new sensatrac part numbers?

[noSHO4u]

Monroe's website lists different rear struts for 94 depending on production date. I then found out that the different rear strut part number has a matching different front part number!

front: 71780
rear: 71781

front: 71614
rear: 71616

I was always under the impression that we use the 717xx parts, but now I don't know of the 716xx parts are better or worse

Does anyone know the difference between the two sets? Is one a replacement for the other? Or is one SHO specific while the other is SLO specific? Different ride heights? Different colors? Different abosrption rates?

 

[noSHO4u]

Update: I called monroe and got the following compression lengths from them. They also said that the absorption rate is 70/30 for all of the struts. I don't really know what that means, but maybe some one else does?

part # / fully compressed / fully extended
front:
71780 / 14.75 / 21.12
71614 / 14.75 / 19.62

rear:
71781 / 15.87 / 24.25
71616 / 15.87 / 21.81

With that said, there only appears to the a difference in the fully extended length between them. Are there any advantages/disadvantages between them that anyone can think of?

Also, they did mention that they are all available in quickstrut format, you just add a "1" before the part number. They said there was no difference in the springs between them, but they came back a little too fast for me to believe them. Either the answer was right there on the screen or they were just assuming.

 

[noSHO4u]

Paranoia got the best of me. A few searches later and I found the following text at rockauto:
http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Monroe/71614.html
http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Monroe/71780.html
http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Monroe/71616.html
http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Monroe/71781.html

A little more digging reveals that:
MONROE Part # 71614
FRONT; ; Sedan & Station Wagon; TO 3/94; Use to depletion then use 71780; May Require AK52 Kit If Damaged (Lower Mounting Bolts & Nuts) {SENSA-TRAC STRUT}

MONROE Part # 71780
FRONT; ; Sedan & Station Wagon; TO 3/94; Replaces 71614; May Require AK52 Kit If Damaged (Lower Mounting Bolts & Nuts) {SENSA-TRAC STRUT}

It looks like the 71780 is replacing the 71614 for the fronts for all years.

Monroe recommends the 71781 for the rear for 86 thru April 94.
Monroe recommends the 71616 for the rear for March 94 thru 95.

 

[projectSHO89]

For the fronts, use the 71780 instead of the 71614s. The 71614s are too short.

I had go to round and round with rockauto this winter due to this issue after ordering the 71614s for my early-production 94. Got them in and found that they are not Sensa-Tracs but a different model (was labeled same as a truck shock -Reflex and were black in color) and, as per the dimensions above, are too SHORT for this application.

Neither Monroe or rockauto would admit they were not the same and both kept saying they were interchangeable....they're not.

I did finally get my money back and bought my 71780s from a local O'Reilley's.

Steve

 

[Rockledge]

What changed in '94 that would require a different strut? The knuckle?

 

[Xs SHO 1]

Maybe just the struts itself did too.

You can get the Monroe Quick Struts at RockAuto.com as a whole piece with the springs ready to be mounted too....

 

[noSHO4u]

Maybe just the struts itself did too.

You can get the Monroe Quick Struts at RockAuto.com as a whole piece with the springs ready to be mounted too....

I ended up ordering the quickstruts (171780 and 171781). Monroe is doing their buy 3 get 1 free rebate this month, so it makes it even more worthwhile. All-in-all I will have ended up paying just under $400 for 4 quickstruts after shipping and rebate.I'll be installing them this weekend, so I'll try and remember to take before and after pictures. Now all I need is that hub nut socket again.

 

[SHOblime]

Wait a tic.. shorter struts? Would these allow use of eibachs or intrax springs?

 

[SHO Type U]

I ended up ordering the quickstruts (171780 and 171781). Monroe is doing their buy 3 get 1 free rebate this month, so it makes it even more worthwhile. All-in-all I will have ended up paying just under $400 for 4 quickstruts after shipping and rebate.I'll be installing them this weekend, so I'll try and remember to take before and after pictures. Now all I need is that hub nut socket again.

What springs will you be using these with?

 

[noSHO4u]

What springs will you be using these with?

The quickstruts come with springs already installed, so I'll be using what ever they come with.
There is a thread somewhere on here that gives the specs on the manufacturer/spring rates too. All I remember is that the springs are not made by moog, they are some other manufacturer (i think it had the word 'american' in their name) and that the spring rates are the same or similar to the moogs.

 

[SHO Type U]

You don't need to remove the hub nut to install the struts, unless you're doing a brake upgrade or in that area type of work.

 

[SHO Type U]

I ended up ordering the quickstruts (171780 and 171781). Monroe is doing their buy 3 get 1 free rebate this month, so it makes it even more worthwhile. All-in-all I will have ended up paying just under $400 for 4 quickstruts after shipping and rebate.I'll be installing them this weekend, so I'll try and remember to take before and after pictures. Now all I need is that hub nut socket again.

Where did you get this kind of deal?

Thanks

 

[noSHO4u]

You don't need to remove the hub nut to install the struts, unless you're doing a brake upgrade or in that area type of work.

Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that part. I have a 94 that I am parting out, and my 92 will be getting the spindles for the brake upgrade. I figured it would be best to do the brakes and the suspension at the same time.

 

[noSHO4u]

Where did you get this kind of deal?

Thanks

From rockauto.com! Here is the meat of the invoice:

Part Number Part Type Price EA Core EA Quantity Total
1992 FORD TAURUS SHO 3.0L 182cid V6 MFI (Y)
MONROE 171781 Strut Assembly $ 124.79 $ 0.00 2 $ 249.58
MONROE 171780 Strut Assembly $ 137.99 $ 0.00 2 $ 275.98
Discount $ -26.28
Shipping $ 17.84
Order Total $ 517.12

You can get the %5 discount code from one of the rockauto sticky threads.

Now take the monroe rebate and apply that:
http://www.monroe.com/promo/promotions.asp
and you get $517.12 - $124.79 = $392.33

I was going to do the monroe(or kyb) + moog combo, but then after adding in the cost of bearing and bushings and boots, I would have ended up spending about $50 more in the end, plus a lot more labor because you would need to cut some coils and then put all of the individual parts together.

Quickstruts are a drop in replacement, and all I am looking for is a stock comfortable ride. My old 94 had eibchs, tocikos, alsb, kirked mounts, subframe connectors, etc... and it rode like it was on rails. I never took it to the track, so I didn't see a reason to have such a harsh suspension on a daily driver.

 

[Xs SHO 1]

Jack,

part #171781, where did u get that from? 171616 shows up as the rear struts set at rockauto.com. They basically cost the same, why the part # difference, have an idea?

 

[noSHO4u]

Jack,

part #171781, where did u get that from? 171616 shows up as the rear struts set at rockauto.com. They basically cost the same, why the part # difference, have an idea?

The 716xx (1716xx for quickstruts) series are the shorter struts (check the links at the begining of the thread for the exact lengths). projectSHO89 mentioned that 71614s are not suitable for out application because they are too short. I can only assume that the rears with the similar part number will also give us trouble because they too are shorter than the 71781s. To get the correct monroe part numbers, you need to search for 93 or earlier.

Note: the KYBs have the same part numbers from 92 thru 95, so I don't know why monroe has a change-over midway thru the 94 model year. Koni and Tociko did not have different part numbers for the 94-95s either.