10/29/11: trying to call to ask about struts. My bf’s mechanic says my 98 Corolla LE w/146K miles is soon to be in need of struts and they are too expensive to bother with. Could there be struts in a junk yard on a NEWER Corolla that would work? Maybe a chance that a car with fewer miles has better struts? When I bought this wonder-car, I determined that I can get 300K out of it. It runs GREAT! Bf says his old mechanic in Van Nuys, Stanley Norwoods, is so cheap it’s a sin to use him. Maybe Stanley could replace the struts cheap?
Buying struts from a junkyard would be sort of like buying a belt from a junkyard. Half the problem with the old ones is age itself, and the expensive thing is not the “part” itself, but the labor.
Needing new struts in up there on a list of things mechanics will tell you whenever they need to make a boat payment. Specify exactly what has been said about these struts that suggests they will need replacement. Maybe take it to this mysterious Van Nuys guy for another opinion about the condition of the struts.
If it comes down to doing them, a couple of other points. First, struts are normal wear & tear items. Thinking they should go 300K miles is like thinking tires should go 300K miles. And dumping a car for need of struts is like dumping a car for need of tires. Sometimes that certainly makes sense. But not if you have an otherwise decent car. If the rest of the car is in good shape and it has been well maintained then there’s no reason not to do the struts.
Is $55 per strut too much? I just installed some on my car for $42 per strut. Not hard to replace.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1432910,parttype,7584
Do not buy used struts and avoid the mechanic who says they’re too expensive to bother with. That makes no sense at all unless there’s some story missing.
You might fill in a few blanks. Front struts, rear, or both? Any obvious symptoms and how is the diagnosis arrived at?
Strut inserts can be purchased reasonably but more labor is involved as compared to Quik-Struts which are complete assemblies (strut, coil spring, and mount) and are ready to bolt in.