Rep Power: 0

Hello and thanks to all the posters out there. I've read quite a bit on the site already and hope you don't mind me asking how to raise a civic back to OEM.

My daughter bought a 2001 Civic EX and we later figured out it had been lowered by simply cutting the springs. My daughter doesn't like it low and wants to restore to normal ride height as economically as possible and we would appreciate any suggestions. We are having it done by a mechanic who will charge an hour per corner but an extra half hour if he has to install springs so I've been looking for complete strut assemblies but they seem few and far between.

Option 1: Just replace the springs
Seems like a bad idea as the shocks are old and one of the front struts is supposedly bad anyway (the protective boot is broken.)

Option 2:
Used from the local junk yard $75 each for fronts $50 for rears pulled and delivered to the mechanic.
I'm thinking this may be a bad idea as they will be old used shocks but this is the cheaper solution parts wise and no paying to swap springs.

Option 3:
Monroe assemblies $140 for the fronts.
Monroe seems the only source for aftermarket complete assemblies.
Haven't found new aftermarket normal height rears so we could just put used on the rear.
Some seem to think Monroe is a bad choice

Option 4:
Buy KYB or Tokico struts and buy OE height springs and pay the mechanic an extra half hour to put the springs on.
This is the most expensive but seems like we may be stuck.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 
Rep Power: 284

Option 1: The shocks are likely all toast, not a good option.

Option 2: Inexpensive solution, yes, but keep in mind struts and shocks wear out over time like brake pads and will eventually need to be replaced. Your just delaying the inevitable expense of new parts if she plans on driving the car long term.

Option 3: Monroe is garbage.

Option 4: Kyb gr-2 are an excellent oem replacement, they are what I would recommend replacing her struts and shocks with. The tokicos are great for those of us who are interested in performance, because they're a low cost performance damper, but not appropriate for your daughter as the ride is rough.

Overall:
The torn boot isn't a huge deal, lots of people actually remove them completely when they lower a car and don't have issues. It's just their to protect the damper shaft from scratches that could cause premature failure, but it's pretty hard for something to fly up through the spring and hit the shaft. I would however consider replacing the front strut bearing rings, they tend to fail and cause a popping noise.

The mechanics labour rates are pretty standard, but it would take me an hour to complete everything on my personal car. The first time I ever did it, and keep in mind I had never done anything aside from brake pads and oil changes before, it took me 4 hours start to finish. Anyone with basic hand tools should be able to handle replacing struts if they take their time and it's an easy way to save several hundred dollars.

 
Rep Power: 811

monroe is junk, at least go with tokico HP blue. and stock springs ofcourse. you will get a much better ride than the stock shock, which are very mushy.

 
Rep Power: 351

everything gearbox said is correct. monroe suck

tokico blues are much better alternative than stock.

then just look on ebay for some stock springs or get some tein Htech (they're only .8-1" lower than stock, and ride much smoother than stock)

 
Rep Power: 0

Wow! Thanks for all the help and tips.
I was looking at Monroe because they were the only supplier of complete strut/spring assemblies for both the front and the back but that doesn't look like the solution based on your feedback.

Thanks for the tip on the Tein H Tech, that looks like the way to go a set on ebay is only $170. I was looking at Moog stock they are a little cheaper are the Tein much better?

My concern about getting the shocks and springs separately was all the other doohickies I would need to get to create a complete assembly.
If I get the the shocks/struts and separate springs and want to throw out the entire strut so my mechanic doesn't have to disassemble anything what other parts am I going to need? Or do folks just re-use what's there?

Thanks again.

 
Rep Power: 811

all i needed was the lowering springs and tokicos. looking back, i should have done the top mounts too which are cheap and the old ones are usually bad anyway. and you need a camber kit (SPC is good) if you decide to go with lowering springs.

 
Rep Power: 190

Moog suspension parts are usually awesome, so if the price is right for you, I'd buy Moog.

 
Rep Power: 284

I reused everything but the bearing ring, including my slightly torn boots with a bit of tuck tape to patch them up. There's not much else that really wears in a strut assembly.