Chinese Bonnet Struts

[Adam Evans]

I know this is a total Faux-Pas to put Chinese parts on my quality Lexus however.............

I have just fitted my bonnet struts that I got from China and they are absolutely great

I am really not messing. Even just one of them held the bonnet up really well whilst I fitted the other one.

I am impressed

[oldhazey]

do you have a link for them as mine are creeping

[Adam Evans]

Ahh you have the MK3 don't you

The part number for yours are 53440-59025 so they are different. I do not know if they would fit

However I will do some digging and try and source a set for you anyway and send over the link

[Malc]

The OEM with the car back in 1998 have probably lasted this long .... 15 years ..... wonder if the Chinese ones will too !!!!

My 1995 car had the front bonnet struts replaced after 15 years too, by Lexus but at a humungous cost I note ............ I'm expecting them to last to 2025

Malc

[Adam Evans]

How much were they to replace from Lexus

[Cotswold Pete]

I have non-Lexus struts, and they are okay, a lot cheaper, and having had them in for a year they are a bit temperamental, in that you have to sometimes find the point at which they hold.

They work less well in the cold.

So it tells me the engineering not as good as the original, but I only have bonnet up now and again, and they are still better than a piece of wood to hold the bonnet up

How long will they last me, I would guess 4 or 5 years.

I also wonder if the internal fit is a bit variable whether they will actually loose gas more quickly.

[Malc]

Adam, a couple of hundred pounds if my memory reading the last poor owners scheduling Lexus bills is correct !

There are other posts on here about replacing excellent non-Chinese maybe struts with economically priced UK sourced one's.

The simple fact is that one hardly has to ever have the bonnet up apart from replenishing the windscreen wash bottle ! Everything is dash light intuitive, even the wash bottle too.

And I used the broomstick trick on my first Lexus, a Mk1, for years.

This Mk3 is my 3rd LS in 11 years of magical motoring

Malc

[Adam Evans]

The supplier I use in China I use for every strut I need as I have a Toyota Sera with gullwing doors too and needed to replace the door struts

Anyway I specify on all of my struts that I want removable ends as the ends that screw onto the body of the car are fixed to the actual strut.

I now have bonnet struts with detatchable ends so that next time I can just unscrew the strut and replace that on its own - kind of like an insert

[Titch LS]

Well, bonnet struts are not exactly crucial parts, so maybe Chinese isn't so bad. On the other hand, If it was suspension parts, I wouldn't touch anything from China with the proverbial barge pole.

[Elid786]

Mine have gone on my car which I think should be replaced soon. But I wish I could have just go a metal bar/stick like the good old days haha

[Adam Evans]

Well, bonnet struts are not exactly crucial parts, so maybe Chinese isn't so bad. On the other hand, If it was suspension parts, I wouldn't touch anything from China with the proverbial barge pole.

Here here !!!

When I said I use China for every strut I need I meant bonnet boots doors kitchen cabinets them sort

Not the sort that goes in the centre of suspension springs, I would never do that.

I have had a set of struts from the same supplier in China on the doors on my Toyota Sera for over a year and in daily use and they are still as good as the day they were fitted

[oldhazey]

Are these the Chinese ones ? if not anyone used them ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Lexus-LS400-95-98-Bonnet-Struts-Mark-3-/290704282383?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item43af53530f

[Adam Evans]

I am not sure if they are or not. You would have to directly ask the seller.

However, here is the update

One week on and I have not had to open my bonnet for anything apart from to check if the struts held it up !!

At this rate I can see them lasting a very long time

[steve2006]

It would appear that the Chinese make pattern parts for almost everything now days the only things not made in China are takeaways but even these have part numbers which need checking for the correct flavour.

23 Chinese Special Pork

42 Chicken with beansprouts

67 Special fried rice.

:)

[Adam Evans]

I bought my struts from a company in China but they were actually sent from Kuwala Lumpa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steve2006]

I bought my struts from a company in China but they were actually sent from Kuwala Lumpa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arr but were they made by Umpa Lumpas in a chocolate factory?

[Adam Evans]

Well they still work :P

[oldhazey]

Got some from eBay recently and fitted in minutes.and the bonnet now stays up and no creeping.

And they are made in the UK B)

[Adam Evans]

Yeah you are right

That stamp was definitely made in England !!!

Seriously the stuff from China is getting much better these days so I am not too fussed if its from China

However they do look pretty good

[oldhazey]

Yeah you are right

That stamp was definitely made in England !!!

ruts

Seriously the stuff from China is getting much better these days so I am not too fussed if its from China

However they do look pretty good

So how much were the Chinese struts ?

[Adam Evans]

Yeah you are right

That stamp was definitely made in England !!!

ruts

Seriously the stuff from China is getting much better these days so I am not too fussed if its from China

However they do look pretty good

So how much were the Chinese struts ?

About £35 for the 2 delivered so its not too bad

[oldhazey]

Yeah you are right

That stamp was definitely made in England !!!

ruts

Seriously the stuff from China is getting much better these days so I am not too fussed if its from China

However they do look pretty good

So how much were the Chinese struts ?

About £35 for the 2 delivered so its not too bad

Good price :) but i was doing my bit for the UK economy at 52 delivered

[Adam Evans]

That not too bad at all however I know of a few people that sell things on eBay saying 100% uk and they are not.

But there are a few ways to look at it. You were either stitched up by someoe who bought them from china and put a stamp on them (the markup difference between mine and yours is about right) or they genuinely did come from England

the bit from the economy works both ways. If they are from englad great. If not you have kept an importer in a job and off the dole. So kudos for that :-P