Source for '94 Q45 Rear Shocks? Online shopping is a disaster.

[TellarHK]

I've been trying to track down a pair of rear shocks for my clean '94 Q, and have had some really horrible luck. After searching online, I found a company called Speedy Car Parts (speedycarparts.com) that supposedly had them in stock and went to place an order. They sent me the bushings, but then told me that the shocks weren't in stock (2 days after the bushings arrived) and that they'd refund my money in 4-7 days.

I was annoyed, but could cope with it. So, I got a bit more money in my bank account and went to order from a second shop. This time, it was Auto Parts Train (partstrain.com), for a similar price. I even called and spoke to a woman in India who assured me the parts were in stock. I felt a little unease about this, but wasn't sure exactly why. The moment I clicked "Check Out" though, I knew I was $@*#ed. My receipts from both companies were identical, and mentioned their "Affiliate" Auto Parts Warehouse. I called Auto Parts Train to complain, and they've said they'll put a stop on the debit, but I'm still not seeing anything credited to my account.

Both companies were fronts for "Auto Parts Warehouse", which never had the parts in stock. They have multiple companies that show up on Google Shopping, listing all the parts under the sun and claiming they're in stock, but not a damn one of them had anything. I'm seriously considering contacting the Nevada and California Attorneys General, to see if there's anything that can be done about this since both "companies" assured me the part was available and now have my money for up to 30 days. Avoid any of these companies. They're complete frauds. And I suspect those three "companies" are just the tip of the iceberg.

So now I'm a few hundred bucks lighter in my bank account for now, and am wondering how much it's going to cost (and where to go!) to actually get real, existing, in-stock, usable parts for my Q.

Any suggestions? My current shocks are shot, but fortunately it seems to only be the rear that need replacing. What's the difference between a '94-96 and a '93 and earlier model, also? I contacted a dealer in Sacramento (I'm in Carson City, NV) and they want $250 each for them if they order them especially for me. That's going to hurt if I have to go that way, but I can do it if I must.

[Q45tech]

REAR shocks are identical on 90-96 Q45, whether you you chose oem Tokico Blacks or aftermarket Tokico Blues.Fronts are different in bottom mounting diameters between 90-93 nand 94-96.

[qship96]

Infiniti of Scottsdale has them- get all 4 with boots and be done with it for 60-100 thousand miles! http://WWW.everythinginfiniti.com is their website, and you can get their phone number on the site to call and confirm price/availability.Tell them Qship96 sent you for extra special pricing!!!

[maxnix]

While the rears do wear a little faster, I'd be hard pressed to recall anyone here who didn't replace all 4 simultaneously.

Besides the gaiter bump stops, there is usually more rubber that needs replacing. Good to have parts on hand if you need them.

[TellarHK]

Q45tech:

Thanks for the heads up. Everyplace I've gone - dealers, Napa, Kragen, Autozone, all of them seem to believe the rears are 94-96 only, and nothing exists for them. Is this just some kind of mass propagated failure on the part of some catalog that everyone uses? Interestingly, plugging in 1993 at Kragen comes up with a Monroe Sensa-Trac shock that supposedly works, for $96.

qship96:

Thanks for the heads up, It's looking like I'll have to save up a bit more cash and give them a call.

I have some friends that've been working on cars for years, who think they can manage the job of the rear shocks without too much hassle. The front might be a lot more difficult, and from the look of the $310 price at Scottsdale Infiniti per-side, it's going to be a lot more money. I can only afford to do the rear for now, and the front actually feels just fine. So I'll probably be saving up to take care of those down the road.

Fortunately, everything else in my Q seems to be in great shape except for the remote control that died a couple months after I got the car. I'm not sure if it was the keyfob that failed (since I only have one) or the module in the car itself that died. I'm seriously considering picking up a CONSULT compatible scanner I saw online not long ago for a hundred bucks, if that'll help me figure out what I need to replace.

[qship96]

Scottsdale sells the 4 tokiko Blue shocks with 4 boots for under $380- call them!!!!!!!!

[TellarHK]

Scottsdale sells the 4 tokiko Blue shocks with 4 boots for under $380- call them!!!!!!!!

Once I get all my money back from those scumbags at Auto Parts Warehouse (who billed me as yet ANOTHER company, Parts Bin) I'll do that.

