I was looking through the NAPA website, and it seems they sell CRD specific springs and shocks for the Liberty.

Has anyone looked into these? Looks like about 680 for all shocks and springs, with the front strut / springs coming as an assembly.

Looks like an economic means of replacing the 80k old suspension on the KJ?

I just replaced mine, at 59 K miles, a couple months ago.

I used Monroe quickstrut assemblies (new spring and strut already bolted together), and Monroe shocks for the back

Picked them up on rockauto for $360 for the entire set.

I didn't replace the rear coils - I measured their ride height with the old shocks still in place, and they were almost dead on what the FSM calls for - 90 mm between the end of the bump stop and the bottom plate if I recall correctly.

The Monroes have done well for me, almost 100% highway/interstate driving, and handled the recent round trip to NC and back along I-35/I-30/I-40 with no problems.

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Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

Checked rock auto, and it looks like 371 shipped to me. Rock auto is a nice find!!

Did you notice a significant difference in handling?

Definite improvement over the worn out factory front struts/springs and rear shocks.

Granted, I also replaced the rear upper suspension arm at the same time, but it's a much more stable ride - I can enter curves and corners about 10 mph faster than before, without that "butt inclinometer" sensation of it leaning and feeling as if it wants to topple over. Definitely reduced the "bow to the queen" effect when hitting the brakes either forwards or backwards.

If I'd realized just how crappy the factory shocks were, even compared to a cheap set of Monroes, I'd have done this years ago.

FYI - might want to replace the bushings where the clevis arm for the front struts hooks onto the lower control arm - on mine the rubber was already dry-rotted and cracked, getting beaten out of the tube already at 59 K miles. NAPA has them, made by the same company that makes Monroe and Rancho shocks, for about $10 to $15 each.

_________________
Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

anyone else upgrade their suspension with OEM type parts (non lift)?

Also replaced my worn out shocks with Monroes at about 100,000 miles....front struts were not the Quickstrut type though.

Definitely handles well on the open road...I dont do any off-roading stuff but of course any new shocks feel better than worn out old ones. I did not even bother asking the stealership for prices on new shocks fitted....would have been priced too high!

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2002 Export CRD 2.5 Sport

Been very happy with Bilsteins (no lift).

DOC

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2005 KJ CRD Ltd Detroit TrueTrac Bilsteins G2 GDE "HOT" ECU GDE TCM "Tow Tune" "euro" TC SEGR Weeks Elbow New HG at 130K ARPs Clean CAT aFe Filter Magnaflow Exhaust EHM Cumminos In-Tank Lift Pump Hayden Fan Clutch Nylon Fan VH Enabled with GDE lower shutoff point Recalibrated Temp Gauge Tekonsha Prodigy Sears P-1 ZDDP

Rock auto lists three strut spring assemblies:
LEACREE Part # 501715779R Complete Strut $77.79
RAYBESTOS Part # 7171577R Professional Grade; Strut And Spring Assembly $99.79
MONROE Part # 171577R Quick-Strut Complete Strut Assembly; $134.79

What is the difference between these three?
(I didnt know Raybestos made struts)

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U.S. Army Retired

First one I've never even heard of before, Chinese import? Ditto on what you said about Raybestos.

Only thing I can say is, I've never had a bad set of Monroe shocks - even have them on my 87 MB 300D. And they're made by the same company that makes Ranchos.

All three look to be some version of a "quickstrut" assembly. As far as differences in quality, ya got me.

_________________
Mitchell Oates
'87 MB 300D Diamond Blue Metallic
'87 MB 300D - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Sport CRD Stone White
Provent CCV Filter/AT2525 Muffler
Stanadyne 30 u/Cat 2 u Fuel Filters
Fumoto Drain/Fleetguard LF3487 Oil filter
V6 Airbox/Amsoil EAA Air Filter
Suncoast TC/Shift Kit/Aux Cooler
Kennedy Lift Pump/Return Fuel Cooler

I noticed that the Monroe quick struts are for all jeep liberty's, while there are a springs from MOOG that seem to be CRD specific. I wonder if the CRD springs from MOOG are heavier then the springs with the Monroe quick struts?

Note Monroe is having a rebate for 75 bucks off of a purchase of 4 shocks.

Has anyone used these on their CRD? The Monroe catalog states for the 3.7l gas engine, not the CRD. Just wondering if anyone had success with the coil/spring package.

Does anyone know of any other strut assemblies for the CRD?

thanks much
Al

MONROE Part # 171577R Quick-Strut Complete Strut Assembly

I doubt that Monroe assembly will work as IIRC the front springs on the CRD are heavier than on the gasser. My notes show the recommended replacement for stock is Moog 81144 springs/Bilstein 24-139168 shocks in front and Moog 81057/Bilstein 24-139175 shocks in the rear. Check the specs on the Moogs and see if the Monroe springs are equal.

FYI I've had "bad" Monroe shocks not in the sense that the shocks themselves were bad but rather the parts catalog was bad. The front shocks on a 1993 Dodge D-250 Cummins are NOT the same as those on the Dodge D-250 big block gasser. The Cummins uses much longer shocks so you can imagine how well the shorter gas ones worked.

Minor technical point - the KJ does not use a true strut front suspension, notwithstanding parts manuals, rather it uses a standard coil over shock as part of the front suspension.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs