Strut Options ....limited, so opinions wanted

[Scorpion8]

I just found out last night that Rock Auto will no longer sell to me because of my location, which has decided to chase online sales taxes. So, my shopping cart full of struts to re-do my 2006 XLT is now kaput. O'Reillys and NAPA are the only local options, and O'Reilly's lists Monroe Roadmatic and Monroe Quickstruts and KYB StrutPlus strut setups. I want to get back to OEM style ride, I don't need stiff off-road but neither do I want them to be too soft. Right now I'm feeling every penny that I drive over, pretty sure these are the original struts on this vehicle. I last put Monroe shocks on my 97 Dodge Ram and they seem awful soft.

Opinions please on these two options? Yes, I've searched a lot of threads here but haven't found an answer that satisfies me. Oh, an NO Ford dealer in town either.... Thanks.

 

[BAMxi]

I ran the monroe quick struts on my 02 explorer and they rode pretty good. One of them started squeaking about a year after they were put on. Still rode OK so I didn't mess with them. I think they had a decent warranty on them but didn't feel like messing with it. I just picked up an 07 explorer with 112k that is going to need struts soon as well. The only other option I've considered is Detroit Axle sells some as well, but I see mixed reviews online about their quality. People seem to either completely love them and their prices or say they're cheap junk. Kind of like the harbor freight of car parts, sounds like.

 

[Gmctyphoon]

I put Monroe quick struts on my 02 4.6. It was nice when they were new, but about 5 years later the front was back sagged down. If I were to do it now I’d get Rancho struts that lift a little or the KYB quick struts.

 

[domct203]

Rock Auto is not the only online option...... I bought my Moog struts from Amazon, and they ride great.

 

[07EddyB]

I'm a little confused here - online retailers have been required to collect sales taxes for a long time now. Were certain states exempted previously?

 

[D Hook]

In Nebraska they only started collecting a couple years ago. Had to be done through the legislature.

 

[Scorpion8]

Rock Auto is not the only online option......

Last thing I ordered from Amazon took 1-1/2 months to get here, even with Prime shipping. They are low on my satisfaction list right now. The issue is more online shipping than online sales. JEGS wanted $85 to ship two FL-820S oil filters because they limit their own shipping choices. Even when you tell them to just pop it into a USPS flat rate box..... nope, too hard. So they also lost me as a customer. I don't know why Rock Auto changed in the last month since I last ordered from them, but any reasoning goes out the window. It just seems easier to tell a customer to suck it and lose them than to work hard to keep customers.

Anybody use NAPA's house brand?

 

[Gmctyphoon]

I just ordered from Rock Auto. They just charged me tax because PA mandates online retailers to do so now.

They won’t ship to you? Or they won’t ship to you without charging you tax?

 

[Scorpion8]

They won’t ship to you? Or they won’t ship to you without charging you tax?

Alaska did not implement across the board, because we have no State sales tax, just each individual municipality. So Rock Auto would have to register with, track, and pay sales tax to each different municipality at differing tax rates with different rules and regulations.... so they just bailed out. I can of course find a buddy somewhere Outside who they will ship to who will slap a new label on the box(es) and reship them to me, but that's getting tedious and inane.

The NAPA struts cost comparable to the KYB struts that NAPA carries, usually an indicator of .... that they cost about the same. Anyone know who OEM's the NAPA struts?

 

[Argentimage]

Alaska did not implement across the board, because we have no State sales tax, just each individual municipality. So Rock Auto would have to register with, track, and pay sales tax to each different municipality at differing tax rates with different rules and regulations.... so they just bailed out. I can of course find a buddy somewhere Outside who they will ship to who will slap a new label on the box(es) and reship them to me, but that's getting tedious and inane.

The NAPA struts cost comparable to the KYB struts that NAPA carries, usually and indicator of .... that they cost about the same. Anyone know who OEM's the NAPA struts?

Most states got on the kick thanks to amazon, they rode them hard in that they have operations in nearly every state so they forced the policy such that FleeBay and all the others now charge sales taxes in every state that we know of,

Regardless of where you are getting them, they are all drop shipping -- forget about this idea that amazon really cares about YOU -- if it took forever its because the manufacturer wasn't making any, and as far as which, OEM was Monroe, I doubt squeak was a strut issue, the buhsings squeak horribly, went away when I put all new under it at about 170,ooo miles, did not need struts...and the aftermarkets are hard so YOU feel the difference, no that its the oem spec