Shocks...

[SenorPayne7]

Has anyone replaced or upgraded their stock shocks? i was told my driver side front shock is leaking and will need to upgrade or replace it soon, so i was wondering if anyone has done so yet!

-Stephen-

[philipa_240sx]

Shock replacement intervals will vary all over the map. It depends on the type of driving, road conditions, mileage, etc. Some will never replace them, others may go as quickly as 60,000mi or less.

As for aftermarket shocks, I've done some checking for you. All of the major vendors, Monroe, KYB, Koni, etc don't have a listing for the Rogue. Ditto for most of the online auto parts places like NAPA, Carparts.com, etc.

Looks like your only option is OEM Nissan. Stock Nissan struts/shocks are pretty good... I've never had any issues with them besides typical wear.

[Nick 568]

I've been pondering a shock upgrade for my Rogue for this summer possibly. My Rogue is the worst riding car at my house in the winter, and I'd love to get some better shocks for it. I love the shocks in the summer for the most part, but unfortunately, we have horrible roads here in the winter, and still in most places in the summer from the damage the plows and everyone's studded tires do in the winter.

Anyway, am I correct in assuming that the only thing preventing me from sticking on some Bilsteins or something (I'm a total shock noob at this point, haven't looked into what's best for what, etc) is that no one knows just which will fit without either trying a few different ones out in a shop or trying to find out the full dimensions for the OEM shocks and aftermarket shocks and figuring out which would fit?

[philipa_240sx]

Anyway, am I correct in assuming that the only thing preventing me from sticking on some Bilsteins or something (I'm a total shock noob at this point, haven't looked into what's best for what, etc) is that no one knows just which will fit without either trying a few different ones out in a shop or trying to find out the full dimensions for the OEM shocks and aftermarket shocks and figuring out which would fit?

Nick,

The rears are simple as the shocks are plain units. Any shock with appropriate stroke and mounts will fit.

The problem is the front struts as they contain the lower spring seat and the mount for the steering knuckle. To top it all off, the left and right sides are mirror images with different spring seats, etc.

Back when I used to race, Koni was the go-to place for performance struts. The most common mod is retrofitting your old strut by gutting it and installing a Koni insert. By reusing the shock body, it preserves the steering knuckle mount and spring seat angles/dimensions but you get the benefit of a new performance strut. You can even get fancy with adjustable shocks! And when they wear out, Koni offers re-build services too!

Koni offers inserts for most vehicles that can be installed by the average DIY'er. Sadly, they do not have a fitment for the Rogue but that is likely due to 'lack of interest' not because it's not possible. They may be able to suggest something if you provide the dimensions:

- Strut body inside length (the big tube). You need the inside dimension from the top edge of the body to the welded cap at the bottom. You may be able to simply measure if from the outside and subtract the welded cap to estimate the length.
- Strut body inside diameter. Look at the bottom of the strut.
- Overall stroke length. This requires removal of the strut from the vehicle and separate the strut from the spring to measure just the stroke.

Ideally, it would be easier to send them your existing struts (or perhaps a used set salvaged from an auto recycler) so they can build them for you. This would save the trouble of guessing what would fit.

All of this comes at varying prices, so it's worth a shot to call them:

http://www.koni-na.com/

[Nick 568]

Thanks for the great information, philipa! If I end up doing anything with this over the 2011 summer, I'll be sure to report back with my findings.

[SenorPayne7]

I took my Rogue to the dealer the other day and was told that I need to seriously consider my shocks, because i have the H&R sport springs, which have put too much stress and weight on my shocks. They said that the stock shocks are not meant to have the car lowered and are all going to blow "soon". So I either need to upgrade to shocks that can handle the lowered car or take out the H&R springs

[TaiLuu]

I took my Rogue to the dealer the other day and was told that I need to seriously consider my shocks, because i have the H&R sport springs, which have put too much stress and weight on my shocks. They said that the stock shocks are not meant to have the car lowered and are all going to blow "soon". So I either need to upgrade to shocks that can handle the lowered car or take out the H&R springs

True....
Koni shocks handled slammed Honda very well. So try koni yellow.

[philipa_240sx]

Koni shocks handled slammed Honda very well. So try koni yellow.

KONI doesn't have a shock application for the Rogue. So this is a no-go.

Senorpayne07,

The main purpose of a shock/damper is dampen the oscillation of the suspension. If you install stiffer springs like the H&R, the shock will be forced to work much harder. Your situation is very common among owners who install stiffer lowering springs. Unfortunately, there are few if any shock options for the Rogue. You can try OEM again and take your chances or spend some serious coin on some KONI inserts like I described earlier.

[dolbydj]

Does Anyone have any updates on stock and strut replacements?