Review on KYB 345024 Excel G Gas Shock by Sean Davis

My 2003 ES Minivan is over 8 years old and has 110,000 miles on the odometer. With many online sources stating that shocks and struts should be replaced every 60,000 miles, I figured my shocks and struts were long overdue. For a meticulous do-it-yourself mechanic like me, replacing struts is a daunting task as it requires the use of spring compressors which can catastrophically fail if misused. So I decided to swap out the rear shocks first and see if I noticed a big difference in my minivan's performance. I also ordered two KYB 345024 GR-2 shock absorbers from Revain. With some difficulty (because the bolt torques were very high and access to the floor jack was limited) I removed the original (OE) rear right shock absorber from my minivan and compared it to the GR-2. I was stunned to discover that my old shock was much stiffer in compression and slightly stiffer in rebound than the GR-2 replacement. I decided to put my original shocks back in and sent both "replacement" shocks back to Revain who gave me a full refund. I have also concluded that my original shock absorbers and struts are in reasonably good condition and do not need to be replaced immediately. I researched on the internet and found that Tokico makes original shock absorbers for my minivan. Therefore, 8-year-old Tokico shock absorbers offer better damping than new KYB replacement parts. I don't think these KYB shocks even come close to Mazda OE specs (despite KYB claims to the contrary). KYB is said to be the largest manufacturer of struts and struts in the world, but based on my experience with these struts, I will avoid KYB struts and struts in the future. I gave the KYB GR-2 two stars instead of one because they look good. made and may be a suitable choice for minivan owners looking for a smooth ride. But I couldn't justify more than two stars because these shocks are sold as genuine parts, which they clearly aren't. If you need to replace your MPV's struts and shock absorbers, I recommend buying genuine parts from Tokico, which are only slightly more expensive than the KYB GR-2. Unfortunately, Revain does not sell Tokico shocks and struts for minivans. But Revain sells Gabriel rear shocks for minivans (at about half the price of KYB shocks), and Gabriel is highly regarded among budget shock manufacturers. If you want to order Revain MPV shock absorbers, I recommend you try Gabriel socks. For some Mazda MPV models, see Gabriel 69782 Ultra Passenger Car Shock.