565045 MonoMax Gas Shock , Red

If you prefer not to spend $87 a front Bilstein shock, with its very stiff ride, this KYB Monomax shock for $50 is a very good value. The lifetime warranty is reasonably decent, so save your receipts for purchase and/or install. Because these heavy duty shocks come without a compression strap (meaning they are uncompressed in the box), installation is not a typical DIY job. These are very, very STIFF shocks. versus Bilsteins. You are not going to compress them by hand. No way. The only work around IMO is to build a jig so that you can use a bottle jack in a vertical position to compress the shock down to at least 12 inches. String wire or strong twine around both necks of the shock to hold that compression. Along with your car jack and jack stands,you will need to remove both front tires (21mm wheel nut OEM) to remove your old shocks and mount these new ones. If you live in the north, make sure you soak your fittings on your old shocks with several doses of PB Blaster or something similar for several days. Breaker bar (18"-24") will be required as well as a deep sockets on the lower 17mm fitting to remove it and the 14 mm nut on top. Due to the rust problem in the North,I usually use a very large (cheapo) channel lock to hold the top of the shock while I turn the 14 mm upper nut (I usually break the stud completely off!) with my breaker bar/ seep socket set up. (Forget the nonsense shown on You Tube to get this done if you live in the rust belt). You CANNOT Use some of the new incidental parts provided by KYB which are 2 rubber washers, 3 domed washers, and 2 nuts. The rubber (RUBBER) washers simply will NOT work. To install, Keep the 2 old metal domed washers that are stuck on the upper bracket; do not remove them unless really warped or missing, and keep your old rubber washers unless really deformed. 4 metal domed washers are required for the finished install; KYB provides 3, so make sure you keep the 2 I previously mentioned that come from the OEM. As I pointed out above, These shocks do NOT come compressed like many others are with compression tape. Also, they are slightly taller than the OEM shocks. So, unlike cheapo shocks, you will need to compress them before hand with a jig down to 12 inches in length. Use wire or strong twine around both necks to retain that length for install. Cut when you are confident both ends are fixed in their correct position and the bottom bolt and lock nut is securely fastened. Not before. Coat all threads with marine grease before installing and tightening. I would avoid using "lock nut".

I put them on the front of a 97 Nissan Hardbody (d21). These are great shocks, great value. Original shocks were worn out, would stay compressed with no effort, see the picture. This Monomax is slightly larger diameter, the welds look good. The hardware that came with it was high quality. Install was a breeze, toughest part was compressing but that's the whole point of the shock. Just use your noggin and maybe some baling wire. Not more difficult than replacing brakes for instance, so if you're a car guy with a basic set of hand tools, you'll be fine. Ride quality is very good. Immediately notice the improvement and have continued to enjoy the improvement in driving. Proper balance of stiff when running, and then absorbing/rebounding when it's a deeper bump. The handling is restored, no more diving and body roll when braking, turning. Shiny red paint looks great, comes with the sticker separate so you can dress up your toolbox if that's your thing. Just a great shock and I'll be buying them for the rear as well. Nobody paid me anything for this review I work hard for my money, bought the shock and this Monomax just works.

These shocks are not compressed but after removal of old shock just attach to the bottom mount then take 2 big screwdriver or pry bar and compress the shock and slide it into top mounting bracket. Not that hard if you you have any mechanical ability. These shocks are perfect for the front of Nissan hardbody or a compact truck. Eliminates the vehicle roll when cornering and made my truck sit more level. The ride quality is excellent for the front as well. You will love to these. Did not come with the shock boots though as listed. But these was 40 bucks a piece cheaper than the parts store

Installed on my 2000 Nissan Xterra SE. Much stiffer ride and more control. Definitely recommend to improve handling and stability.

Thousand times better than the shocks that we're on the car! Easy install, improved ride quality greatly!

I installed these yesterday on a 2000 frontier and I am very happy with them. The old shocks were loose, bouncy, and allowed the truck to bottom out far too easily. These shocks are significantly stiffer which improved ride quality and steering on the pavement, but also soak up washboards and potholes really well on logging roads. I installed them by hand with no issues. Again they are very stiff, but it was easy to compress them going through the back side of the lower control arm rather than the wheel-well. Once I got them on the bracket, I used a short screw driver to wedge beneath the shock and leverage them up to put the bottom bolt in.

Not easy to install but not complicated just a superior product. Totally changed my trucks response to the road.

I bought these for a 1999 Nissan Frontier. They were to wide to fit on the bottom bracket. I double checked to make sure I had the right part number. They also were not compressed in the box, and may have been returns. These are stiff, and difficult to compress by hand. I had to send these back. They appeared to be very good quality, and I was discouraged that I could not use them.