[unknown007]

KYB GR-2.

[maxnix]

KYB GR-2.

Twin tube design and therefore are not made for the G50.

Watch out for the noobs! Especially the ones who don't read the previous posts.

[TellarHK]

I know that IOS is a good place to go, and I'm planning on contacting them when I have the cash early next month, but I have to ask - has anyone had experience with the Monroe shocks I mentioned earlier? Kragen's online parts finder comes up with those for a '93 Q, and that has me a little surprised. I know everyone swears by the Tokico's, but is there a particular reason why other than the fact they're the car's native OEM?

[maxnix]

Maybe because the Tokico are flat out superior and designed for the car?

You have the wrong car if you have a Kragen or other 3rd party American automotive retailer mindset. Those who have gone that way bragged about their ingenuity and now are ex-owners and no longer board members, their cars gone to other owners or junk yards.

[TellarHK]

So your reply to a technical question is to insult me for asking by telling me I have the wrong car for even asking?

That's not a very adult attitude, it's the kind of response I'd expect if I were talking to an Xbox 360 fanatic and decided to mention enjoying a PlayStation 3 exclusive title. Especially since I said I was going to be calling IOS already. That's like attacking me for a damn thought crime. The only other places online that I've been attacked like that for daring to ask questions against the group think are gun forums (where they don't like liberals, even ones with more guns than most rednecks) and open source software forums.

It's an example of what, to be honest, I really dislike about this board and why I come here fairly rarely. I -do- intend to take very good care of my Q, with no ricing, lowering, stupid looking rims, etcetera. I've probably got one of the cleanest 94's out there, too.

But I'm not religious about it, because I've got other things in my life that demand my time and money. Sure, in this case, I'm far more likely to buy the Tokico shocks than to take a chance on some Monroes, but I had almost $400 essentially stolen from me trying to get the "right" parts already, and I live on a fixed income in the worst economy in my lifetime. The appeal of getting something that I can buy in town, from a retailer that I've dealt with for years has a pretty strong appeal.

You guys are extremely knowledgeable, and I've greatly appreciated the advice and information you've accumulated over the years. The Q45's are great cars, and they deserve to be well treated. But the attitude I've seen in regards to some posts just smacks of "I'm better than you." No, you're not. You just might have more money.

[maxnix]

The Q45 is one of the least inexpensive imported cars to maintain, especially with the FSM, the knowledge base represented by the previous posts on this board, and a source of parts like IoS.

Being imported means you will not find many OEM quality replacement parts at 3rd party retailers. I have yet to hear of Monroe as an OEM shock manufacturer for even domestics. Either the new owner gets educated as to what he has, or augers in his car with inferior Chinese replacement parts that these low price 3rd party retailers deliver to gullible consumers that think initial price point is more important than quality and durability.

Sorry you are insulted you have such a good car.

[TellarHK]

That's a really passive aggressive post (and subject change), and I can't find much real logic behind it, but I do feel like I should respond.

My question, again, was this:

"I know everyone swears by the Tokico's, but is there a particular reason why other than the fact they're the car's native OEM?"

Now, if you say something like:

"I don't know, I've never tried anything but OEM grade Tokicos and neither has anyone else I've heard of." ...that's fine. That's giving some input, and being mature about the subject.

If someone has more knowledge of the specific differences and replied with a comment more along the lines of:

"I understand the Monroe shocks are softer, don't handle the car's weight as well and tend to wear out in 3-4 years." or "The bolt pattern is close, but not perfect, and you need to replace a bunch of fittings as well as just the shock itself."

That's truly helpful, and would add further weight to the suggestion that someone sticks with the well-respected (but hard to find) Tokico's. Instead, you treated my simple question as some sort of attack on the group mentality that swears by Tokicos, and seemed to infer that I was going to just ignore everything people here suggested.

Taking things the wrong way and responding in ways like that serves nobody well, and gives a poor impression of the respondent and the forum as well, to anyone new considering joining. Keep that kind of thing in mind.

[unknown007]

I'll try and find you some struts.Qship doesn't know what he's talking about.

[qship96]

I'll try and find you some struts.Qship doesn't know what he's talking about.

I dont? Who is the jackass now? http://www.infinitipartsusa.co...=3221

You need to spend more time learning, and less spouting,son.

