Blue,

I guess the OEM struts are my only option right now if they decide to replace it (whether or not that's for my account). I also thought about the 2009 struts but we'll have to see if they're willing to go there. They could very well say they won't do it because it's not designed for my particular car, even though it fits perfectly.

-N- :thumbsup:

They will probably fit, and they almost certainly won't install them under warrantee IF they do a warrantee job.
They will probably be recalcitrant about installing them even if you pay for them, since they aren't a proven fit yet.

However, that being said, it never hurts to ask :)

actually OEM struts are not the only option you have...

You could install 1 of 3 different Coil Over kits and sell the Eibachs. I know thats very expensive but once its all said and done you'll never have to worry about it again.

My friend and I both looked into lowering our cars and installing wheels. Well that whole adventure ended up in a dead end with the Coil Over kit being the proper thing to do. The story ended up where just lowering springs will end up hurting your factory shocks and struts, this and that, blah blah blah.

The funny thing is, I know 100s of people that lower Mustangs and never ever have shock or strut problems.... Now figure that one out. My own mustang was lowered and never had a problem. So I dont understand why you would run into a problem with the suspension. Shocks and struts are not expensive or hard to install so i dunno, doesnt really scare me...

Stang,

The same thought has crossed my mind - why just me?? Like I said somewhere above, the struts may have been bum to begin with. They might have lasted a little longer with the OEM springs but I feel that the Eibachs just helped along the unevitable.

Eibach guy told me their springs would not/should not trash the shocks. Service guy told me the same thing. It all now comes down to whether the Hyundai rep is going to break everyone's b*lls about it or not.

-N- :thumbsup:

I had a bad shock at 60,000 kilometers on stock suspension.
IMO, they probably aren't top quality.

My car's in service today and I just got a call from the Service Manager - they won't replace them. Hyundai rep was in today and it seems that their only criteria for a broken shock is leaking - which mine didn't have.

SM said his mechanic did agree that the front was soft but unfortunately, not bouncy enough to warrant a replacement. Even if it was, I guess they would've still blamed it on the Eibachs. No biggie - I wasn't really counting on it anyway. I think we all would have been more surprised if they actually replaced them under warranty.

So I guess the question now is, are the 09 struts available and will they fit?

-N- :thumbsup:

This is frustrating. Looking back, I would have loved to purchase coilovers instead of the Eibachs. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the Eibachs. They are great springs, and definitely made a disgusting suspension quite good. However despite the excellent springs, the suspension is still a little wobbly and lacks crispness and control. That is due to the soft struts.

The problem is I had no idea the struts were that soft. I thought they were okay and the stiffer Eibachs would do the job. Without knowing how weak they really are, there was no way I could justify spending $1,000 or so for coilovers when the Eibachs were around $230.

On the positive side, lets hope the 2009 V6 sport struts fit. I may go that route too. Even if they cost $300 for parts plus labor, it is still cheaper than the coilovers. I just wish I could have purchased the better struts and Eibachs together to save myself the double labor costs. Normandelli, keep us in the loop!

Blue,

I'll keep you guys posted, don't worry - you know me. :grin:

This just blows for me because I could have saved myself money if I had new struts installed along with the Eibach springs. But nooooooo - **** struts had to wait until the springs were in before they started to crap out. Heck, they may already have been weak when the springs were installed.

Now it kinda makes sense where that loud bang I used to complain about might be coming from. If the struts are that weak, I can imagine the wheels riding up really fast and hard after hitting a rut/bump.

Right now, I'm not really sure what to do. Wait for aftermarket struts to show up? Drive at a constant 25 MPH? Buy/install 06-08 OEM struts if 09's are not available?

