What all should I replace with my struts? 2000 Protege ES

[fruitbane]

I have a 2000 Protege ES (1.8L) and it's time to replace the front struts. I know I need the struts, mounts, and boots, but should I be replacing anything else related to these at the same time?

Also, is it a good idea to replace all struts at the same time or is it just fine to replace the front and back at different intervals?

For the curious, I'm getting KYB all around.

 

[FunkRider]

If you just want a stock replacement and no improvement in handling sure, but I'm not really a fan of KYB even when used as a stock replacement. They don't seem to measure up to factory struts on most cars.

Also you will need to pay attention to the sway bar endlink location of the new struts you install. Most use the 01+ location requiring longer sway bar end links. Chances are if you drive the car in the snow the endlinks won't come off anyhow. If they are rusty they have to be cut off 8/10 times.

You are fine to replace only the front or rear at a time.

 

[fruitbane]

Thanks for the information. I'm not trying to improve performance. I'm just doing stock replacement. What do you recommend instead of KYB? And how should I go about getting the right kind of sway bar links?

Also, should I replace the springs and spring seats as well?

I ask because my mechanic is having a hell of a time finding good prices around here but he doesn't shop on-line, so I'm trying to get all the parts myself and just have my mechanic do the work.

 

[FunkRider]

What kind of mileage is on the car and roughly where are you located?
As long as the spring seats aren't dried out and rotting they should be fine, and if the springs aren't sagging or cracked they are fine as well.

We have a few OEM Mazda Parts dealers on this site ask for a quote in these forums. They can usually price them so cheap even with shipping its a better price than your local mechanic can get and not much more money than the KYB's
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=310
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=249

Get a price quote for the 2000 ES struts and endlinks. Make sure you give them a zip code so they can calculate rough shipping prices also.

 

[fruitbane]

Thanks so much for the leads. I'm investigating now.

My car only has about 70,000 miles on it, so I'm hoping the springs are OK. If they're not, they're probably a little easier to get locally, but I'm inquiring for a quote anyway.

I'd love to get some progressive springs but I'm not sure how that would affect the rest of the suspension and I don't want to gamble in areas about which I know little.

 

[D-rock240]

Tokico HPs, trust me it's worth it. It would be good to replace the springs if you can as well. I recommend Espelir or Eibach Pro-kit.

 

[fruitbane]

Why Tokico HPs? Note that I spend a lot of my driving time on the highway, so comfort is actually a concern, and not something the stock struts provided a lot of Handling in spades, but not comfort.

 

[D-rock240]

You'll be surprised how much better the car handles just by getting good struts. And if you're going to buy new struts anyways, you might as well get ones that increase the handling aspects of the car.

 

[fruitbane]

Do the Tokico's improve ride comfort any? Also, I wouldn't know what parts to buy. The Tokico website is sparse and provides little information.

 

[susamafone]

70,000 miles and your replacing struts already??? hmmm, my moms 2000 dx went about 150,000 before we replaced them.

 

[FunkRider]

They will ride slightly stiffer than OEM.

As for struts at 70,000 in these cars... It seems they either blow a seal early in life and mileage or continue to work great for a long time. Mine are in great shape at 95,000 miles.

 

[fruitbane]

This whole deal is turning out to be way more confusing than I thought. The local Mazda dealership is probably the only place that'll know exactly what needs to be replaced and have parts to do it but they'll charge me out the wazoo. My local mechanic will do it affordably, but I have to supply all the parts and know they'll work together if I have any intent to get a good price. Turns out the parts I need are hard to get locally and cost an arm and a leg.

So, will the sway bar extenders I need vary by what kind of aftermarket struts I buy, or is there one extender I can get that's relatively safe?

 

[FunkRider]

I'll try and sort this out for you.

You can get OEM struts with the stock (for 99-00 cars) sway bar location and use the 99-00 lenght sway bar endlinks.

You can get the Tokico blues and use the 01+ longer endlinks.

 

[fruitbane]

FunkRider, I appreciate your explanations. I took my car to the dealership and they told me exactly what OEM parts I need, with part numbers, and identified exactly what needed to be replaced. Because my struts are going early the boots and mounts are supposedly OK. And thanks to the on-line sellers listed here in the forums I've found some good prices, too.

 

[FunkRider]

Glad I could help you out. Let us know how it works out for you.