[Franco_D]

I need my rear struts replaced on my 2005 ex.
I'm not a mechanic and don't have tons of money but do have a discount tire card which I can use at pepboys. We'll they want $1500 for the two rear struts. The guy told me it was like $400 in labor alone. I talked to my machanic and he told me that he could replace the rear struts for $600. Now I know that the struts probably won't be top notch but considering I drive less than 5000 miles a year it shouldn't be that big a deal. What do you guys think?

Pep Boys is a ripoff. I looked at a set of tires online for my 2008. The price per tire looked good, but after I read the fine print, and added installation and "shop supplies", the price was no longer competitive. I got a better deal from a local independent shop on 4 new Generals.

Strut-wise, I installed these 3 1/2 years ago. I don't baby the vehicle and they still feel tight:

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The bolts came out fine, and I was able to do the job in an hour or so with the vehicle on the ground. If you're concerned about bolts possibly being rusted-in, you can go under the rear of the Element with a breaker bar and/or impact gun and figure it out before proceeding.