Front Strut Problems Rebuild Vs Assembly, plus quesitons
 

Car:
2010 HHR LT 2.2 Auto

As the title says I'm having front strut problems, it's a 145k mile car and I don't know when was the last time the struts were changed and rebuilt.

Any advise is appreciated. Looked at other forums and some recommend KYB struts. My only concern is the longevity of Aftermarket springs and it's assembly. I'd rather take longer to fix the original one and have it last longer than buy aftermarket ones and have to replace them in a year or two.

I have done some research and some say that rebuilding might be better since it restores OEM Feel. I have a family member that knows how to rebuild them and has offered to help me.
I just questioning if it's better to rebuild or buy an assembly.

I've heard aftermarket parts often don't feel the same either the springs are worse than OEM.

Therefore I'm thinking of rebuilding and using the OEM spring. I don't care if it takes longer as long as it feels better.

Questions:
1.What's the difference between soft vs assertive ride
2. If i rebuild what parts do I need to change? Strut, strut mount and bearing?
3. OEM spring is 145k is it even worth still using when do these break down?
4. Car has mainly been used in Southern California rarely in snow so how does that affect the springs?
5.What are tale tell signs of bad or worn parts in the strut assembly so I can diagnose what need to be replaced.


Problems:
1. When driving car bounces a lot on the front end
2. Driving fast on freeway feels bumpy, you can feel left and right side out of sync in going up and down
3. After big bump car will jerk to left or right side
4.When steering at the far end of each side car feels notchy (not smooth, like clicks on gear notchy)
5.when entering steep drive way (left/right ahnd turn into driveway) steering wheel tries to jerk back to normal more fast and aggressively than normal
6. Clicking noise when going fast sometimes can be felt when going fast around 60mph (Front driver side sway bar end link rubber is cracked so most likely this)

Many of these problems have been presents for months however I didn't have time to address them due to personal problems.

Repairs thus far:
1. Outer Tie rod change on the Front Driver side
2. Alignment
3. Lower Control Arm change Front Left & Right) from ZZPerformance aluminum with rubber bushings.
4. Changed 3 tires ( front two were bald due to misalignment, go an alignment at a shop and Rear Right wheel the side wall was cracked)

I’ve rebuilt with KYB struts and top plate bearing. I recommend you replace the rear shocks also with KYB
I have a 2LT the ride quality is much better. I have 245,000 miles on the original FE3 front springs.

ZZP is a good source

https://zzperformance.com/products/kyb-excel-g-struts

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...38b5e4b529.png
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...3bc2bde17b.png
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As is Rock Auto

Have you looked at the wheel hubs? Jack up a corner and pus/pull on the wheel. if you can feel ANY end play they are well past worn out.

Good point Donbrew, good point!

What is meant by rebuild? Cutting apart the strut and welding in a competition style adjustable cartridge would be overkill, not to mention expensive, but not a bad thing.

KYB dampeners is the way to go front and rear. Not cushy. Firm and assertive. Long-lasting .They make strut assemblies complete with new springs for the front which I have used but if I was doing it again I would preserve the OEM springs and just get the kYB struts and related hardware.

Re: soft versus assertive, The latter probably means better control at the price of giving up a cushy ride, HHR came with 3 suspension variants: "Soft", "sport" on 2LT, and the most assertive, "performance" on SS.

I've read of breakage and corrosion problems with most aftermarket springs, even some that are supposed to be a high quality. I don't know how common that is. I do believe GM's OEM springs to be very good, and I would avoid changing them unless they were corroded or I wanted to change the handling properties.

Whether you'r Southern California springs are corroded depends on how close you live to the ocean. Just look at them.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...efa4f7b3f6.png
Sometimes this plate gets rusty and should be replaced, the plastic bearing sits in this

Would you recommend just buying the KYB assembly and then just swapping out the spring for the OEM ones or buying the individual parts for a KYB strut assembly and just putting in the OEM spring. I live In Los Angeles and drive near the ocean quite often however when I was working on the car the OEM springs looked fine. He's a picture of the Front passenger side spring, the driver side look about the same too.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...dbaa8545a7.jpg

Looks are meaningless! Springs lose their "springiness" over time.
I would just replace them over 150,000 miles. Unless you are a perfectionist just get strut assemblies, most people can't tell the difference.

Looks like you can reuse the OEM springs and top bearing plates and just replace the struts with KYB , firmer control isn’t an uncomfortable ride. LA huh! Cool.