I recently installed new 71970-71 Monroe struts in my 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue (123k miles). These were suppose to be equal or better than the factory struts. I am now very disappointed with the poor ride. Would I get the maximum improvement in the cars ride by replacing the struts with a more premium model, or instead replacing the springs?
Please say what problem you are having. Poor ride could mean almost anything.
It’s a hard ride. I feel every bump in the road. It never road like this before. When this car had less miles it had an very smooth ride and now i have the opposite. Any suggestions?
If you had that car since 1998 and this is the first time you got new struts it may have got back the original feel. Struts loose their firmness as the age slowly. We all get older and so our idea of what a good ride is changes as well. In addition replacement struts tend to be a little tighter the the OEM to help make up for a little wear in the other suspension parts.
Did you get “performance” struts? If so they do tend to make for a harsh ride.
I doubt if replacing the springs will change anything, but it is possible.
It appears you want a soft, as opposed to firm stable ride and you may need to get a different strut to provide that. I would likely feel that those new struts were a big improvement.
I might add that if you would test drive most new cars today, you would find they are, in general, what you would consider a harsh ride.
They were the 71970-71 Monroe struts which were the economical option at the time. I think I will replace just the front two with a premium “softer” riding strut to see if that helps. Any advice on a strut manufacturer (model)? My main question was if changing the springs would improve anything, but based on your advice the struts are the likely culprit. I just want my wife to stop complaining about it. Thank you for your help!