Worth Replacing all struts, Koni subtitute?

[Tozer]

Read these points before responding
-Im a student(17) entering college in January
-I have about 200-300 a month spending towards the car (more with Christmas + Birthday)
-Only rear passenger side strut is gone (god awful clunking is driving me insane)
-Lowered on eibach pro kits


Now the research that ive done new konis go for 750+
and used 400-500+

First questions is, is there any substitute for konis without sacrificing quality?
Second, should i replace the one strut or all 4? Ive read just replacing one can throw off the suspension or what not


Thanks for reading and hopefully responding!

[m3rk]

I had somewhat of the same issue and price was a concern.

1. Many members, including Jimmy from SP, have recommended me to go with the KYB GR-2 shocks. They are reliable and are great if cost is an issue. Still wish I got Koni's but nonetheless my 3 is driving better.
2. Yes, replace all 4.

[Mazdy]

Id go for konis...i know its alot but its a good investment towards replacing OEM shocks....u could go for the other cheaper once like KYB Shocks if money is an issue.. but the quality will be the same as OEM...

Secondly...i dont know about u but if one of my strut is blown, id replace all four....better be safe than sorry :)

[aris]

I disagree with the Mazdy and mynameismark on replacing all 4. Just replace the front struts. Why waste money replacing rear shocks when their is nothing wrong?

Also I wouldn't put koni on my car... I'll Probally replace mine with Monroe or kyb when it's time. (which ever is cheaper)

[Tozer]

I really appreciate the fast responses!

Okay so i guess all 4 it is and the GR-2 seems to be the better option for not breaking the bank or sacrificing quality.

Now another question for you, should i purchase them from KYB themselves, a re-seller, or lets say something along the lines of Ebay? Or does it not matter at all?

I read somewhere that warranty when it comes to these only apply to the original owner with the original receipt, does this apply to the G-2s ? Thanks

[Tozer]

I disagree with the Mazdy and mynameismark on replacing all 4. Just replace both front. Why waste money replacing rear shocks when their is nothing wrong?

Also I wouldn't put koni on my car... I'll Probally replace mine with Monroe when mine are toast

Monroe is a little cheaper then the G-2s, is there a reason you wouldnt put konis?

[aris]

Monroe is a little cheaper then the G-2s, is there a reason you wouldnt put konis?

Over priced IMO

[aris]

Okay so i guess all 4 it is and the GR-2 seems to be the better option


Your wasting money replacing the rear shocks when their fine

[m3rk]

Check one of the sponsors for some deals with KYB's if you decide to go with them. If you're lucky like me you can find all 4 BNIB ones on eBay for cheap.

[m3rk]

Your wasting money replacing the rear shocks when their fine

aris is right on this. If they are fine you can save even more money. 3 of my shocks were done and Jimmy told me to just do all 4 for equal wear and whatnot.

[The Wolf]

Your wasting money replacing the rear shocks when their fine

I agree with this. If you're just replacing with simple OEM style replacement parts, why do all four? Especially if cost is an issue. Are there significant savings when buying a full set of four over a set of two now and two later?

[Kiyomi]

i agree that if its just one of the front shocks, just replace the two front, nothing wrong with the back, then what is the point in replacing them? sides, i assume you dont track, so you wont be using the full extent of the shocks nyway. gl with your decision. :D

[boyracer]

You do what your budget allows you to do. I'd just replace the front 2 for now. As too which ones to get... again it's what you can afford.

[Sonic31]

Another option if you want to get slightly better than KYB but not as good as the Koni Yellows, there are the Koni Str.t's.

They are designed to work with moderately lowered cars (like yours) and you'll get Koni build quality.

IIRC a full set of four will cost you less than $430(US) brand new before taxes and shipping

[TheMAN]

like the others said.... just replace the one rear shock for now.... drive till all 4 are blown before you get better shocks/struts
if money is tight, there's no reason to spend any considerable money on the car
in the ideal world, better shocks/struts on lowering springs is the way to go... it's too bad spring manufacturers are too busy peddling their products instead of educating their customers that upgrading their shocks has to happen 99% of the time as the stock ones aren't designed to handle the stiffer springs

that being said though, I honestly think no one who is cash strapped should make any modifications to their cars.... just leave it stock! modding cars is a huge money pit and if you don't have the money to support it, then don't get into it!

[loki]

that being said though, I honestly think no one who is cash strapped should make any modifications to their cars.... just leave it stock! modding cars is a huge money pit and if you don't have the money to support it, then don't get into it!

I couldn't agree more.


additionally, you should consider switching back to stock springs, if not you're just going to run into more problems, that'll cost you more money in the future.

If you want to have the lowered look, consider saving up for it and doing it properly i.e. replacing the stock (or stock equivalent) struts with those designed for aftermarket lowering springs.

[Booostin]

Thats true unless you want to make one or two small changes. Lots of people arent out to make a 500 hp race car lol

[Tozer]

I actually disagree quite a bit with what you said. Contrary to what a lot of members end up doing (never stop modding), I'm pretty much done.

All i wanted, was to not look completely stock so I did all the upgrades im going to.

Tint+SRI+Pro Kits+ Rims = Done

My car looks nice, yet apart from other mazda 3's in my town.

Once these new spring(s) are in, all im going to be paying for is gas and future problems (fingers crossed)

[Mazdy]

What theyre trying to say is....

Once your lowered..its a good investment getting shocks that are meant for lowered cars....bcuz if you get OEM or Aftermarket OEM quality like that arent meant for lowered cars..youll have problems in the future amd that will cost you more...


I understand what people are saying here that if only one strut is blown then might as well replace that only one and its fine if your on stock height...but being lowered is a different story...so might as well invest on some good quality shocks that are meant for lowered cars


I actually disagree quite a bit with what you said. Contrary to what a lot of members end up doing (never stop modding), I'm pretty much done.

All i wanted, was to not look completely stock so I did all the upgrades im going to.

Tint+SRI+Pro Kits+ Rims = Done

My car looks nice, yet apart from other mazda 3's in my town.

Once these new spring(s) are in, all im going to be paying for is gas and future problems (fingers crossed)

[07carbon3]

what about getting a Yonaka Coilover Kits - Mazda3 04-09 kit instead you can get it for alittle under $700

[TheMAN]

never heard of them, and if it hasn't been heard of, the quality has yet to be proven
that's not something a cash strapped person wants to experiment with

even if you are planning to do just limited mods, there's always unexpected surprises that happens with a modified car... such as parts breaking because of additional stresses or reduced clearances or fitment issues that causes additional required parts/labour time
I can't tell you how many times people broke body parts because their car was lowered... bound to happen on these messed up Toronto roads... it also has been my experience that you end up spending less money in the end when you do any particular modification right the first time instead of cutting corners and skimping on certain parts or cheaper parts... having cheaper or stock parts break because you didn't upgrade everything as "one package" costs you more time, labour, and money on parts... so in otherwords, if you have a particular goal for the car, save up first instead of going for something half brewed in the future :) there's much less headaches this way and you'll happily enjoy the car with its mods instead of calling it a "POS" like some people do because they royally screwed up their car :)

one other thing to keep in mind with mods... for each specific component you upgrade, you have to weigh the pros and cons of them and wisely choose the parts that suites your needs... for example, you're just a casual driver who isn't into racing... a good set of springs and shocks will be quite sufficient... coil overs comes with a harsh ride, upkeep, noise, and other issues that occurs when daily driven... just remember, there's parts that are geared towards racing and others that are for street... that is just one good example I've given... also, some parts are not street legal too!

bottom line is, remember this old saying:
"cheap, reliable, fast... pick two"
all 3 is impossible (economics 101)

[The Wolf]

A $700 coilover set is usually only a temporary solution. In my opinion, "reliable" and "cheap coilovers" don't belong in the same sentence, unfortunately.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

A $700 coilover set is usually only a temporary solution. In my opinion, "reliable" and "cheap coilovers" don't belong in the same sentence, unfortunately.

+1.

This is Canada. We have bad winters and snow and salt. Just get a set of Koni yellow's and lowering springs and call it a day. They'll likely last the life of your vehicle and will outperform a coil-over set in terms of handling performance anyway and all without the silly winter maintenance that coil-overs require.