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What do we think of Motorcraft quick struts?

3K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  Fixer200 
#1 ·
Because I just scored a deal on a pair
The fronts for my '06 (ASTL1 & ASTL2)
$49 each on closeout from Rockauto
The rears are $165 each, and still have the inferior too soft OEM calibration

One's got a slight chip in the paint on one of the springs, let's see if they'll replace it

Now what do I do for the rear?
I really don't want to deal with a spring compressor in this heat, nearly killed myself last time

Would a Taxi package unit work well?
KYBs been good to me in the past, how's their quick struts?

At 64k, might as well throw on a new pair of sway bar links right?
 
#2 ·
If you mean by Quick Struts the units with the spring included I think you got a great deal. I have changed out the rear struts but not the front. I believe if the current struts are from the factory you will find them too long to remove without dropping the subframe, drop one side at a time. I don't know why anyone would not replace the struts with the integral spring included. I don't know if I would worry about a slight chip in the paint on the spring. Transferring springs from the old assembly to the new is relatively dangerous. If you are changing struts do the spring as well. On my rear struts I used KYB struts with the spring. The only pitfall on the rear is the pinch bolt which if you are in the rust belt can be difficult to remove. I would definitely change out the sway bar end links. My originals are plastic, so if yours are plastic probably original . You seem to be on the right path.

Scott



\..
 
#3 ·
They're the best, that's what I think of them. They will by far last the longest of any option you can get. Normally they're hard to find anymore but Rockauto seems to have found an old warehouse shelf full of them. For the rear, if you can't get the same deal on the Motorcraft ones, I really like the KYB quickstruts. Skip the spring compressor, that **** sucks. Done it too many times. New end links is a good idea while you're there, and pick up some new bolts for the rear ones as well since they like to break on removal.
 
#10 ·
They're the best, that's what I think of them. They will by far last the longest of any option you can get. Normally they're hard to find anymore but Rockauto seems to have found an old warehouse shelf full of them. For the rear, if you can't get the same deal on the Motorcraft ones, I really like the KYB quickstruts. Skip the spring compressor, that **** sucks. Done it too many times. New end links is a good idea while you're there, and pick up some new bolts for the rear ones as well since they like to break on removal.
The spring compressing is not that difficult. I put some Bilsteins on a friend's 2003 and replaced everything but the spring. Minus the compressing, it took about 25 minutes per side.
 
#13 ·
I got the same deal about a month ago. One had a little crappy paint around the top bolt but I figure it'll be fine. My 3 year old Moog quick struts were in really crappy shape and Amazon actually took them back! I put KYBs on the rear but can't really say how they'll hold up because they're only a week old, lol. Rides nice though. My front stab links (Moog 3yrs old) were sloppy and wouldn't hold grease, Rock Auto warrantied them out. My rear stab links were quite rusty (also Moog 3yrs old), ran to O'Reilly's and bought more. Heads up, there's a delay on lots of stab links right now, at least in the southern states, so plan ahead for better selection. Also torsion bar bushings while you're in there. Good luck.
 
#15 ·
Pic of rear spring. Bottom coil broken but still in place. Sag. If springs do not rust, they will not sag. If you do not exceed the "elastic limit" of metal, it will not weaken with age. Once surface rust sets in, they they loose their "spring rate". Most breaks are in the rusty area where they have weak area. My experience the fail is the bottom coil and it stays in place so no symptom except sag.
Pic of '03 Sable sedan.
-chart-
 

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#23 ·
Just put some front struts on 2011. When I bought mine from Rock Auto parts Description showed a load rating that might not be exact wording with the various parts listed for my Model. Well that where confusion came in. Rock Auto did not know what the listing meant, It is not listed in any in Chitons repair manual, had to male a trip to Ford dealer. A young Mechanic that just came from a Ford training session explain it like this: Each sub model Se, Sel, and a couple other models and a British model have a different ride level and handling, such has the Sho has a stiffer ride due to to it having more performance out put. He said a lot home mechanics go the route of quick struts. And he states that these mechanics had said the car handle like a fat lady on a skate board They usually brought the cars in to have the individual parts install as I did .At the time their was only Monroe O Matic they did not have a quick strut by Ford out at that time. They still do not recommend quick struts and it will change your 4 wheel alignment and they may not get align correctly. I have the correct number around here somewhere. I am in a wheelchair for now an had an outside Mechanic install the parts. And when you buy from Rock auto be sure to buy hardware for it also it does not come with struts. On things breaking our 2002 Taurus drivers side front strut or spring went out while driving down a freeway , the traffic investigators were not conclusive. We were driveling down the highway and one of the parts gave way strut went thru fire wall car drop on tire and shred it spring jamb in axle are something hit concrete median block then was hit by several cars. So far Insurance not paying still in courts. I was driving my truck. Wife was complaining wanted another car bought this 2011 Taurus. Really a clean car. Front started to squeak that why I replace struts springs all front end parts. The car is nice but start to be money pit. Tires are real expensive for it. And passenger side is taking on water after heavy rain. Dealer wants a $1000.00 to fix said he has to pull dash. We went down to Buick and looking at buying a new Buick. We been with Ford about 38 years. Trucks and cars. But unfourtantly they have really went downhill. My 96 Ford truck was my last one I bought and it spent more time in the repair garage than on the road. Hell this one lost it front end differential. Really getting it in the shorts to repair this one.. .
 
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