Nobody wants to drive a car shaking maniacally; as a result, having efficient struts is highly advised. The strut is an important component of your car’s suspension system that ensures a smooth ride and protects your vehicle from road bumps. It absorbs significant bumps while simultaneously supporting the vehicle’s weight.
While you may not find a ‘one-size-fits-all solution’ when seeking the best replacement struts for your car, the choice you make would depend on certain needs and unique preferences. Nevertheless, you can check out the options provided by the best strut brands out there.
This review highlights some of the best manufacturers of struts for different vehicles, including options for trucks, towing, and off-road applications.
What Are the Best Strut Brands?
Myriads of components and parts go into automobile manufacturing and they ensure flawless working. While certain pieces provide power to support the wheels, some others emerge helpful in keeping your car’s structure intact and allowing a smooth ride.
The vehicle’s struts are one such crucial integrant found in every vehicle. Struts provide a more comfortable ride for the driver and assure driver safety on the road and in other environments.
Your car’s and tires’ capacity to establish control and sufficient traction on the road will have a boost with new struts, resulting in a safer and more comfortable ride. Here are the top 10 best struts for a smooth ride to pick and choose from.
1. KYB
KYB remains one of the most trusted OEM struts and shocks manufacturers and can be an excellent choice for purchasing your car’s replacement struts. This brand of struts emerges from KYB Corporation, a firm known for producing various electronic, hydraulic, and ride control products.
Over the years, this company’s commodities have served as OEs and replacement parts for various applications, including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, buses, specialty vehicles, rail vehicles, and industrial applications.
It emerges as one of the biggest strut suppliers within the automotive industry; this marque now has 32 facilities across 21 countries. Kindly note that KYB headquarters is in Tokyo, Japan, and all products are built from about 15 manufacturing units in Europe, the United States, and Asia.
KYB struts come in specific part numbers, unlike some other brands; hence, these products are designed to restore effective performance across different car weights and engines of varying sizes. You can rely on these struts to extend the car’s tire life since it maintains proper wheel alignment.
If you seek the best strut brand for Honda and Toyota vehicles, it would be best to look through options provided by KYB to find a compatible one. Impressively, you would find these struts as a complete assembly, making the installation pretty easy.
2. Mevotech
Mevotech is a famous name within the industry as one of the best strut and shock absorber brands. Since 1982, various professionals have trusted this brand for industry-leading solutions and technologies.
This marque makes available automotive parts such as stabilizer links, ball joints, bushings, control arms, and strut mounts. The struts from Mevotech are built to meet OE requirements, and these car parts pass through quality assurance testing.
Thus, depending on the brand would present you with effective replacement struts that offer an exact fit and allow easy installation. With maximum performance from these products, your car will benefit from replacing the worn strut with one from Mevotech.
3. Moog
Since 1937, Moog has been a problem solver and supplies various automotive solutions. With the constant introduction of design enhancements and products with an extended lifespan, this marque emerges as a renowned name for vehicle chassis.
This brand offers some of the most durable and innovative struts in the industry, which aids in enhancing the car’s dynamics and assures drivers of a smoother ride. Also, these Moog struts work optimally in dampening noises, and the brand assures users of a perfect fit thanks to their car-specific designs.
As one of the best quick strut brands, Moog strut installations are safer and faster compared to other non-assembled options you would find in the market. The durability of this product is second to none since they come built from steel.
Moog strut assemblies can help restore the ride’s height and rapidly decrease body roll. Thus, this is one of the best strut brands for Toyota Camry, Chrysler, and other car makes and models.
4. Monroe
This company began in 1919, specializing in shock absorbers, suspension & steering components, and struts. It is one of the most dependable firms within the industry, delivering innovative, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket ride control solutions.
Monroe struts are unrivaled in terms of quality, durability, and fit. Such products help restores rides, ensuring top-notch handling standards. With a replacement Monroe strut, your car would operate smoothly reminding new strut precision, free from ‘harsh steer,’ noise, and vibration.
