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KYB vs. Boge struts (was Re: More struts)
>I guess what I'm really asking is has anyone tried them
>on a 5ktq who has also used the Boge turbo-gas and how do they compare? TIA
Well, not on a 5Ktq, but I do have some experince on several 1980's Coupes.
My father installed KYB Gas-A-Just on his '82 Coupe around 1989. They
seemed to work fine for many years. About a year ago he re-did his front
suspension, at which time he got two new KYB front strut cartridges free.
In less than a year, one side was dead. He found this out on a weekend
and needed the car the following Monday, so he bought a Gabriel replacement
shock. Aside from the color, they looked very similar. AFAIK, he couldn't
tell the difference between the feel of the two once they were on the car.
My brother and I are both running Boge Turbo Gas at all 4 corners on our
'87 and '85 (respectively) Coupe GT. The Boge replace KYB Gas-A-Just rear
shocks on my brother's car. Comparing the two brands side-to-side, the
KYB appears to be a much beefier unit. The rear shock has a larger
outer diameter and a _much_ larger diameter piston rod. I was pretty
impressed by the difference. One of rear KYB shocks that came off my
brother's '87 Coupe was dead, although that had probably seen at least
2-3 years of northern winters (we had to cut the shock bolt off).
Performance-wise, I couldn't tell you which is "better". They both
feel fine to me. I have been very happy with my Boge Turbo Gas, and
recommended them to my brother because of the dead KYB units...we
weren't sure if this was an unusual or common event with KYB. My rear
Boge are now pushing 70K miles and seem to be operating the same as
ever, and the front are at 30K miles and also are fine.
Also, both shock brands come with a lifetime guarantee. Probably few
people take advantage of it (relative to the number of purchases), so
it doesn't hurt the manufacturer much, and makes for good press. I
fully expect to get another set of Boge Turbo Gas when[ever] this
set wears out.
Later,
Eric
'85 Coupe GT, Boge'ed und Eibach'ed
---
Eric J. Fluhr Email: ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com
630FP Logic/Circuit Design Phone: (512) 838-7589
IBM Microelectronics Div. Austin, TX