he's lowered on Tein H springs yosM45...the same springs you just bought from Blanco

so for those who have replaced their stock struts/shocks to KYB products, do you actually like them? how long have you had them on the car? what is the warranty period? i really don't want to do suspension refresh every 12-18k miles due to "unwise" decision on cheaper parts. let me know folks

cruzad3r wrote:so for those who have replaced their stock struts/shocks to KYB products, do you actually like them? how long have you had them on the car? what is the warranty period? i really don't want to do suspension refresh every 12-18k miles due to "unwise" decision on cheaper parts. let me know folks

The only person I know of that has them is CPJ LB.

But I'm planning on doing this set up on my M45 Sport. Tein H-tech with KYBs.

Ill let you know. I typically do a write-up or review when I'm done.

Unless someone else chimes in.

yeah when i refresh my suspension, i'll snap picture and posted for people who want to do it themselves. I believe KYB is part of Monroe family and we all know how high quality Monroe parts are. I'm just saying, there's a reason why it's less expensive

is warranty covered on this?

M35Sport07 wrote:is warranty covered on this?

u serious?

Well if you have a full warranty and not just powertrain warranty, and the struts actually break then yes they *should* be covered under warranty. But if you replace the struts/shocks yourself with aftermarket ones then no those would not be covered by warranty if they break.

Worn out shocks are not the same as broken shocks. Such replacement would only happen if the strut/shock is defective and breaks prematurely.

yosM45 wrote:


CPJ LB,

I started a thread that asked these same questions that I think you may have addressed my concern.

Are you saying that you have a M35 SPORT and...
You have aftermarket springs, and....
You used the NON-SPORT KYB shocks/struts, and...

Your car rides perfect?

Could I ask what drop you have?

Thanks!

^ YosM45
Yes you are correct...M35 sport w/ H-Techs and KYB Excel G's non-sport

^so far so good...ride is smooth and the handling is a lot better than the stock sport set up...I didn't want a 'stiff' ride due to having two little boys in the back and my wife occasionally drives the car....AND, I drive with clients at times...so I dialed it up just the way I like it...

really depends on what YOU want...hope my info helps...

cruzad3r wrote:so for those who have replaced their stock struts/shocks to KYB products, do you actually like them? how long have you had them on the car? what is the warranty period? i really don't want to do suspension refresh every 12-18k miles due to "unwise" decision on cheaper parts. let me know folks

^I've had KYB's on another car...and had no issues (my wife's Lexus ES300) and it was a perfect match/equivalent to stock. The replacement shocks were put on at approx 55K and we sold the car with 120K -- shocks were still good.
Regarding Warranty: Lifetime...

Based on price/value, I must say I'm a happy camper with the purchase...I know I wasn't gonna spend Dealer prices for a similar part...

cruzad3r wrote:yeah when i refresh my suspension, i'll snap picture and posted for people who want to do it themselves. I believe KYB is part of Monroe family and we all know how high quality Monroe parts are. I'm just saying, there's a reason why it's less expensive

^ ??? huh.

KYB = Japanese originator (one of the world's largest shock supplier to OEMs: nissan, toyota, honda, lexus, mitsubishi, and oh....INFINITI...)

Monroe = sister companies = Rancho & Tenneco


nuff said....

EniGmA1987 wrote:Well if you have a full warranty and not just powertrain warranty, and the struts actually break then yes they *should* be covered under warranty. But if you replace the struts/shocks yourself with aftermarket ones then no those would not be covered by warranty if they break.

Worn out shocks are not the same as broken shocks. Such replacement would only happen if the strut/shock is defective and breaks prematurely.

first - there is no WARRANTY on wear and tear parts. regardless of whatever package you have.

CPJ LB wrote:

cruzad3r wrote:yeah when i refresh my suspension, i'll snap picture and posted for people who want to do it themselves. I believe KYB is part of Monroe family and we all know how high quality Monroe parts are. I'm just saying, there's a reason why it's less expensive

^ ??? huh.

KYB = Japanese originator (one of the world's largest shock supplier to OEMs: nissan, toyota, honda, lexus, mitsubishi, and oh....INFINITI...)

Monroe = sister companies = Rancho & Tenneco


nuff said....

second - what you're buying is far from "made in japan" - now i might be wrong about the initial claim about part of the monroe family but believe me, for 60 bucks per pop, it surely will not be made in Japan. if you're telling me you had them on a lexus before for thousand of miles and they're still good, well i'm just going to take your word on it.

third - yes like you, i will try not to pay full stealership price if there's another alternative. at the end of the day, there's a balance between quality and price. for half of the price that a consumer like myself paying, i'm more than thrill if it lasted more than 36k miles; realistically

cruzad3r wrote:so for those who have replaced their stock struts/shocks to KYB products, do you actually like them? how long have you had them on the car? what is the warranty period? i really don't want to do suspension refresh every 12-18k miles due to "unwise" decision on cheaper parts. let me know folks

first - there is no WARRANTY on wear and tear parts. regardless of whatever package you have.

