Hi,

I have needed rear struts for a while now and have been noticing a rattling noise coming from my rear end when I go over minor to major bumps in the road. I went to autozone to get a price estimate for labor on the rear strut replacement and they gave me a quote of exactly $265.73 just for the labor of replacing both the rear struts.

My questions...

I dont care about performance... What are the best struts for ride comfort that I can buy for the 1994 es300.

I was told by my mechanic that the best rear struts for my vehicle (1994 Lexus es300) would be either Monroe or Gabriel. After looking at posts, some people favor Monroe over Gabriel, and vice versa. The Mechanic also said that once I purchase the rear struts online because they are cheaper for my vehicle, I MUST purchase the mounting kit as well cause it wouldn't be a good idea to use the original mounting kit. Is this true?

I have also noticed that there are many various product lines for both brands in the strut category. There is mono tube, twin tube, triple tube, etc. What do these different styles provide over each other? Which one is better or worse?

I dont plan of keeping this car for very long, I just want a simple, comfortable ride... What is a good brand I could choose from? Some say KYB, some say Bilstien, other same Rancho... Can anyone please help and provide me with a link or two and price range for everything I need to replace the strut assembly?

There is a replacement line with the link here of a generic product that is a cost effective alternative to Monroe, etc... anybody disagree? Thanks for your help.

http://www.******************.com/sk...gs+Best+Seller

 

For what your plans with the car, Monroe or Gabriel will do fine. In reality, for 99% of the people out there, they'd do just fine. Sports or "performance" struts will sometime ruin a car's ride by making it too stiff, tuned for handling and all, but not for all purpose driving.
Yes, it is advisable to change the upper strut mounts at the same time, this is probably where the actual noise is coming from.
Something else to maybe look at is buying a completely assemble strut; new strut, spring, mount etc. I believe they can be had from autozone or advance auto for around 160 each. Don't quote me on the price, it's been a while since I looked them up.
Be reasonable about your choice in what you buy; are you driving the Audubon in Europe? Going to be doing high speed driving on rough and curving roads 99% of the time? Going to keep the car long? If not, just get the standard equipment, you'll be pleased. Just because the car is a Lexus........
If you are planning to sell or trade the car shortly, it's a 94, why bother? Trade-in won't get you any more one way or the other. If the car is in very, very exceptional condition with low mileage for the year, and you're going to make a good price for a private sale, then OK.

 

I put KYB on my 94 Camry and didn't like them: too stiff.

 

KYB is what I put on my Toyota's, as well as my friends I have changed them for. Tokico for performance if they want. KYB is who makes the OEM Toyota struts/shocks. Toyota also uses Bilstein for some of thier trucks, as well as most TRD ones.

Try Rock Auto for the struts. ALSO, change the mounts with it.