[TellarHK]

I certainly appreciate the help, and the link - that's not the Infiniti parts site that I saw earlier which had been mentioned here by others, and the pricing is a lot more in line with what I'd hope to pay. My earlier reading had only found a site showing me a price of $180 per rear shock, which was doable, but a little more painful. Particularly since my front struts appear to be just fine so far. For ~400-425 for all four, with my being able to put the front ones aside for later installation, this will work nicely. I'll be ordering a set as soon as I get my money back from the places that screwed me over at the start of all this.

[qship96]

EverythingInfiniti.com, Infiniti of Scottsdale, Infinitipartsusa.com are all the same place

[unknown007]

I dont? Who is the jackass now? http://www.infinitipartsusa.co...=3221

You need to spend more time learning, and less spouting,son.

Son?If I was your son I'd kill myself with embarrassment. Time learning huh?Yeah I do and you need more time to mature and get the sack dropped. Anyways I suggest getting any affordable aftermarket struts that fit your budget. I just went with a suspension sway for my blow front strut.

[Q45tech]

The only problem [besides life] in after market or off brand [non oem] shocks is how do you actually measure the compression and expansion parameters to see if they are even close to match vehicle requirements.

Rears at 1 foot per second rate: 186-251 pounds resisting expansion48-71 pounds resisting compressionThe higher numbers are brand new The lower numbers are worn out and exhausted.Hopefully one sees that the shocks should be ~~~ 4x stiffer to pull out than to push in.

The other problem is the entire range of the shock is 7" so from the midpoint ~~ 3.5" so how do you pull in 0.3 second and extert 250 pounds smoothly. Impossible without a $3,000 test machine.

[maxnix]

I'll try and find you some struts.

There are no "struts" on a G50 except for the hood struts.

All shocks are nitrogen pressurized monotube design.

Anyone who has read the previous posts on this board would know the answers and at least some of hte facts. Beware of carminative postings.

[unknown007]

No really?Of course new STRUTS are stiffer.If they are blown it's not as stiff.I got some broken Z32 ones that I dropped and it slides down by itself.They are soft too.

The Q does have struts.Anywhere you go to buy parts they are called STRUTS even if you say they aren't.

[Infinitiguy19]

OK Berner I know you hate to admit that your made a mistake, Ever one hates it. But if you simply apologized then we would have avoided another fight. But I do like seeing them. .

So next time Berner be more specific about who your talking too.

And seriously read some of the Q45 info I gave it will really help.

[Infinitiguy19]

I'll try and find you some struts.Qship doesn't know what he's talking about.

What did Qship say wrong in this instance?

[paranoidjack]

Someone clean up or lock this thread, since no one has any real data to share with the OP on Monroe vs. Tokico...!

[unknown007]

What did Qship say wrong in this instance?

Everything.

[TellarHK]

I recently just found out about Monroe.Are they new or something?

They're probably the best known standard shock manufacturer in the United States, if not the "western" world.

[maxnix]

They're probably the best known standard shock manufacturer in the United States, if not the "western" world.

Yeah, if you ignore Delco, Koni, Bilstein, Ohlins, Sachs........and of course KYB and Tokico who all produce OEM units.

If you want a "standard" car, I hear Mopar products can be had below dealer's cost from designated dead dealers.

[BLACKonBLACK98]

i dunno man... i was under the impression that all tokico hp's were twin tube and the part in question sure seems like a load bearing part as well as a damper to me (which would make it a strut not a shock).

[TellarHK]

From what I understand, corporate's going to be helping dealerships redistribute parts and inventory to survivors in cases where they don't stick around with other brands. My local Jeep dealership's taking a hit by being closed, but they were a Nissan dealer too so they're not going to be closing.

And hey, lose the attitude.

I own not only a Q, but a '95 Wrangler and a 1969 Dodge D200 (which I'm currently in the process of rehabbing after many years of previous owners) so every time I might mention another brand of parts it isn't because I'm going to start slapping VR4 electronic crap from Wal-Mart in my Q.

And of all the brands you mentioned? The only ones your typical consumer are ever going to see are Delco and Bilstein in vast swaths of the country. Monroe's _the_ big name, domestically. Tokico might be good, but if you can't buy them at NAPA, Autozone, Kragen, or any other retailer? Guess what? They're not known.