where to buy complete assembled suspension struts?

[Adam32]

I am looking for complete assembled front suspension struts (including, springs, boots, mountings etc) for a Mitsubishi colt 2009 1.3 CZ2? I would prefer to buy them pre made rather than individual parts. I see these below, but they are from Germany and quite expensive:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174975932571?mkevt=1&am...

Can anyone recommend anyone in the UK?

[kambites]

I'm guessing the market for pre-assembled struts is pretty much non-existent, which is why they're expensive.

[Smint]

Amayama might be a source of complete struts, i had a brief look.

[Adam32]

I just purchased 2 complete GH struts from Amazon Germany. The price was £330 including delivery. Its amazing how much each amazon marketplace varies for exactly the same thing from exactly the same supplier

[Smint]

Well played.

[kambites]

You might have to pay VAT on that when it's imported, but still seems a decent price.

[GreenV8S]

I suppose you probably only want a single pair. You don't say why they need to be fully assembled, but perhaps it's so that you don't have to mount the springs yourself. Have you considered just handing the parts to your local backstreet garage and asking them to transfer the springs for you?

[Adam32]

GreenV8S said:

I suppose you probably only want a single pair. You don't say why they need to be fully assembled, but perhaps it's so that you don't have to mount the springs yourself. Have you considered just handing the parts to your local backstreet garage and asking them to transfer the springs for you?

Have you seen my other thread. I mounted the springs myself on new struts, but they ended up coming off the seat both sides. Its a mystery why this happened, as I definitely put them on correctly. I can only think the springs distorted when I compressed them. In addition the shocks I purchased were not great quality. Rather than mess about any more, it was easier for me to buy fully assembled for not much more.

[richhead]

Adam32 said:

GreenV8S said:

I suppose you probably only want a single pair. You don't say why they need to be fully assembled, but perhaps it's so that you don't have to mount the springs yourself. Have you considered just handing the parts to your local backstreet garage and asking them to transfer the springs for you?

Have you seen my other thread. I mounted the springs myself on new struts, but they ended up coming off the seat both sides. Its a mystery why this happened, as I definitely put them on correctly. I can only think the springs distorted when I compressed them. In addition the shocks I purchased were not great quality. Rather than mess about any more, it was easier for me to buy fully assembled for not much more.

or take it to a garage, let a pro do the job, and if it goes wrong then you have a come back, oh and let them supply the parts. rather than some ebay knock offs

[kambites]

richhead said:

or take it to a garage, let a pro do the job, and if it goes wrong then you have a come back, oh and let them supply the parts. rather than some ebay knock offs

That approach is fine if money is no object, but for plenty of people paying garage rates for every little job just isn't viable.

[GreenV8S]

kambites said:

That approach is fine if money is no object, but for plenty of people paying garage rates for every little job just isn't viable.

I think that's overstating the cost of leaving car maintenance to professionals.

There will be some small minority of people who have the technical skills and resources to make DIY practical, and enjoy it (or want/need to save the money) enough to justify the hassle of doing it, but that does leave them responsible for sourcing the parts & tools and dealing with the resulting problems.

For the vast majority of people, DIY would only be a last resort and paying a professional to do the work is perfectly sensible use of money.

[kambites]

Well yes obviously using a garage is viable for most people, but it's certainly not for everyone. I certainly couldn't justify the cost of running my car if I didn't do all the maintenance myself.

[Adam32]

richhead said:

or take it to a garage, let a pro do the job, and if it goes wrong then you have a come back, oh and let them supply the parts. rather than some ebay knock offs

I see no point in that for my current situation. I tend to buy cars for a few hundred pounds and keep them on the road as long as it is viable to do so. If I was not doing that, I would probably have a new car every few years. Its just not viable for me. If I can't fix something myself for a reasonable price, the car gets scrapped and I buy another cheap run about.

[richhead]

Adam32 said:

richhead said:

or take it to a garage, let a pro do the job, and if it goes wrong then you have a come back, oh and let them supply the parts. rather than some ebay knock offs

I see no point in that for my current situation. I tend to buy cars for a few hundred pounds and keep them on the road as long as it is viable to do so. If I was not doing that, I would probably have a new car every few years. Its just not viable for me. If I can't fix something myself for a reasonable price, the car gets scrapped and I buy another cheap run about.

But you are looking for a completely built strut to buy new, when only a part needs replacing, isnt that the same thing, and possibly cheaper, not trying to be an arse, just a different view,

[Hondashark]

If you're running sheds than get something incredibly common and just go to the scrappy for whatever parts you need.

[E-bmw]

TBH, the OP's £330 + the inevitable import costs will be more than getting the job done at a garage in the first place.

[Adam32]

E-bmw said:

TBH, the OP's £330 + the inevitable import costs will be more than getting the job done at a garage in the first place.

Its not just the shocks, the strut top bearings has also gone and the mounts were in bad shape. If you genuinely think it would be cheaper to get brand new parts - two shocks, new strut top bearings, mounts and two springs, plus all fitted for £330, please tell me where? I am genuinely interested.

If you can genuinely get all this cheaper than £330, I have no idea where they are buying the parts so cheap and how they are making a living.

[E-bmw]

Adam32 said:

E-bmw said:

TBH, the OP's £330 + the inevitable import costs will be more than getting the job done at a garage in the first place.

Its not just the shocks, the strut top bearings has also gone and the mounts were in bad shape. If you genuinely think it would be cheaper to get brand new parts - two shocks, new strut top bearings, mounts and two springs, plus all fitted for £330, please tell me where? I am genuinely interested.

If you can genuinely get all this cheaper than £330, I have no idea where they are buying the parts so cheap and how they are making a living.

By "getting the job done" I was referring to the earlier post by Rich (that was being discussed) who said about getting them assembled at a local garage.

As in:

You had new parts that you ordered & if you had got your local garage to put them together in the first place.

[Smint]

The trouble with some indies, as i found out with the Forester rear shocks at a place our family have used for years, is that unless the vehicle is a common car for anything outside simple servicing exhausts tyres etc they don't want to know, their words were (when refusing completely to entertain doing the job, and i was pushed for time at the time) 'it's a specialist vehicle'! its a Forester for petes sake not a rare exotic delicately swathed in unicorn tears by the fair hands of nubile nymphs.

Quite possible the OP would come across this attitude with his Colt.