Replace both front struts? Or only the bushings? Opinions asap!!

[FlaAveo5]

Hey. Ok, my 2006 Aveo, with its 41K miles on it, I was just told by Tires Plus, that I NEED to replace both front strut units, totally. $750!!

I was there yesterday, and had my front two tires replaced, after only 6K miles, for $230...including an alignment. I asked specifically if ANYTHING else was wrong up front. And I was told , 'NO....you only have 41K miles on it, all the CV joints are fine, brakes, tie rods, everything is new!' The front tires went bad VERY FAST, in like 1 month, they went bald on the outside walls. A hole was starting on the left outside wall. So I replaced them, they were FR710 Firestones. That's what was on the entire car. Well FireStone no longer makes them. So the replacement for the FR710 is called, 'All Season',...thats it. So I figured I should put on as close to the same tread pattern as possible, so I bought them.

When i left, the car had a hard pull to the LEFT. So I called them and they said to bring it in today, to see whats going on. I did, and after their 'suspension specialist' took it out for a ride, and came back, and showed me that the front tire move a little bit, as it was up in the air, he wiggled the tire a tiny bit.

Now I NEED 2 new strut units, on the car! The top is a little loose? So this repair is now $750! For two entire new units. The car rides fine, if the ride WAS fine, WITH this problem on the car, why do I NEED entire units??? And if they did an alignment yesterday, why didn't they see this strut problem? They told me that, 'the struts have nothing to do with the alignment'. So we didnt check them out' Does that sound right??

I am planning on taking it to my mechanic tomorrow, my shifting issue they fixed, is actually staying fixed, after it didnt shift out of park 1 time. I am surprised it is working fine, by replacing the exact same part, as I kept replacing!!!

I didn't even see the top of the strut move at all, as they said 'the bushing and metal plate are probably worn out'. Cant JUST those parts be replaced??? Can this be done??? Has anyone done this?? On any Aveo? IF the car drives fine, I mean it is a smooth ride. Why do the entire units need to be replaced?

I understand that the rubber bushings are probably rotted, from AGE. So...replace them....right? Can't they JUST replace the bushings and that metal plate, and whatever it takes to keep the struts tight to the car? He drove the car a few inches, in the repair area, and hit the brakes, and said the tires shouldn't move one it stops. I didnt see what he was talking about. So there is very little 'play' in the struts, but i saw some. i assume it is the bushing and that metal plate...but cant JUST they be replaced???

Or am I 'pissing in the wind'? As Tires Plus said,....' you would be putting new parts on old parts, it makes no sense'.... BUT if the ride is fine, the car has 41K miles on it, and the rest of the strut is 'fine'...why replace the entire units?

Aren't struts suppose to last over 100K miles? I have a gut feeling 'Tires Plus' is trying to get a HUGE repair out of me. Am I right? So...what is the opinion of the forum? I need some answers kind of fast...I have to take it in tomorrow, to have it looked at by my mechanic. IF he also says you HAVE to replace the entire units,....then I HAVE to go to 'Tires Plus', because I have a charge card there. BUT if he says, 'just replace the bushings and the top plate', and maybe that inner strut cartridge, if it is worn out....why replace the entire units? Then I know Tires Plus is trying to get a HUGE repair out of me.

BUT I get the feeling that on such a low mileage car, and being told yesterday that, 'everything is fine under the car', these two/three parts CAN be replaced. I need to know if they can be replaced. OR do I HAVE to invest over $750 on 2 new struts units??

The car doesn't bounce up and down. It handles great, Even if I were to double the mileage for 'city driving', it is 80K miles. That is low for replacing the ENTIRE strut units. I mean MAYBE replacing the bushings and top plate and MAYBE the internal strut cartridge at most. It has to be a lot less than $750! Right? Opinions please!!!!!! Thanks

[Stumpy]