^ my response to the 'warranty question' was based on the warranty of the shock itself....KYB provides a lifetime W.

Yes, I know about wear and tear regarding vehicle warranties...many run ins with dealerships in the past...the biggest war is, by far, with Mercedes...they don't like to see their cars with 'aftermarket' items, but prefer their choice of 'aftermarket' with AMG or Brabus....that's a whole different topic...


...overall...I don't mind giving an update on the shocks (in the near and/or far future)...if my feedback can help out another happy Inifiniti M owner...I think I've contributed...

CPJ LB wrote:

yosM45 wrote:


CPJ LB,

I started a thread that asked these same questions that I think you may have addressed my concern.

Are you saying that you have a M35 SPORT and...
You have aftermarket springs, and....
You used the NON-SPORT KYB shocks/struts, and...

Your car rides perfect?

Could I ask what drop you have?

Thanks!

^ YosM45
Yes you are correct...M35 sport w/ H-Techs and KYB Excel G's non-sport

^so far so good...ride is smooth and the handling is a lot better than the stock sport set up...I didn't want a 'stiff' ride due to having two little boys in the back and my wife occasionally drives the car....AND, I drive with clients at times...so I dialed it up just the way I like it...

really depends on what YOU want...hope my info helps...

CPJ, sorry about all the questions but....

Any issue bottoming out or scraping?

Did you have the Tein H-techs BEFORE putting on the KYBs?
If you did, could you tell me your thoughts on the ride before (stock shocks/Tein H) and after (KYB/Tein H)


Does ANYONE know the weight difference between the 2006-2007 M35 and the M45?

M35x curb weight: 4043 lbs
M45 curb weight: 4006 lbs
M35 curb weight: 3889 lbs <- sport model
M35 curb weight: 3832 lbs <- base model

lots of websites list lots of weights. So dont take those as exact, but the same ratio of weight is on the majority of sites. So just go by the M35 is a couple hundred pounds lighter.

That's not bad at all.

I really thought the M45 was heavier. So I shouldn't expect much difference between the two.

the stock shocks w/ H-techs = ride was a lot better in terms of handling, less roll, and the car felt balanced.

KYB's w/ H-techs = ride is a tad softer than above...handling still great == better than stock set up (not lowered)

again, I only switched out the front shocks as it needed them....I will be changing the rears in about 5K more miles..or so...just keeping an eye on them.

not sure how it'll be on the M45 (weight difference)

...I had a range of suspension set ups on different cars....lowered w/ Eibachs and with lower shocks(my CLK hugged the corners, no body roll, stiff/firm ride, and looked tucked -- i will try and find a pix and post) I just worried too much about scraping, pot holes, etc but it was a great ride for me at the time...before the kids were born.

now, it's chilln time with the family, but i still wanted a 'sporty'/comfy ride....I think I attained it...btw, my set up does not bottom out, rub or scrape with or without my family in the car...

a benefit of me changing out the exhaust piping from the CATS is no scraping underneath(after lowering)...Prior to me changing the exhaust piping, I scraped one or two times at specific, steap driveways...

CPJ LB wrote:the stock shocks w/ H-techs = ride was a lot better in terms of handling, less roll, and the car felt balanced.

KYB's w/ H-techs = ride is a tad softer than above...handling still great == better than stock set up (not lowered)

again, I only switched out the front shocks as it needed them....I will be changing the rears in about 5K more miles..or so...just keeping an eye on them.

not sure how it'll be on the M45 (weight difference)

...I had a range of suspension set ups on different cars....lowered w/ Eibachs and with lower shocks(my CLK hugged the corners, no body roll, stiff/firm ride, and looked tucked -- i will try and find a pix and post) I just worried too much about scraping, pot holes, etc but it was a great ride for me at the time...before the kids were born.

now, it's chilln time with the family, but i still wanted a 'sporty'/comfy ride....I think I attained it...btw, my set up does not bottom out, rub or scrape with or without my family in the car...

a benefit of me changing out the exhaust piping from the CATS is no scraping underneath(after lowering)...Prior to me changing the exhaust piping, I scraped one or two times at specific, steap driveways...

CPJ,

Thank you. You answered all my questions. My Tein H-techs should be here next week. I should be able to install them next weekend.

yosM45 wrote:That's not bad at all.

I really thought the M45 was heavier. So I shouldn't expect much difference between the two.

Companies that sell different springs or coils for the M35 and the M45 tend to have the fronts about .2kg stiffer. So really it isnt much difference, which is probably why most companies just went with selling a single spring set for both cars.

yosM45 wrote:
CPJ,

Thank you. You answered all my questions. My Tein H-techs should be here next week. I should be able to install them next weekend.

anytime yos...I think you'll be happy with the springs...just let them settle for a while...enjoy the ride with your current shocks and get a feel of the difference...if you like the 'sporty' feel then it may be best that you get 'sport' shocks when you're ready to replace the stocks...again, not too sure about the weight difference on the M45 if you were to go with 'non' sport shocks...may cause a 'too soft' ride...

don't remember how many miles you have on your stock shocks...anyways, i know you'll be happy once the springs arrive...post pix once installed....cheers...

