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KYB rear strut stiffness

3K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  wannahonda  
#1 ·
It is about time to replace the rear struts again. Are the KYB rears any stiffer than OEM or Monroe? I kept the OEM for 150k with Sumo spring helpers and the Monroe replacements have 75k on them and are starting to get softer. I do believe the Monroe held up better than the OEM under heavy loads. So the question is, are KYB any stiffer or do I have to cough up an extra $300 for the Swift springs to make a real difference? I am tired of going on road trips with the back end sagging and blinding oncoming cars with my low beams. I have thought about the CRV frankenstrut, but I don't want the rear riding high all the time it is unloaded.
 
#2 ·
The KYB replacements I installed on my EX, felt exactly the same as OE. I ended up installing SC rear shocks & stock EX springs, which have more dampening, than the stock EX. I believe these have been discontinued.
Shocks dampening have no effect on ride height with a load in the trunk.
 
#6 ·
I installed the KYB strut plus rears over a month ago and they are an improvement over OE and Monroe for sag. The rear is now about 1" higher than with the Monroe rear struts (now 0.5" higher than the front vs 0.5" lower). They still sag some when the vehicle is (over)loaded, but it is not as bad as the OE or Monroe. Ride comfort is similar to OE and Monroe. I think the stiffness increase is enough that I will skip the Swift springs.