Rebuilding stock suspension

[eric1514]

2005 Jeep Liberty Limited, gas

So I want to replace all the worn out rubber bushings and other parts of the front and rear suspension on my Jeep. The Jeep is stock with no lift and is used mostly for my 'run around town' car and my tow behind the motorhome car. Looking at it, all the bushings on things like control arms and sway bars and shocks are old and cracked and I want to replace as many as I can and purchase the parts as easily as I can. I went looking at Detroit axle because although they are certainly not the best parts I could get, they look more than OK and they are inexpensive and packaged as kits. I was looking at these three items

12pc Front Struts Rear Shocks Upper Control Arms Tie Rods Suspension Kit​

Front Lower Control Arms (Pair)​

Rear Upper Lower Control Arms Kit​

Seems pretty complete and comes in around $700 including shocks on all four corners. Again, this is just my daily driver and will probably not travel more than 5k miles a year. Is this a good approach or are there other places I should look?

TIA

 

[Bobby V]

I've been looking to do suspension work my Liberty also and have been researching and shopping like crazy for maybe a month now. I'm sure you have done the same! Try to read the reviews on stuff and definitely search this site for threads relating to your concerns and questions! I personally think the Detroit Axle hard parts should be ok but you may want to upgrade the struts and shocks to name brand stuff! Good luck and may the force be with you!!

 

[slingworks]

That's really a good thing about the KJ's...Parts are fairly cheap.
I recently replaced most everything on mine, rear boomarang, control arms, front upper control arms, lower control arms, ball joints, tie rod ends, shocksx4. Brake calipersx4, rotorsx4, sway bar bushings/links. CV'sx 2. Was pretty cheap considering.

Ebay is the best place to find deals. Old stock/OEM, buyouts, etc. And you can make offers.

Only thing I buy from Detroit Axle are the rebuilt axles. They're kind of a budget/cheapo option, but surprisingly I've had relatively good luck with them. About a month ago they had them on sale $100 for a pair. I'd still opt for a regular price detroit axle over new Chinese made axles.

Everything else they sell, is the same thing everyone else sells for a little less.

Front shocks, be careful if you buy Monroes. I bought a pair of quickstruts and the right side was fine, the left, an assembly abomination. I bought 3 more left side Monroes over the course of a month and all 3 were a catastrophe....

Look on Rock Auto's website at the clearance parts, you may find something name brand/quality at a close out price.

I think you could probably get all of that for $500 if you shop more?

 

[u2slow]

My strategy has been to slowly buy all the pieces in a semi-priority fashion.

Some things need doing sooner, so do them sooner. "Everything at once" tends to screw me over so I don't do it. Nothing $ucks like clearing a 3 day window to do all the work and some stubborn or broken pieces wrecks your time window. Now you're down a vehicle for a month until you can find time again.

Anyway, I did the struts several years ago now. The next phase will be going thru the front rotational items (diff, CV axles, seals, hubs, rotors). Next year I'll look at doing all the the suspension bushings, because that will affect the alignment, and only want to deal with that once.

 

[slingworks]

My strategy has been to slowly buy all the pieces in a semi-priority fashion.

Some things need doing sooner, so do them sooner. "Everything at once" tends to screw me over so I don't do it. Nothing $ucks like clearing a 3 day window to do all the work and some stubborn or broken pieces wrecks your time window. Now you're down a vehicle for a month until you can find time again.

Anyway, I did the struts several years ago now. The next phase will be going thru the front rotational items (diff, CV axles, seals, hubs, rotors). Next year I'll look at doing all the the suspension bushings, because that will affect the alignment, and only want to deal with that once.

That's a reasonable strategy. Only reason I did everything on mine at once is because It's often 6days/week on a mail route and can't be down. The other is that I'm a tightwad. I don't like to pay for front end alignments.....So if an alignment is a requirement, I wait until I can do it all to only pay for one!

 

[u2slow]

The other is that I'm a tightwad. I don't like to pay for front end alignments.....So if an alignment is a requirement, I wait until I can do it all to only pay for one!

Yup. Very much me too. Struts and front diff/axle work havent needed any re-alignment.

I have a few vehicles on rotation so i dont have to perform miracles on only 1-2days downtime.

 

[eric1514]

My strategy has been to slowly buy all the pieces in a semi-priority fashion.

Some things need doing sooner, so do them sooner. "Everything at once" tends to screw me over so I don't do it. Nothing $ucks like clearing a 3 day window to do all the work and some stubborn or broken pieces wrecks your time window. Now you're down a vehicle for a month until you can find time again.

Anyway, I did the struts several years ago now. The next phase will be going thru the front rotational items (diff, CV axles, seals, hubs, rotors). Next year I'll look at doing all the the suspension bushings, because that will affect the alignment, and only want to deal with that once.

I was thinking to do things all at once because taking apart the front suspension more than once to do things like upper control arms and then to come back later and do the shocks/springs seems like more work. Right now, nothing seems pressing. I'm just looking and see every rubber bushing is old and cracked and should be replaced.

I'm going to start collecting parts, looking for closeouts at Rock Auto or similar good deals. I'm not in a big hurry.

Before I do any of this, I've got an oil leak to deal with and I think it's coming from the pan gasket.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[u2slow]

I was thinking to do things all at once because taking apart the front suspension more than once to do things like upper control arms and then to come back later and do the shocks/springs seems like more work.

Its easy to think that. 30+ years of wrenching on my vehicles says otherwise. Pressing rusty/seized stuff apart can be unpredictably stubborn.

Another strategy I use is to only work on one side at a time. Thats half the labour, and almost no duplication of labour.

