hey guys i'm new to the club.. i have a 2001 es300 143k miles on it.. i got it as a gift from a friend and fixing her up little at a time.. i need to replace the struts and really dont have the money to buy oem ones.. i was wondering what brand of struts should i get i see a lot of different "cheap" ones.. keep in mind i'll mostly be driving the car to get to work ( about 8 min away from home) and driving pretty much local.

 

Do a search this has been discussed at length. Short version is:

Monroe: similar to OEM ride won't last as long
KYB: best quality and longevity much firmer ride (don't let anyone tell you different)
Monroe compete assemblies: hit or miss, some or okay some are terrible. Many ride too high, sag over time, rattle.
Moog complete assemblies: don't have much info on these

Best bet is go KYB or Monroe along with OEM mounts and springs.

 

Everything L2K says is true.

But considering your driving habits and for the money, a set of top-of-the-line Monroe Quick Struts is what you’re looking for. They’ll go on quick and last forever. That’s just my opinion. Struts are one area where you can spend a lot of money and have to be “setup” to start building them, when the average person is operating with a lot less. KYB makes Quick Struts and the best one for yours is about $250 - $300 a pair, while the best Monroe’s will run about $200 - $250 a pair.

Good luck.

 

What about replacing just the strut?
i ask cause it seems you just need a spring compressor that you can rent or buy at harbor freight.

 

You can borrow them for free at any major auto parts store - O'Reilly, Napa, etc.

If you plan to keep the car, get KYB. They will last. Monroe feels ok at first but wear out quickly. El-cheap stuff will wear out even more quickly.

If you need rear springs, Monroe makes some aftermarket ones that are cheap and hold up ok (so far, I have 100k on a pair).