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Is it a good idea/deal or not?

vwengineer

Ready to race!
Location
Switzerland
I have to replace my struts mounts as they make noise, now since I have to disassemble the struts, I thought it would be a good time to replace them (more than 200k miles).

Now I found a set of 4 struts and springs OEM from a GTI Edition 30 (which are the same) with 60k miles, look good with no rust for 100$ shipped.

What would you do?
 

3carmonte

Gelbrain
Location
Seminole, FL
Car(s)
2007 GTI DSG Coup
Too bad they already have 60K on them. Pretty good deal though. I see why your waffling. Replacing the struts while you have them down is a no brain-er at over 200K.
 

GTI's

Drag Racing Champion
Location
MD
Go for it, with only 60k and in working condition and the same part numbers why not.
 

vwengineer

Ready to race!
Location
Switzerland
Hey guys!

I think I found an even better deal, that is an Golf 6 GTI suspension with only 40k miles, including springs, shocks, end-stops and dust sleeve. The shocks are the same, the springs I am not sure, they have different colored dots but apparently they have the same part number as my MK5 (regarding the front at least). They are both manual so I guess the front weight about the same anyway. For the rear I don't know as I have a 3-door car, not sure about this one and the weight difference.

Anyway, the guy sell everything for 100$ as well so even only for the shocks it's a good deal I think?
 

GTI's

Drag Racing Champion
Location
MD
The MK6 weight less than the MK5 accordingly to VW but not by much, some people have actually put similar MK5 and MK6 on the scales and the MK5 was lighter again not by much. I you say you should be fine, but if you want 100% buy the one that 60K that you say is a match for both struts & springs.
 

MagicMK

Drag Racing Champion
Location
PA
I have to replace my struts mounts as they make noise, now since I have to disassemble the struts, I thought it would be a good time to replace them (more than 200k miles).

Now I found a set of 4 struts and springs OEM from a GTI Edition 30 (which are the same) with 60k miles, look good with no rust for 100$ shipped.

What would you do?

Not just the mileage, but how old are those struts and springs from the previous GTI? Also, how do you KNOW that there are only 60K miles on them? Sure, the guy says there are only 60K miles, but he likely also knows you have no way to verify this - unless the person lives near you. The front struts and strut bearings are a bunch of work, so I wouldn't do it - esp given the low prices from a number of these online parts retailers. I have an MKV with about 90K miles on it, and the front struts were done years ago after the strut bearing failed on one side - new KYB bearings and Bilstein struts, up front. I paid my buddy's shop to do that. It wasn't cheap, but the parts were only about $200 +.

I just recently replaced the rear shocks with Sachs from FCP Euro and for German made Sachs, shipped, it was only about $48 per shock (plus tax)! I replaced the brackets as well, when I was in there with new Lemforder (made in Germany) shock mount brackets (only about $14 a piece for those)... since I was already in there.
 

vwengineer

Ready to race!
Location
Switzerland
Yeah I don't know the mileage for sure, I agree. I plan to go with the ones of the MK6 as they look like new and come with everything. Both of them lowered the cars this the reason why they are selling them.

As for the mileage, I think it will be still be less than 205k ahah. Also while I am sure I would feel a difference with new shocks the car is still driving well and not bouncing.

Buying everything new would be around 300$ for the shocks alone (2x 50$ for the rears, 2x 100$ for the fronts), if the car had 100k miles then yes I would buy new but odds are that I won't be doing another 100k with this car :)
 

MagicMK

Drag Racing Champion
Location
PA
Yeah I don't know the mileage for sure, I agree. I plan to go with the ones of the MK6 as they look like new and come with everything. Both of them lowered the cars this the reason why they are selling them.

As for the mileage, I think it will be still be less than 205k ahah. Also while I am sure I would feel a difference with new shocks the car is still driving well and not bouncing.

Buying everything new would be around 300$ for the shocks alone (2x 50$ for the rears, 2x 100$ for the fronts), if the car had 100k miles then yes I would buy new but odds are that I won't be doing another 100k with this car :)

I just noticed, and now also recall, that you're not in the US... you're in the land of the Tolberone bars! That said, your costs could definitely be different than here in the
States, so, buying second hand may have an extra incentive vs new. Given the amount of work involved, I, personally, would probably only go with new. If you're okay with the amount of work, and you're clearly more knowledgeable then the average car owner, so you'd be a good judge of second hand car parts... then by all means, that deal you're referring to does not sound bad. I would you just look for more "secondary confirmation" points. Questions like, "oh, what happened at 60K miles that caused you to sell these OEM parts?" Was the car totaled in an accident and being parted out, or, for ex, did the current owner decide to lower the car or install high performance racing shocks and springs?

If you buy these used shocks, you might want to consider new strut bearings rather than using the old ones since it would be so much work to replace them if they went bad after the install. Mine went bad at somewhere around 70K miles. Also, do you have a decent spring compressor for the front suspension work? That's one of the reasons I didn't want to bother with doing it myself.
 

vwengineer

Ready to race!
Location
Switzerland
Aha yes :)

Thanks, those are good points. Yes I am replacing the bearings as they are shot, that's the main reason why I wanted to do everything at the same time.
 

vwengineer

Ready to race!
Location
Switzerland
Small update, so I went ahead with a third deal (unfortunately missed the MK6 one). But I paid only 75$ shipped for:

- 4 shocks/struts
- 4 springs
- dust boots
- end stops

Supposedly with 80'000km, at least they looked cleaner, less rusted than mines with good boots and clean end stops, so for the price it was alright. They were from a 5 door GTI manual. The front ones did not have the same color codes but they where the same height, same shape and thickness and also compatible according to ETKA and my PR#. Rear ones where the same color codes.

Now when disassembling, I found out that one of rear springs was broken at the base, so it's a good thing that I got the springs. I also replaced both strut bearings.

Now are these shocks good? Frankly I don't know, when compared with my old ones in a unscientific way, they did not feel any different so either they were still OK or both are bad. The car still drives the same or maybe a tad better but at least the noise from the bearing when turning is gone. Would I go for new parts if I had to do it again, yes probably
 
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