Installed KYB struts on our '06 4x4 EB today. Our Expy had 38,000 miles, but really wanted to see if a change would make a difference. It was a good improvement over the Motorcrafts from the factory. Our mechanic said the take-offs were still good, which was no surprise. The Motorcrafts may serve their purpose as a shock absorber/strut, but in no way does that mean they always do a good job of it.

The ride quality:

- Moderate performance. Not too firm, not too soft.

- The first inch or two of suspension travel is very stable and smooth, yet still have some control left to tame body roll.

- Nose diving during braking and rear squatting during acceleration is gone...BIG improvement compared to before.

- A nice, solid "glide" down the interstate now. You can drive 80 with all fours feeling planted and stable. No more wobbly boat feeling, which wasn't real bad before but just enough to be annoying to me.

Overall, the KYBs have the firmness of the Motorcrafts, but without the "float" and body roll. And they have a better ability to absorb road boogers. IMO, the firmness is ok to have, as long as the dampening power is still there.

I'm writing this to give my $0.02 on the KYBs and to help anyone down the road who might be looking for shock/strut upgrades. I had a hard time finding the right info on the forums earlier when searching "shocks". All I could find were responses like "One word...Bilstein", "KYBs here, love 'em" or "Go 'x-brand' and you'll never go back...trust me", which is great, but no real description on the characterstics of the shock/strut.

Hope this helps.

 

I've never owned KYB shocks, but I don't think one can go wrong with them, Bilsteins or Ranchos.

 

how much did you pay for them?

 

I really hate to say, just to protect my mechanic. This was the first '03 - '06 Expy he had done shock/strut work on. I was in the shop while he called his parts supplier and checked on the availability. He then quoted me after hanging up. He based his estimate on the installation of actual shocks, not struts. He realized this when the delivery truck showed up with struts! He stuck with his original quote, but I know he probably left $150 - $200 on the table in labor. I told him to charge me what he had put into the job, but he wouldn't. He said it was just a learning lesson for him, even after years of experience. I at least owe him lunch! He has turned the wrench on our vehicles for years.