Because this brand recognizes that no two vehicles come built alike, their different strut options are constructed with technicians in mind. Hence, this marque’s products are highly preferred amongst expert auto mechanics.
With items locally designed and tested to stringent performance and durability criteria, this car part supplied by Monroe is unique to the vehicle’s ride and handling profiles. Furthermore, the brand is known for easier installation, proven performance, and fewer customer comebacks.
5. Motorcraft
Motorcraft is a common name within the industry, known for engine oil, spark plugs, oil filters, and produces one of the most effective fuel injector cleaners. As a trademark of Ford Motor Company, a renowned auto manufacturer, Motorcraft manufactures several replacement parts for Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
Motorcraft produces some of the best struts, with application-specific valving that allows restored riding and handling in cars of various types. These struts are built to allow fast and straightforward installation and are available at affordable prices.
Motorcraft has some of the best struts for the money you use in purchasing them; their safe installation rarely requires any special tool. It would impress you to know that such products from Motorcraft come made with about 98% OE materials, ensuring an effective service for an extended period.
Struts from this brand pass temperature, valve durability, and several rigorous tests and emerge with high ratings. In keeping struts away from dirt, this brand ensures that their products are completely OE dust-boosted.
6. Rancho
From distributing different off-roading accessories to manufacturing effective solutions for suspension systems, there are various reasons why professionals choose Rancho. This company was founded in the 1950s and has continued expanding with time.
Rancho has one of the most effective struts, constructed with advanced technologies recognized worldwide. Although car-specific, you would find that Rancho struts are tuned to allow maximum performance, even on off-road terrains.
The exceptional design from Rancho has these struts performing beyond OE expectations. Some of the top options from this brand are constructed with sintered iron pistons, double-welded loops, Fluon banded pistons filled with Graphite and a liquid metallic finish.
In most cases, installing Rancho struts is quite easy, as car owners with little experience can follow the straightforward process to get the task accomplished by employing the appropriate toolset from their toolboxes.
7. Sensen
Sensen is another brand with a strong reputation for providing top-quality components for suspension systems. This firm emerged in 1985 and now has five professional factories manufacturing various auto parts.
Kindly note that this marque has excellent evaluations within the market and exports its products across America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. From this company’s presence over the years, you can tell that its products are sturdy, durable, and pretty efficient.
Hence, these struts from Sensen can help improve the overall quality of your ride, making it less harsh and quite comfortable. The awesome lifetime warranty that comes with Sensen struts is great for car owners, and you should know that these products are ISO-certified.
Since these struts lack any complications and come designed to allow easy installation, you would not need any specialty tools to fix them. With the NOK outer seal, these struts are resistant to leakages.
8. Bilstein
The history of this company holds several successes and manufacturing breakthroughs that help professionals in the automotive industry. Since 1957, Bilstein has kept setting standards for greatness and helping to perfect the daily situation of drivers as they hit the road.
Thus, this marque produces all forms of air systems, coil-overs, shock absorbers, and struts that work for nearly all vehicle types. What’s better is that these products are built with great precision and excellent quality.
Bilstein also supplies Mercedes Benz shock absorbers and has excellent aftermarket solutions for cars. This brand has revolutionized damping technology and provides one of the best struts you can find.
So, you can depend on these struts to access enhanced control on your ride and react to road conditions while enjoying great comfort. Whether for small cars, trucks, or motorhomes, you would find Bilstein struts working efficiently.
9. Gabriel
If you seek effective struts at affordable prices, you should consider looking out for Gabriel strut product lines. From 1907 till date, this brand holds an outstanding reputation for providing innovative solutions.
Gabriel is a brainwork of the entrepreneur Claud H. Foster who merged his passion for playing the trombone and tinkering with automobiles to create exceptional products.
This independent American company constructs high-performance struts and shock absorbers that cover the needs of up to 96% of the cars in North America. Beyond doubt, Gabriel is one of the most trusted auto part manufacturers for OEMs and aftermarkets when it comes to both lightweight and heavy-duty vehicles.
