Replacing the rear shocks and struts on a 2000 Millenia
 

Hey everyone, it's Trevor. Here's something interesting...over the Thanksgiving holiday I found myself online, searching for auto parts. Specifically, a set of rear shocks and struts for my '00 Millenia. To my surprise, I stumbled upon some affordable struts (part no. 3212-0274 or 100035-RS) on APX Auto Parts' website.

In addition to the price, a lifetime warranty was also being offered. Plus free shipping :). Not too shabby, right!?

Anyways, I hope this has been of some help...Particularly to those who may be looking to replace the shocks and struts on their Millenia. I welcome the feedback. Thanks.

there are at least 2 different shocks. the early 95-96 had larger shafts. this means the upper strut mount is different. then, there are 3 different bump stops and dust boots. the main problem is that aftermarket dont know, or dont care. so, if you get the early shocks, they will work, but you will need new upper strut mounts, and bump stops/dust boots. used to be kyb made a set for the rear, but these had the larger shafts. also, the bracket for either the brake line or the abs line was not in the correct place. now comes the best part. have you ever changed the shocks on the rear? because to get to the nut on the top, you have to remove the rear package shelf. taking it out is not too bad, putting it back, is. then come the springs. mazda has progressive wound springs. and they do it different. the coils are smaller diameter on the bottom, then gradually get larger up top. getting a spring compressor is a real chore. and lastly, i guarantee you every ball joint on your rear suspension is cracked/ripped/broke, and all the grease has oozed out. which means lotsa play in the rear suspension.

Hey there, Keninn. I will definitely make it a point to pass along all of this extremely helpful info. to the guys at the body shop. Since I will not be installing the shocks and struts myself, I want to make sure the guys have been provided with the most thorough set of instructions/guidelines as possible. Thanks alot, my friend.

shocks
 

I have had good luck with the shock warehouse-I think they may put you in the right direction

Thanks for the tip, rooster 1. I did take a look at Shockwarehouse.com to compare prices. Did you know that a single, rear strut made by KYB retails for $53.31? And a Monroe strut, for $70.09?

Since I was looking for a complete rear set...Just double those amounts, and that's what I would have paid through Shockwarehouse. Not to mention that free shipping would only kick in over the $95 price point. I think I made the right decision to buy from APX Auto Parts. With them, I paid nearly $60 for the complete rear set and qualified for free shipping over the $50 price point.

If you're thinking $60 seems too low, you're more than welcome to take a look for yourself...Buy affordable 341259, 72454,G51826, Sensen shocks struts 3212-0274, 3212-0274 Thanks again, rooster 1. I'll look to hear back from you.

wow I stand corrected-IF the quality is decent- I tend to stay with name brand stuff

I'm on the lookout for a pair of struts for my 1998 millenia. Because it's almost 20 yrs old I don't think I should have to pay a huge amount of money for parts. Just out of curiosity did you have any problems with your sensen parts tre1?

I definitely understand where you're coming from bradyroker. My Millenia's a '00 which means two years of less wear and tear, essentially. You're absolutely right though...Parts for older vehicles should be more affordable.

Anyways, my experience with the Sensen brand has gone quite well actually. I don't really have any complaints thus far. Thanks for asking. Here's Sensen's website SENSEN Shock Absorbers and Struts |SENSEN North America, if you're interested.

Forgive me bradyroker I forgot to ask whether you are looking for a pair of fronts? Or rears?

A pair of fronts is really what I'm looking for but a friend of mine suggested I should think about buying a pair of rears too. He said something about it's not such a good idea to have two different pairs of struts on my car. If the front two need to be replaced its only a matter of time before you're replacing the rear two. Makes sense.