When I first got my car, I changed the struts. I did notice that the factory strut bushings are poorly designed. They did come out with a redesigned strut bushing that is less like a "disc" and more like a "cone". The cone shaped one gives more material to wear and seats itself better in the strut bell tower.
The struts don't exactly have anything to do with the toe but they can slightly adjust the camber. If there is wear on one half of the tire and not the other, it can either be poor camber, a bad ball joint, poor alignment or if the strut mount bushing is really bad, yes it can cause issues as well. If I lose you on these terms, google them.
If the wheel was shaken from top to bottom, that can indicate a worn ball joint. If it was shaken side to side, it can indicate worn tie rod pieces.
Also, pulling to one side would either be heavy tire wear or bad alignment.
So, with that being said, if the strut operates normally... don't replace it! You can replace only the bushing and see how it goes first! The top plate doesn't wear out, as far as I know. The bushings are cheap on amazon. Work your way from cheap to expensive and always ask or do your research before plunking down hundreds on repairs.

[FlaAveo5]

Well I couldnt wait for a reply to my questions. So i took it in to my mechanic this morning. Long story short, as i thought. There is nothing wrong with the 'Strut unit'. ONLY the top bushing, it is worn out, totally. They are being replaced now. **** Well I JUST got a call from the mechanic...and now as I am writing this, he told me the inner strut cartridge is dead. No compression in it at all. So the other is probably gone to. So that means the entire unit is bad??? Is that right? The spring, the entire unit? I assume. I am sitting here, waiting for his call back, with a price for the inner strut cartridge, for both sides.
It WAS going to be $425 to replace the top mounts/bushings and a third part on the top. Now I am waiting to hear if it means the entire strut is gone on both sides, and have to be replaced, I am hoping the cartridge is rather cheap. Or I have a $730 replacement job at Tires Plus in front of me, tomorrow. Well I am having BOTH entire units replaced,...for....$571 out the door....2 year warranty on the parts/repair! Anyone rich....willing to help me? Anyone????

[Stumpy]

Are you at all handy? It is a very easy fix for half the price if you source your parts on Amazon. The struts assembled are around 200$ for good ones, with 20$ for the bushings.
my experience with "warranties" is that it can be very difficult to get someone to honor them and the person will blame everyone else. Just my experience.
seriously, it took me a couple hours to change my struts. Consider it if you feel up to the task, there are a lot of instructions on how to get it done most of which are on this site.

[FlaAveo5]

To late.....They are about installed by now. No I am not mechanically inclined. I can do oil/spark plugs, minor wiring, battery swap,tire rotate...minor things. Besides I have a very bad back, and my knees are shot, so kneeling and bending etc, are VERY painful. And the springs alone are VERY hard to compress and remove. They have to be compressed with those big clamps I see. And IF they came loose, they can kill you, if they hit your head or chest. Or shoot through the side of the car, if it gets loose, shoot right through a body panel...and that is my kind of luck.

And the 2 year warranty on the work and parts, I trust. The garage/mechanic has been in business locally for over 30 years. So I think I will be ok.

Lastly.... can you believe this, 'Tires Plus' calls me like 10 mins. ago, and tells me they can do the job for $140 LESS! So...IF they had called me at like noon, I would have taken them up on it. It would be charged on 1 credit card at 0% interest for 6 months. And I wouldn't be charging it over like 6 different cards! It still would have been about $200 more than where it is being done. But it would be on 1 card, and I might get it mostly paid off in 6 months. Now I HOPE this fixes that LEFT hard pull. They think it will.

That wasnt there with the original tires, it came right AFTER I had the new front tires put on, Firestones to, and paid for a new 1 year alignment. So IF it still pulls to the LEFT, I told Tires Plus, I will be there tomorrow, and THEY better either align it correctly, or put on two OTHER tires, or do whatever it takes to get rid of that pull, and I mean PULL!

Everything has now been replaced in that suspension, it has new tires, it has been aligned, and now 2 professional mechanics have inspected this car from front to back. It is perfect. There is now nothing wrong with any part of the suspension or any of the driving components. It all started after these tires were put on. Time will tell. The only other tire I can get put on is a 'Touring Primewell', ...does anyone know if those 'Touring' versions of those Chinese tires are any good? Or are all PrimeWells crap? IF I have to replace these tires, thats my only other choice and it is like $55 a tire, unlike their bottom of the line tire, at $33 a tire.