upper locating link for the suspension and supports the coil spring. A shock just dampens the ride, that's it. The entire strut assembly with strut, spring and upper bearing and mount need to be removed and dis-assembled, then the whole thing needs to be re-assembled with the new strut and bolted back into the car. Then the alignment needs to be corrected. It can be done at home with the proper tools (you can rent a spring compressor) but its not for the faint of heart.

As for coil springs, Altima's are prone to coil-spring failure, particularly with the front - I have replaced more than a few broken front springs on these. If it were my car I would replace at least the front coil springs at the same time as the struts. Might as well do new mounts while you are at it. Better to do it while you are already paying the labor instead of having to pay for it all again later.

Answer 2

Shocks, struts take the brunt of a bump, usually though hydraulic oils so the car does bounce around like a buckboard.

Shop around. Sears, Midas etc.... sometimes have on sale, like buy 3 get 1 free. or buy all four struts, get install 50% off. Cycles every 4-6 weeks at Sears.

Shocks can be do it yourself if you have an impact gun, struts are not. I do not believe you have any shocks, only struts. You will have to do a 4 wheel alignment, so do job together. Springs affect ride height, a mechanic should know before starting the job. usually do not replace with out them being broken. Worn out shocks / struts wear out tires and can make driving more dangerous. Plus inspection sticker require good shocks.

Here is another thought too about struts, they will last a long time 5-7 years. probably 30-40% of the cost is in labor of install. buying ebay cheapies, if not a good name brand, may cost you later in labor.

Answer 3

Holy buttrape thats alot of money to throw down :) I am a tech and i used to work at Nissan i would take it and get a second opinion,. sounds to me like it coukld also be a swaybar link or bushing or your strut tops might need to be serviced. is it a harsh ride or just noisy? if the car is driving straight and not swerving all over road and the ride is the same it normaly is then you do not need struts. and the diff is struts are a integral part of the suspension that support the upper part of the vehicle and are bolted to knuckle where the upper A arm would be in a sla type suspension. The spring sits on the struts and usally is not changed with the struts and can be reused. Check you ride height with a tape measure, from the ground to top of wheel well dead center of rim and compare to specs. also a you can do the jounce test by picking a corner of car and pushing up and down hard and letting go if the car bouces and keeps going more than once or twice your struts are weak.

Answer 4

Struts are actually "Macpherson Struts" designed originally for racing. They basically horizontal shock absorbers, under compression. I suspect you have little experience working on vehicles. In that case, I HIGHLY recommend for your own sanity, and frankly safety, that your mechanic replace the struts. Struts require special tools, for that compression I mentioned above, and some experience.
Shocks, however are pretty easy for the average person to do. They are just bolt-on parts. You'll need to have jackstands to support the rear axle you're working on though.
I would perform a check, first, to see which ones need replacing. Go out, and push down on the back of your car-if takes more than one bounce to settle, you need shocks. Do the same with the front. If both are bouncing-you need, well, both.
Shouldn't really need to replace the springs, unless you want to. IF you're going to take this to your mechanic, you might as well.
I do NOT advise you trying to install springs yourself.

Answer 5

Shocks dampen that "boing, boing" thing you have going on so it doesn't look like your riding on the back of a jack rabbit. You shouldn't need springs. Usually if a mechanic is willing to let you buy the parts and him install them he is trying to play fair with you. It probably would be best to let him just do his thing so you can drop the hair flying, bunny rabbit thing. By the way, I know quite a bit about cars and I'm not comfortable buying things like shocks and struts on e-bay. E-bay is a good thing for a lot of stuff, but this one really isn't one of them - too risky that you might get the wrong thing.

Answer 6

you have a 2000 model car it doesn't need springs on it this soon,all you need is shocks and struts,and you mechanic is gone crazy ,because it don't cost 900 bucks to put these on and re-align the car up,which has to be done if replacing the front ones,find another mechanic,it should cost around 600 at the most for this job,good luck,i hope this help,s.

Answer 7

if your shocks are shot like what your saying "boing boing" that means your springs are probably shot now also. If your a cheap skate repace the front STRUTS and COILS one month and drive very conservitivly and replace the rear STRUTS and COILS the fallowing month

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Just let the mechanic do his thing, he will probably get a discount on good quality parts that will last much longer than what you can get for cheap price.

Answer 10

do it yourself it will save you alot of money and you will also learn something at the same time