This company keeps expanding its line of struts to provide more fit-specific options that work for myriads of car designs. The super-finishing on every strut manufactured by this brand is breathtaking, having standard chromed piston rods.
10. Detroit
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Detroit, a famous supplier of various ride control products for OEMs worldwide. This firm has offered first-class automotive solutions across several product lines, such as chassis and suspension parts, bearings, wheel hubs, CV axles, struts, brake rotors, and strut assemblies.
Thus, Detroit remains one of the best strut brands for Toyota and other carmakers. The famous global distributor has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, providing effective aftermarket suspension products.
The good news is that folks can now get struts at affordable prices since this brand’s goal is to have good-quality auto parts at fair prices. If you need a wholesome strut assembly to fit your vehicle’s front and rear, you can rely on this complete struts brand for an excellent option.
With such a car part in place, you can rest assured that there would be no clanking noises or lack of steering control.
Which struts give the smoothest ride?
While factory-tuned struts are great for providing the most trouble-free rides you can experience, you would find your OE strut wearing over time. Hence, the need for a replacement and this choosing process can be pretty challenging.
Nevertheless, you can find some aftermarket brands in the market manufacturing excellent struts that correspond to and, in some cases, exceeds OE standards. Such products have the sturdiest builds that can handle various road conditions and enhance your overall ride handling and comfort.
Is KYB a good strut?
KYB is famous within the industry for manufacturing some of the best struts and shocks that allow smooth riding across varying conditions. The good news is that the struts from this brand are durable and can duly serve their purposes for an extended period.
Hence, it is one of the best strut brands for Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mazda, and Honda. If you are stuck comparing KYB vs. Monroe struts, you should know that both are exceptional choices, and the significant difference might result from the price you have to pay.
But, most people go for KYB struts thanks to their stability whenever you encounter bumpy terrains as you hit the road.
Who makes good front struts?
While there are several options for purchasing front struts, there are a few strut brands to avoid. If you are not familiar with these products, you may buy bad ones that wouldn’t work well for your vehicle.
You can rely on the following brands to get good front struts with superior quality.
- Monroe
- Rancho
- Moog
- Detroit
- Sensen
Are KYB struts made in China?
KYB struts are manufactured across 15 factories located in Asia, the United States, and Europe. However, you should know that the KYB Corporation has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. This brand focuses on providing vast air suspension, shock absorbers, hydraulic pumps, power steering systems, and strut products.
What struts are made in Japan?
Some of the top Japanese-based strut suppliers include:
- KYB
- Hitachi
- TOKICO
- Sankei
Are Bilstein shocks better than Monroe?
Both Bilstein and Monroe are independent brands known for providing some of the best shock absorbers. The products from these firms are sure to improve the comfort of your ride and offer better handling on your ride.
Nevertheless, you would find Bilstein having high-end performance shocks that work exceptionally for off-road cars, lightweight trucks, and heavyweight trucks.
On the other hand, Monroe has a reputation for making available good struts that come at a fair price, hence giving budget performance almost identical to that from OEMs.
Which is better, gas or oil-filled struts?
Kindly note that gas-charged options allow a sportier ride, as it compresses before the oil is forced out of the valve. Again, gas struts can further control the tire’s motion better than other options. Nevertheless, oil-filled struts allow smoother ride experiences and give a softer feel.
Final Words
Struts are crucial car components that increase the safety of drivers and ensure they have a stress-free ride, irrespective of the terrain. Thus, you should seek replacements when you start noticing the vehicle tipping to a side, unusual tire wear, excessive tire bouncing, and other worn shocks and struts signs.
From compatibility to durability to ease of installation, there are several things car owners need to consider when getting new struts, and these can be pretty burdensome. Are you out there searching for a new strut? Then you are in luck, as this post on the best strut brands will help you make outstanding choices.
I am looking for the name of the manufacturer that produces the struts installed on Subaru cars as they are assembled. Most after market suppliers such as KYB are OEM Like. Even a millimeter difference in the coil spring diameter can result in an unacceptable ride quality. Thank you.
Looking for complete struts for 2012 hyundai veloster where would i find them