-N- :thumbsup:

This post has been edited by normandelli: Jun 16 2008, 01:26 PM

For giggles, I just called my Hyundai parts department. According to the parts guy, the 2009 struts only have one part number. Apparently the I4 and V6 now use the same struts. Supposely, they are firmer than those used in the 2006-2008 models. Oddly, he claimed he did not see a part number for a sport suspension. However, he did say the new strut costs $140 a piece. Unfortunately, he could not confirm if they were interchangeable with the 2006-2008 models. It would be nice if we could compare two struts side by side or even see a detailed diagram.

Got my car back. I had a brief word with my Service Manager and he said the 2009 front struts WILL NOT fit the 2006-2008.

Perhaps someone else on the boards can re-confirm this but if it is the case, then Blue, it looks like you'll have to spring for those coilovers. LOL!

Seriously, I can't imagine what changes they've made to the suspension that would require parts that won't fit pre-2009 models.

So I guess that narrows my choices down to just one - replacing them with OEMs out of pocket. Unless of course before I do, aftermarkets show up and/or 2009 struts turn out to be a suitable replacement.

Man this really blows.

-N- :(

A while back, I considered replacing the I4 struts with V6 struts. For the 2006-2008 models, the part numbers are different and I believe the V6 strut is firmer to support the front ends’ extra weight. I bet they would work well in the I4. The problem I encountered is that no one could confirm if the parts were interchangeable. I think the guys at the parts/service department are just lazy. How hard is it to make a call, examine different struts, examine a detailed diagram or even walk into the shop and look the mounting points of a V6 and I4?

Normandelli, you wrote:

Did they give a specific answer? I refer to one based on mechanics. I think this could also be a legal issue, again based on laziness. When I asked my local tire shop if they would install the V6 struts in my I4 car, they said they could obviously do it, but would not. Unless they have some public, verifiable confirmation that the V6 struts will work in the I4, they can’t do it. If it happens to fail and the car got into an accident, they could be held liable for knowingly installing a “non-approved” part.

I suspect that when the dealership say’s no, what their really saying is they don’t know and don’t want to help or get involved. If one held a 2009 front strut, 2008 V6 strut and 2008 I4 strut next to each other, I’d bet money they all have the identical mounting points and dimensions.

Time for my Eibach springs to make someone else happy. Anyone want them? They rode a lot less than 4000 miles. Probably closer to 3000. My car is a weekend car - not a daily driver.

Why give them up you ask?

Although the roads I drive on are generally okay, there's an occasional pothole that really kills the car - it's not me. It's just where I am. There's no getting away from it. I am making this available to those who live where roads are good. Very good.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't convince myself that the front struts were defective prior to installing the Eibachs so now that they're trashed, my only conclusion is that they can't handle the springs (despite Eibach's claims). Not for my driving environment anyway.

I can't afford to replace the struts every X,000 miles or until an aftermarket manufacturer decides to make better-suited struts for the Eibachs on our car. Nobody knows when these will become available.

It was fun while it lasted. Those springs are g*dd*mn good. I'll miss them real bad. Right now, I feel like a child who was given a couple of licks off a lollipop then it was taken away.

OEM springs and new front struts to be installed this coming weekend.

If anyone wants them, please PM me.

-N- :thumbsup:

heh, i guess I wont be taking them then, eh Norman?

im sure you will have no shortage of PM's about it though

This post has been edited by ddix1026: Jun 24 2008, 02:50 PM

ddix,

LOL! Actually, they might still be good for ya. I head out to the city a lot on weekends and you know how it is here.

If your roads are a lot more civilized than those I take, you may not have problems.

You know what's really funny about this? I feel worse about having to give them up than what it would cost to swap the OEMs back in.

When I said I'll miss the ride, I meant it. Sigh.....

-N- :thumbsup:

eh, my roads around here arent all that much better.. Route 9 sux.. but me driving all highway really wouldnt make much difference using those or not...

I find this thread very interesting as I'm looking to lower and improve handling but here in WI the potholes KILL wheels and suspensions. It seems best bet is coilovers and not just Eibachs I was planning.... any disagreements? And 18x8 seems best wheel size upgrade....