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kyb struts

johnnyj773

johnnyj773

New member
hey i just wanted to know if anyone has either the kyb gr2 or kyb agx struts. which u think is better,would the gr2 be efficient enough without payin more for the agx or agx is the way to go?
 


Well I had KYB GR-2's in my old 98 GT and they were really good. My only problem with them is that they were really to harsh for my liking. They handled wonderfully, but the daily driving can be a bit sore if you commute a lot. My new setup for my GTX includes the AGX's. Why? Well with the AGX's you can tune the ride of your car to match that more of a stock feel, ie less harsh. And when you hit the track, you can stiffen them up, ie the GR-2's.

The AGX's are definitely more expensive, but when you look at what they can do as compared to the GR-2's they worth every penny! They are finally starting to come down a bit in price, I have seen some people getting them for $450 to $500 shipped. I personally would save a bit more and get them.

Just my 2 cents on that one :)
 
johnnyj773 said:
say geddy how much did it cost to install em?
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Nothing :) It helps when you have "people." :th_mischievious:

Seriously though, you can do it yourself if you have the time. The only real trick is getting the springs to compress to install on the struts, but you can rent a spring compressor from AutoStoned or ORielly's to help do the trick. OR if you know someone at an automotive shop, you can bribe them with a case of beer or something to compress and set them up for ya. That is what I did when I had my first set of KYB GR-2's with the SSC Gen II Springs.

A couple of things to keep in mind when doing this.

1. Buy NEW strut mounts. Sure you can use the old ones, but why take a chance on something that has been on your car XXXX amount of miles. Also its good to keep your old springs intact and stored some place incase you sell your car, you can make some money back by swapping out the new ones back to the old ones if you get rid of your car. You can get generic mounts from TireRack by KYB for around $50-75 bucks and I know ZZP has some good ones that cost a tab bit more, but they include all the necessary rings and the metal boot cover for the front strut mounts. I think their whole setup for all 4 is roughly $100 bucks.

2. You will need to get the upper and lower insulators that rest against the struts and inbetween the springs themselves. The best place to find these would be through either Rock Auto or a dealership. The only problem with a dealership is that they are gonna charge you through the nose for them. That was my mistake my first time around when I made my first set of struts. Going through Rock Auto will save you easily $20-40 bucks on the cost of them. If you need the part numbers for the insulators I can get them for ya as well. I know Rock's part numbering system does not match up with GM's part numbering system unforuately. But I know which ones they are on the Rock Auto site if you need help.

3. Best bet is to also get the KYB boots from Tire Rack. I did that for my first set and this set as well. The new KYB boot package comes with the Bumpers included, that saves you a ton of cash, and the rears also come with the metal cap that goes over the boot at the top of the strut. If memory serves, the whole package of 2 front boots, and 2 rear boots from TireRack ran me about $50 bucks. If you need part numbers let me know, I can look them up on the boxes for ya.

4. Get a set of 4 antipogo washers from ZZP. You will be lost if you dont. They run about $25 bucks for a set of 4.

5. It is best to go ahead and get 2 sets (4 total one for each wheel) camber bolts. You will need them once the car is setup with the new struts. Your alignment will definitely be out! I drove for about a week without a good alignment to allow the new springs to settle before I went to NTB and then had them do a proper alignment. For 2 sets of camber bolts, you are looking at about $40 to $50 bucks roughly. You can find them cheaper, but dont skimp on these, they are a much needed part to the whole lowering thing. I got mine from PFYC.

6. Me personally I went with the 3 year alignment plan from NTB. That way I could make changes and never have to worry about paying for another alignment for 3 years. That cost me about $120 bucks.
 
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Sabrewings said:
Here's some backup to Geddy's #1. Replace those mounts!

North American Impala Owners Association Forums-viewtopic-What the hell was that loud bang at 3 in the morning?!

Also, a lot of Geddy's info is for lowering. Not all of it applies if you are keeping the stock ride height (like anti-pogo washers and camber bolts). As for alignments, Firestone has a lifetime (as long as you own your car, no matter what you do to it) alignment plan for $130.
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Thanks Sabre for the backup :) And yes he is quite right, my suggestions were for when you lower car, I would assume anyone getting KYB's is gonna lower their ride, there are a few out there who get the struts but keep the factory springs or replace them with new, but they are few and far between. So I A$$ume most folks are lowering their cars :)

I might have to go check out that Firestone one, my 3 year run with NTB ends this month.

Good suggestions Sabres!
 


GeddyLee said:
Thanks Sabre for the backup :) And yes he is quite right, my suggestions were for when you lower car, I would assume anyone getting KYB's is gonna lower their ride, there are a few out there who get the struts but keep the factory springs or replace them with new, but they are few and far between. So I A$$ume most folks are lowering their cars :)
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I guess I'm one of the few. I may get 18s one day, but I'm perfectly happy with my ride height.
 
naw i wasnt plannin on lowering it.i would love to but chicago has some jacked up streets.so i'll save up for the agx struts,strut mounts and might as well save up for sway bars,strut tower brace and lateral arms to get the most out of it.but none of this will be done until i finish adding some power to the car.
 
Sabrewings said:
Here's some backup to Geddy's #1. Replace those mounts!


Also, a lot of Geddy's info is for lowering. Not all of it applies if you are keeping the stock ride height (like anti-pogo washers and camber bolts). As for alignments, Firestone has a lifetime (as long as you own your car, no matter what you do to it) alignment plan for $130.
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I too have the lifetime plan, and have abused it already. just to add, if you have a lot of miles you may want to go ahead and do springs too
 


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