Replacing racks on the "Duster" - how to make the best choice for price and quality

Problems with racks in Renault Duster usually begin after 100 thousand kilometers. However, it all depends on the quality of the roads on which you have to move, and driving style. You can understand that the time has come to deal with shock absorbers and springs, you can "by ear" or visually, as well as by the behavior of the car.

Signs of malfunctioning racks

When replacing wheels or carrying out repairs related to putting the car on a viewing hole (lift), look under the bottom. Racks need to be changed if:

✅ smudges from shock absorbers are noticeable
✅ anthers are torn
✅ the tire is badly worn from the inside (subject to a blockage / convergence)

Of the indirect symptoms, it is worth highlighting the buildup of the body during sharp acceleration and stopping, an increase in the braking distance and a “desire to dump” to the side with a straight trajectory. Do not forget: these signs may also indicate other malfunctions of the suspension and steering.

What will you need?

In addition to a set of keys (among them there should be 21, 27 ring wrenches and a special one to hold the shock absorber during dismantling), you will need WD-40 to facilitate the unwinding of hardware, a hammer (where would it be without it!), A spring compressor in the form of a couple of devices. It is also possible (it all depends on the condition of the parts) that “along the way” you will have to purchase anthers and thrust bearings. If all this is there, it remains to buy the racks themselves - shock absorbers and springs, you can complete them. But usually only the first part is changed. What do car owners prefer?

BILSTEIN

Producer from Germany, most of the production comes from a plant in Romania. The product has a high build quality, resistance to heavy loads. The last property is important if you have to get out of the highways. Also, brand shock absorbers are characterized by a long service life, reaching 80 or more thousand km.



The only disadvantage of the part is its relatively high cost.

Monroe

American brand with branches around the world. This is where some of the snag lies when it comes to the quality of the product. Some of the enterprises are located in Europe, there are in Asia and even Africa (South Africa). Parts from EU or USA have the best quality. The country of origin can be determined by the inscriptions on the packaging or barcode numbers, QR.



If the model is of European origin, there is a chance that on a good road with a calm driving style, the part leaves at least 80 thousand km. By the way, Monroe is a supplier to the Renault conveyor. The article of the original front part is 8200813791, the rear part is 8200811407.

Sachs

Shock absorbers of this manufacturer are highly reliable. The spare part has been repeatedly tested by the magazine "Behind the Wheel", has many positive reviews in other publications. Here is the same problem as the part discussed above. It is recommended to look in stores for shock absorbers produced by a branch of a German company located in Turkey.



Users complain: there are a lot of fakes, real branded products are rather weakly protected from them.

Finwhale

The brand is owned by GRUNNTECH from Germany. There are many reviews on the quality of shock absorbers produced by this manufacturer: both positive and negative. However, one plus is undeniable - the product belongs to the budget segment.



Users note that the shock absorbers of this brand do not “dube” in frost. Some talk about a trouble-free run of 70 thousand km.

Replacing the front pillar on the Renault Duster

Put the car on a level place, at the same time loosen the wheel fasteners and open the hood. Further actions:

✅ unscrew the upper nut of the shock absorber, holding it by the stem with a special wrench
✅ remove the wheel by jacking up the car
✅ find the wires suitable for the ABS sensor located on a special bar (it also needs to be unscrewed later) and pull the brake hose out of it
✅ unscrew the nuts (holding the bot heads with another wrench) connecting the rack to the steering knuckle
✅ remove the shock absorber together with the spring




After releasing the rack, compress the spring on it with a special tool, if you do not change it, and remove it. Take a new part - a shock absorber and, if necessary, a purchased boot, thrust bearing. Put the spring on the rack, after compressing it with a tool. Assemble everything in reverse order and install on the car.

Replacing the rear pillars "Renault Duster"

For the “purity of the experiment”, holding the left and then the right rear fender, shake the car and remember at least approximately the applied force. To replace the racks, you will first have to disassemble, and then remove the lining inner panel in the luggage compartment (mounted on clips). You will see the top strut nut, which must be unscrewed using the same special wrench. Further:

✅ remove the pillow and washer from the rod
✅ put the car on a jack and remove the wheel
✅ clean all rack fasteners from dirt and rust with an iron brush and treat them with WD-40
✅ unscrew two nuts fastening to the beam (head 18) and the body
✅ pull out the rack

The further course of action is the same as when replacing the front shock absorber. If the spring will be installed old, it is better to compress it first (for a heavily worn one, this is not necessary). Then unscrew the fixing nut at the top. Inspect the support bearing - the one on the front shock absorbers often fails. When disassembling the rack, remember (write down, photograph) the order in which washers and gaskets are installed.





Assemble everything in reverse order. If there is a torque wrench, observe the tightening torque of the upper nut to 14 N * m, the lower bolts - 105 N * m. Do the same in terms of disassembly-assembly with the second shock absorber. It's better to change both. When everything is in place, shake the car behind the "stern". You will feel that more force is required than before the replacement. In this case, no extraneous noise should be heard. The rear struts have a longer resource than the front ones, by 10-20 thousand kilometers.

How to increase the life of shock absorbers

There are several reasons for the failure of these spare parts, and the most important of them is constant driving in off-road conditions. The second reason, which often follows from the first, is damage to the anther. Well, the shock absorber also fails if it is poorly made or incorrectly installed.

What happens if you do not replace the racks on time

The car will become less manageable, it will sway, especially when making sharp maneuvers, which is fraught with getting into an accident. A broken shock absorber will knock, causing annoying sensations for the driver and passengers when driving on bad roads. And the last point - a faulty strut will stop damping when passing obstacles, and the load on other suspension parts will increase, which will lead to their premature wear. And that means additional costs.