No Assembly Required

While it is an approach that has been customary for some time at the original equipment level, the idea of having ride control supplied as a single unit incorporating all springs, bumpers, bearing plates etc. has entered the aftermarket as a concept so new it is taking a while to gain acceptance.

Certainly, the concept of matching struts and springs is not new. It has been a known quantity in the performance market for some years, though the matched sets were not necessarily pre-assembled.

Currently there are two major companies marketing conventional ride control–as opposed to racing or performance packages–this way: ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle After-market, under its Gabriel Ready Mount name; and Tenneco Automotive, under the Monroe Quick Strut name.

What both companies do is match and assemble struts, springs, bearing plates, spring seats, spring isolators, and boots, supplying each as a ready-to-install unit.

“I think this is the biggest breakthrough in ride control in a while,” says Mark Christiaanse, director of product management, ride control at Tenneco Automotive. “From our point of view, it is the biggest shift since struts. It is an opportunity to put the whole corner on”–the lack of which has plagued manufacturers for some time–“and one of the things that it reminds me of is years ago when the automakers would just buy a strut. Now they buy corner modules.

“Is this the way the installers are going? I don’t know.” It is, he adds, still too early to tell. The Quick Strut program is just over a year old, and the program from ArvinMeritor is younger than that.

Nonetheless, acceptance is growing. Tenneco says it sold more in the first quarter of this year than all of last year, just under $2 million CDN, but compared to an overall North American market of about $500 million a year, it still has a way to go before it makes serious inroads into the market.

Perhaps it can be likened to the semi-loaded caliper approach in the brake market. While often it is a simple friction replacement that will deliver the needed return of braking power, the speed and confidence provided by replacing the entire braking assembly has nonetheless seen significant growth.

There are nevertheless some barriers to the growth of the strut assembly’s popularity. One of the most important ones to recognize is that not every strut replacement requires the replacement of every other related component. Nor does every spring replacement require the replacement of every other component it touches. But it is also true that other components should be replaced far more often than they are.

Nonetheless, it has much to recommend it from the perspective of both the jobber and his customers. These cross all boundaries, from convenience to quality.

“We get, in some cases, complaints on product that have nothing to do with the product we sell,” says Carlo Falcigno, national product and training manger, ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Aftermarket. “The mechanics get these complaints and retailers get them, too. What we found in some cases is that it is related to components in the assembly that were not purchased.”

Bearing plates, mounts, and other components, he says, may have just as much mileage on them as the struts, but aren’t necessarily replaced as a matter of course.

“The other components have taken their share of wear over time, just like the product they have replaced,” says Falcigno, which can result in a comeback when that mount or isolator fails shortly thereafter, leading to an unhappy customer. Then there are the cases where the component that caused the car owner to seek service in the first place is reinstalled with the new ride control.

“A noise may be related to the strut, but it is not necessarily the strut causing the noise. Sometimes it is a simple case of misdiagnosis.” Replacing a corner piecemeal, as is the custom these days, inevitably leads to a certain percentage of jobs coming back to the service provider for rework.

The use of a pre-assembled “corner” is about as close as you can get to eliminating comebacks.

There are, of course, other benefits.

“The biggest benefit is that it delivers a complete corner. We look at the various springs for the vehicle. OEMs will have quite a few different springs assigned to the same chassis. They are very careful on the weights and trim levels. Since we don’t have that luxury, we balance out the best spring to fit all those. In some cases, we use variable rate springs, so we can adjust for that. Once we have selected that spring, we support the overall ride with a damper that is targeted for that vehicle. The combination of the damper and spring delivers the best ride for the vehicle.

“Having the whole corner in one piece, you end up with a ride as good as you can get it. The overall replacement cost is comparable, because you are saving the labour cost,” says Christiaanse.

Falcigno says that the approach has the potential to open up new markets over time. Shops that have not previously embarked on ride control service, including bodyshops, due to the issues surrounding spring compressors for example, can easily integrate strut assembly installation into their business.

“And it opens up a new area for the DIYer,” he adds. “They no longer need the equipment to install the strut. It also eliminates any danger from the spring, particularly if you are a DIYer and are not used to the idea of renting a strut compressor.

“The springs can literally kill you. We have had people hit in the face and it can break your arm. It is something to be reckoned with.

“So, for the DIYer, it relieves some of the danger. For the consumer it assures them of a complete replacement of all components that are related to the way that system performs.”

Both Falcigno and Christiaanse admit that it is a market in its very early stages of development, and that it will likely never be a large portion of the business. But they also say that it is surprising how popular it is becoming with some customers. SKU counts are relatively low, around 50, and for the most part it is only the most popular, primarily domestic nameplate vehicles that are being covered right now.

“We don’t envision Quick Strut ever being full-breadth,” says Christiaanse. “We are actually dropping numbers as they are slowing down and adding some new ones.”

It does, however, stand a very good change of solving a number of key problems, says Falcigno.

“This shows an understanding of the reality of life, where things don’t get done the right way all the time.”

Some Key Benefits

FOR THE SERVICE PROVIDER

Everything in one package.

Technician doesn’t find himself needing additional components midway through a job.

Time savings can be on the order of 15 minutes a corner.

Reduces or eliminates mismatch of spring and strut.

Cost savings on part over purchasing components separately.

Less-experienced technician can handle safer, easier job.

No need for strut compressor.

Confidence that ride control result will meet customer’s expectations.

FOR THE JOBBER

Total sale in one transaction.

Avoids multiple deliveries for same job.

Captures sale of components–such as isolators–that often go to car dealer.

Average sale for job increases.

Improved customer satisfaction.

Safer, easier installation opens up DIY potential for strut sales.

Establishment Used for Shocks/Strut Work by Vehicle Age