TeamCapri
Tech, Repairs, Upgrades => Brakes/Suspension/Tires/Wheels => Topic started by: Jim Simms on December 31, 2013, 01:07:34 AM
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Been looking for struts. Been all over Internet, and even call places. Cheapest KYB front shocks were $38 at shocks.com ; same shock was $73 at walkin store. Many online KYB shocks are 40-55 bucks. I even got a quote from our old friend JC Whitney for four struts for $201. The mystery is you can buy boots for the rear KYB struts but I have not found anyplace selling the actual strut. What struts do you guys prefer?
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I purchased struts and H&R springs from Tirerack.com this summer. Had to look up the rear struts based on 1989 Mazda 323 GT (info. I got from this forum! :)) Fit great! You may be able to get the parts cheaper elsewhere but with shipping this worked out the cheapest for me, just look up the 323 GT rear strut part number.
Hope that helps,
Kevin
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We all must be doing some digging to find our parts. I guess the time we spend could be spent doing something bad for our health.
I have settled on Monroe Sensatrac shock for the rear (71576 strut number). Best price for Strut, boot (63620), and upper mounts (901959) total was $180. This was at Just Suspension.
Next dilema is the cushioning, insulator, isolator, or whatever you want to call the rubber material between the bottom of the spring and the strut, and the top of the spring and the frame of the car. My car 23 years old. That material is dried, cracked, and will fall apart. Finding the exact fit insulator based upon the strut you buy is an issue. The insulator has to fit the spring as it sits onto the strut.
KYB struts will be used on the front, and again, there are many KYB insulators. Evidently have to be sure the KYB struts (234008 rear, 234009 front) are fitted with the right insulator.
Parts store in Orange County, California do not stock the insulators. If you sell struts, why not stock insulators to fit the strut?
Any feedback on getting the insulators will be welcome.
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I got the matching KYB boots for the front and rear KYB struts and the insulators/bumpers/whatever you would like to call them :) were included with boot. As long as the shaft diameter of the strut and the ID of the bumper are the same they should work. I did spend a few weeks searching out parts but as you stated I certainly could have been doing something worse. Using the existing bumpers was never an option as the feel to pieces removing the old struts from the vehicle. Only issue I had with the strut/spring change was that lower bolt was fused to the sleeve on one of the rear trailing arms. Had to cut it out and then make a urethane/sleeved replacement for the rear control arm. Found that I could have bought a new rear control arm a few weeks later, again by looking up the mazda 323 part numbers. Consider working on this car a bit of a scavenger hunt.
The lowering springs and KYB struts do make a very nice visual and handling improvement on a 91 XR2 in my opinion.
Good luck!
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You will notice a complete different valving between the Monroes and the KYB's. The Monroe's will be much softer and not a good match to the KYB's. They only make those things for comfort and not even as good as the OEM pieces. You should have matched the KYB's for the rear. sorry just my .02
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Thanks for all the help, and I hope my searching will save someone the drama I am experiencing. Two issues:
1) I would love to put KYB struts on the rear, but I cannot find them. If anyone, from Russ to Rocketman to the green novice know where to find rear KYB struts, yell across the website.
2) The isolators, located on each end of the coil, is hard to find as well. The story I hear is the isolator made for the strut for the Capri is not made by KYB or by Monroe; the insulator is made by an outside supplier. Finding the coil isolators is quite a challenge.
There are guys (and gals) who have had their Capri rebuilt and have replaced the struts. The old isolators become dry, crack, flake, and break. They have to be replaced.
Where can the isolators be found?
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Sorry Jim -
I guess I wasn't clear - I did get rear KYB struts from Tirerack by looking up the 89 Mazda 323GT rear part numbers (KYB part number 232012 LR, 232011 RR) at $44 each. Still show up. I did look this part number up on other sites and found them available there as well. These parts fit a 91 XR2 no issue.
As far as the isolators, I misunderstood what you were looking for - the thin rubber piece that goes between the coil spring and the strut I was able to re-use without any issue.
Now I was not able to locate a KYB rear strut mounts anywhere, but this is a pretty standard piece and I went with some I got from NAPA, again no issues.
Hope that helps!
Kevin
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On KYB's Website, plug in 1988 Mazda 323. You'll want FWD sedan.
http://showmetheparts.com/kyb/
The rear strut part #'s are right there. #232011 and #232012
If you punch in 1991 Capri, you'll find the boot kits directly from KYB. The boots and bumpstops are all over rockauto, as well.
IMHO Rockauto & Amazon are your best bet for purchasing common parts. You have to get in the routine of searching for both the Capri & it's Mazda counterparts. Russ is an incredible source of parts, I would give him a call on the spring isolators. Otherwise I'd get creative. The isolator's only purpose is to suppress squeaking.
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Thank you guys. I always thought it was weird to see strut boots for rear KYB struts, but could not find the struts. It was like putting a jock strap on a 10 year old; it has a purpose but not functional without the strut.
Those KYB rear are cheaper than the Monroe. Makes me happy.
I will chat up Russ on the isolators. I can tell that when my struts come off, those rubber isolators will be dust.
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Thanks again King Rocket.
Found the rear KYB shocks. Best price for all four struts was at Just Suspension. They have special for all 4 struts for $155.02
Rock Auto had best prices for mounts and boots.
the stock number for boots for the Mazda 323 was different from the 91 Capri. Guess will get the Capri boots.