 

[slingworks]

Its easy to think that. 30+ years of wrenching on my vehicles says otherwise. Pressing rusty/seized stuff apart can be unpredictably stubborn.

Another strategy I use is to only work on one side at a time. Thats half the labour, and almost no duplication of labour.

I like it when I'm just about to finish, and something strips, breaks or cracks......And start wondering who's still open at 10:30pm.....

 

[eric1514]

I took the truck to a local shop to have them evacuate and rechargework the A/C. As a “courtesy” they looked things over and told me what the Jeep needed and their quote for doing the work.

Front shocks/springs & sway bar bushings, $1,300. Rear shocks, $760. Front upper and lower control arms, $3,300. I laughed. That’s more than I paid for the thing. Hell, they wanted $130 to change an air filter.

I’m guessing $500-$1000 in parts and lots of my time. The upper CAs look like the hardest to do but fortunately it’s not my only transportation and it can be down for a while. It’s just such a fun little car to drive, it’s worth the effort to keep it on the road.

 

[slingworks]

I wonder if your mechanic is wanting to sell you real Mopar parts? That could with labor cost bring you to those totals.

Some mechanics will sell you parts at cost, some sell you parts at full retail after they buy them at a dealer discount.

Shocks/sway bar bushings, you're probably looking at $200. Rear shocks, I kid you not I bought a pair on amazon for $25 and they work/feel just the same as standard Monroes. (Don't buy Gabriel Ultra's they're too stiff). Upper and lower control arms, probably $170. You'll almost certainly need ball joints and the rear control arm. They're pretty much consumable. Ball joints are about $80 a pair online for good USA made Moogs if you shop a little, and a standard Chinese/amazon rear upper control arm is like $70. With the rear upper control arm a Chinese one will last about the same as an OEM Jeep one, they usually tear out the rubber bushings. That damn part can affect your handling more than anything. Lots of slop in torn rubber bushings will affect your steering when you apply power or brakes, especially on loose gravel.

 

[eric1514]

I think they're just bandits. They specified Monroe Quick-Strut for the front shocks/springs and priced them at $229.99 each. That's a bit steep for a part Rock Auto sells for $55.79 + shipping. I always intended to do this work myself, but I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers. I'm old and I don't look forward to the exercise, but I'm also not made of money.

 

[u2slow]

Upper front control arms are pretty easy. They are complete replacement unless you have aftermarket ones. The rear upper should also do a complete replacement.

Lower fronts are the trouble.... 3 bushings and a balljoint (each) to press out and press in.

 

[eric1514]

Upper front control arms are pretty easy. They are complete replacement unless you have aftermarket ones. The rear upper should also do a complete replacement.

Lower fronts are the trouble.... 3 bushings and a balljoint (each) to press out and press in.

Good to hear. I thought the driver’s upper would be a pain because it takes two feet of extension to reach it.

 

[u2slow]

I thought the driver’s upper would be a pain because it takes two feet of extension to reach it.

I dont recall that, but it was 10 years ago.
My lower stuff is still all original, now at 318,000km

 

[slingworks]

I think they're just bandits. They specified Monroe Quick-Strut for the front shocks/springs and priced them at $229.99 each. That's a bit steep for a part Rock Auto sells for $55.79 + shipping. I always intended to do this work myself, but I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers. I'm old and I don't look forward to the exercise, but I'm also not made of money.

DONT buy any Monroe quickstruts just yet. They're probably the best overall shock for the money, but they're "Assembled in China" now. I suspect a bit more component wise than just assembly.

I bought 4 for the front of my Liberty in the past month. One right side, and 3 left side. The left sides are not assembled correctly and I think the Chinese are putting a rubber isolator intended for some other vehicle on the bottom.

I complained to Monroe and apparently triggered an engineering audit. I was told to wait 2 weeks and they'll straighten things out in China and send me a good one.

Im confident they'll get it straight and forward a correctly assembled one in a couple weeks. For now I've stolen an 8yr old Monroe quickstrut I put on another Liberty before I parked it behind the shed 5 years ago....

Here's a photo of one that I put on my Jeep's left side and had to take it back off because it was rubbing the body:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[eric1514]

DONT buy any Monroe quickstruts just yet. They're probably the best overall shock for the money, but they're "Assembled in China" now. I suspect a bit more component wise than just assembly.

I bought 4 for the front of my Liberty in the past month. One right side, and 3 left side. The left sides are not assembled correctly and I think the Chinese are putting a rubber isolator intended for some other vehicle on the bottom.

I complained to Monroe and apparently triggered an engineering audit. I was told to wait 2 weeks and they'll straighten things out in China and send me a good one.

Here's a photo of one that I put on my Jeep's left side and had to take it back off because it was rubbing the body:

You must be registered for see images attach

Amazing! You've got some pull. See if you can get them to return manufacturing to the USA.

 

[u2slow]

I carefully put my own struts together. Rancho shocks and the diesel coils; so I could get what I wanted.

 

[slingworks]

I carefully put my own struts together. Rancho shocks and the diesel coils; so I could get what I wanted.

Awesome. I thought about putting one of mine together also, One of the bad Monroes with an isolator from a 10 year old junk one. I didn't do it though, My spring compressors wouldn't fit on the coils, they're wound too tightly so I gave up Why would you want diesel coils? Are they stiffer or softer?

I hit so many rocks.holes/ditches, I wish I could fit some from a Cadillac on it...

 

[eric1514]

I carefully put my own struts together. Rancho shocks and the diesel coils; so I could get what I wanted.

You’re obviously pickier and a better mechanic than I am.