Help! Newbie needs advice (please)

Vook · May 19th, 2005, 12:29 PM

I have a 2001 SE (B15), all stock with about 95,000 miles on it. My car is a Canadian model and there were 2 versions of the SE sold here.
My basic SE model included the 2.0L motor, larger tires (195/60-15) and some overall upgrades that made it a better performer over the 1.8L GXE.
(There was a "Sport" SE upgrade with 16" wheels and stiffer suspension that I passed on; this is a commuter/grocery getter only).

Recently, the front driver side strut has been noisy, like a bad creaky door hinge that needs a good shot of lube. Especially noticeable over things like speed bumps that force a decent amount of travel. I don't know suspension that well and I would appreciate some feedback on a diagnosis of the problem. I assume the struts are pooched anyway; just looking for some guidance on my options here:

So, do I:

1) replace with stock
2) attempt repair (feasible?)
3) aftermarket options for same height, spring rate, damping.

This is not intended to be a performance related enhancement. How difficult is it to swap out the struts?

Any help/comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Petrovich · May 20th, 2005, 02:49 PM

Tried greasing them? Worked for my rears quite well. Get some nice grease (ask at a parts store, they should give you something good), raise the car on a jackstand, pull up strut's plastic/rubber boot, and put some grease on the metal tube thing. Let go of the boot. Lower the car back to the ground. Enjoy!