Only thing left is to find the isolator/ insulator/ rubber seat.
Section 14-10-1 (Front Suspension) and 14-32-1 (Rear Suspension) in the Miata shop manual shows the rubber thingy below and above the coil spring, and they called it the "rubber seat", part number 5414.
If you guys know where these rubber seats/ insulator/ isolators can be found, let me know.
Time to go upstairs and explain why I am down here chatting with men about rubber seats.
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Check the Mazda dealer 88-89 323 any trim
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Went to Mazda dealer today.
found that the isolator under the coil is part number 28-0A3.
I ordered two, cost $19.38. They call it a Rubber Sheet.
The upper Rubber Sheet is part number 28-012A, and they cost about $15 bucks a piece.
The guy printed out the diagram. If you go on the web at Jim Ellis Mazda, put in the 1988 323 and you will find the diagram and prices. Hold your hat when you see the strut prices, $140.00!!!
I asked the clerk the brand of strut I would get if I were ordering. He said he did not know and his computer did not reveal the supplier name (KYB, Monroe, Gabreil). I have no idea if the rubber sheet will fit the KYB strut, and consideration has to be given to the end size of the coil spring.
The rubber sheet has to fit the coil and the strut.
Lets hope the spring is the same size. I just bet 20 bucks on it.
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The springs are the same size.
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Oem struts will either be Tokico or KYB.
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Thanks again guys. Today I went to the Mazda dealership and bought what Mazda called the "rubber sheet" as the lower insulator. I had no idea that they will be a good fit for the KYB strut, or if it will fit my spring. I took another chance, and ordered the upper "rubber sheets" (aka insulator) which cost $15.00 each. I figured a total cost of 50 bucks was worth the gamble. So I gambled again, and ordered (from Just Suspension) all four struts for a cost of about $156.00. Could not find lower price.
Then, as I clicked up my computer, I see the two messages that tell me the strut from KYB is oem and the coil spring on the Mazda 323 is the same size as our Capri XR2.
This will be a great day if the insulators fit. I hope this little adventure helps someone else.
Next is the cone air filter, chip, huge coil, and I can use the money I saved on struts to pay my speeding tickets.
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The KYB will not necessarily be OEM. KYB and Tokico made the oem struts for Mazda. If you bought them from Mazda they would be the same valving but not so true with the aftermarket. Are the KYB's that you bought the GR-2's? Also with shocks and struts the lowest price will not get the best strut. You should not have an issue with the rubbers for the springs and the KYB boots will fit all the 323 based platforms. Those rubbers will not last long. I did the same thing years back and when I went to swap out the struts a couple years later they were full of cracks. I would get the spring ends dipped in a plastic / rubber or even wrap in a cut up inner tube next time I am in there.
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Thanks for your input.
The struts are the EXcel-G struts from KYB. The front struts have the same number for the Capri as the Mazda 323, and the back are referenced from the Mazda 323 since the Capri rear struts are not listed.
I was worried a bit about the rubber insulators located on either side of the springs. Of course my are old and brittle. The Mazda insulators (rear strut, bottom of spring) did not feel so very thick or protective as I thought they might. That is a concern. There is a place 30 miles from here which makes polyurethane isolators which would be the best you can find. I might (might) see if I can find an isolator from them. The company is called Energy Suspension. They have a website.
If anyone can tell me the dimension of the spring (width out side the spring, and inside the spring, and height of bottom coil) maybe we all can order a set of top of the line insulators, and know a stock number to use. These insulators are fitted very well. Hell, if I had an extra spring, I would take the strut and spring to their shop and find the exact fit, send the info to Russ, and let Russ supply the insulators as a dealer. Win, win for everyone.
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Bad news on the rear struts to fit the 1988 Mazda 323.
Mechanic took rear struts off and the Mazda struts, having the correct serial number (ending in 11 and 12) were too long for the spring. The strut was an inch or two longer than the original strut. The spring was loose and sloppy.
Had to order Monroe from local car part place.
Just had a thought: What if I put a bigger spring on the back, and use the new strut?
Might be less expensive than the stuts I just bought.
Hope some of youse guys are up late.
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You could grab some coilover sleeves and a custom size 2.5" spring from Summit and be in good shape
Ive never heard of the 323 struts being too long. Are you positive they were for the sedan?
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Jim - what did you do to replace the rear struts? Just use the Monroes?
Has anyone used the KYBs on the rear (Excel-Gs)?
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Sorry for delay.
Since the rear struts were removed, I had to go next door to Oreilly's and get Monroe struts on the rear.
It was a good try
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Hey Guys!
I`ve read the whole Topic and I'm a little bit confused. I was on the KYB Website and put in our Mercury Capri and found only the front Struts, but none for rear. I think I will go with the Monroes. Is this Monroe Part # the right to use? Rear 71576? Front=71888?
I live in Austria and need to replace some Suspension parts. Hopefully you can help me.
I need the rear Trailing Arm, because the Bushings are gone. Can they be replaced? Have you got some Part Numbers and Sources?
What about the Mazda Trailing Arm from the 323 Turbo? Mazda Part Nr. 28-300C(Jim ellis). Will it work on iur cars?
I can buy Mazda Parts but not sure if the Ford Escort (Europe) is the same as the american.
Which coil springs are the same? Have you got some Mazda Part Numbers for me? Because I ride some Lowering Springs and need to use the original height, due to new technical rules in Austria.
Thank you very much in advance!
Regards
Dejan