84,000k on the stock shocks.

I will definitely plan on taking pics, especially since I plan on doing it myself.

The FSM is saying I have to remove the transverse links, and sway bar links.

Seems a bit more complicated than other vehicles, but then again, what isn't on the M.

So I can put NON SPORT KYB (The struts that say EXC sport)
On my infiniti m45 Sport and be okay?

I'm considering replacing my M45 Sport's struts with the KYB's. From reading this thread and others it seems that fitment is not a problem, even though these struts are not recommended for the Sport model. I would not mind a somewhat "softer" ride. Would like to hear from those who have installed them to see how these KYB's are riding and if you are happy with the way they handle.

I'm going to be picking up the KYB's myself soon...maybe another week or two. Does anyone know what else I should change while I'm in there? Dust boots or upper mounts or anything?

Yes, I thought about that issue, too. It would make sense to replace any boots or mounts when replacing struts/shocks on a car with 70,000 miles on it! What is recommended?

Not sure. That's why I made the other thread asking so...lol.

^^ I think you should take your cars to get an inspection on your other suspension parts (boots, ball joints, etc) prior to getting your struts purchased or installed...some places will do a free inspection or for a little fee...

Fortunately I did not have to get any other suspension parts as they were still in good condition. I still have the KYB's on and they are still great(it's been over a year now)...Also I'm lowered and feel the ride is still comfortable. Keep in mind when I originally installed the KYB's, I went with non-sport then switched to sport (since my commute was shortened and didn't have to drive to LA anymore) between the two, the non-sport struts was good (very well balanced) but I opted to go with a slightly stiffer strut (sport) I enjoy the ride still -- even though I'm riding on the 'sport' KYB's it still feels really comfortable, but again with the H-tech springs the sport struts work really well.

CPJ LB:

Where did you get KYB "sport" shocks? I have only found the "non-sport" versions available. Do you have a KYB part number for those "sport" struts/shocks?

MOWellsinVA wrote:CPJ LB:

Where did you get KYB "sport" shocks? I have only found the "non-sport" versions available. Do you have a KYB part number for those "sport" struts/shocks?

^Hey MO...

I have the following part numbers for the KYB sports:
W0133-1841720
W0133-1847121

Partstrain.com
**keep in mind I got mine about a year ago, so not sure if part number is still valid
but again, I haven't had any issues with the struts/shocks and I'm lowered on TEIN H-Techs. Are you lowered or have the stock springs? If you get a chance, I posted some videos regarding my exhaust sound clips -- with the car in motion, you can see how the car rides and the stance that I have in the videos....I found one of them...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6khi343Iqdk[/youtube]

am i not noticing something on my car? i have 155,000 miles and still have original shocks. I was wondering when i have to replace them. I was just at the dealer and they didn't say i needed to do it. wouldn't they try to tell me if the shocks were bad?

i just did the 1000 dollar radiator.

coronaglen wrote:am i not noticing something on my car? i have 155,000 miles and still have original shocks. I was wondering when i have to replace them. I was just at the dealer and they didn't say i needed to do it. wouldn't they try to tell me if the shocks were bad?

Shocks are usually quite worn by about 75k to 90k miles. Yes, it is possible to stretch the use as long as they are not leaking or broken internally or rattling per se, but the performance and handling is way worse than new.

Generally, people do not notice this because the degradation is so gradual, you just get used to the change in handling and performance unless it really gets bad. The only time most people realize how bad it had become is when they replace them with new ones and it feels like a new car handling all over again!

My shocks now have 125k miles on them, and the increased wallowing and clear handling loss is so perceptible and obvious (to me anyway!) that I am almost embarrassed to have people in the car with me ... sigh.

I am Just being lazy and also having to put all my spare cash into son's school, usual repairs around the house, etc. I just have to order them from Everything Infiniti asap now, and get an installation done. Although not with the dealer - their labor is just too expensive, although I know that the one tech there that I usually ask to have work on my car, would do an excellent job.

Z

coronaglen wrote:am i not noticing something on my car? i have 155,000 miles and still have original shocks. I was wondering when i have to replace them. I was just at the dealer and they didn't say i needed to do it. wouldn't they try to tell me if the shocks were bad?

i just did the 1000 dollar radiator.

do you drive spirited or just very normal?? if you experience a 'boaty' feel -- the front end slightly bouncy especially on the fwy, then you may want to think about changing them out...is your car the 'sport' version?? if so, then a difference in handling will be noticeable. Also, for the rears, if you experience a harsh bump sound and feel when going over bumps in the road etc then the rears may need replacing...I believe I changed my shocks early last year due to some of the descriptions above, then afterwards the car rode a lot smoother and the handling was great....I drive the M35 sport and lowered with H-Techs...hope this helps.