I have an o6 XA and after reading some of the posts here, was considering installing the Monroe Sensatracs (5987) to help with the somewhat choppy ride. I do have the Tein H-Tech springs on the car . Most ofthe posts claiming ride improvement with the Sensatracs have been from XB owners however. I would appreciate any input from other XA owners who have the Monroes.
Thanks
Bob

 

Monroe now carries a replacement shock and front strut for the xB/xAs Here are the part #s
struts= 72245
shocks=5601
These have softer valving to allow the suspension to absorb the bumps rather than pass them on to the people riding inside. I have the rears for now and if the fronts are half as nice as the rears I will be a very happy camper!

 

I appreciate the info on the 5601's but was looking for input on the 5987's on an XA. I am not sure why the 5601's would be twice the price if they are valved the same. Any XA owners with the 5987 lurking here?

 

At shock warehouse the 5601 are .68 cents cheaper. 32.32 instead of 33 for the 5987s plus free shipping.
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/p....cfm?id=376094

 

I was really hoping to hear from other XA owners who have replaced their rear shocks in the pursuit of a better ride. I have read thru many of the previous posts and found a lot of conflicting info, much of it from people who have not even replaced their shocks. Some have said the 5987's do not work with H-techs even though they have less drop than S-techs. Wouldn't the #5601 have the same characteristics as the stock shocks since it is a direct replacement? I also read that someone posted the stock XB shocks were much stiffer than the stock XA shocks. I thought the same shocks were used for both cars. So, considering my XA is lowered on H-techs, which of the 3 ( #5987, #5601, #5870 ) would be the best choice based on others EXPERIENCE.
Thanks!
Bob

 

^^^^Anyone that said the 5987s dont work with HTechs is full of it. They work with any springs with less than 2 inches of drop.
Trust me, the shocks will make a world of difference. Personally I can't wait to get the front Monroe struts so I will have the complete pkg. Should have them by spring. Can't wait to try them out.

 

Well, I went ahead and installed some 5987's from NAPA today. Very easy to install and no need to jack the car up. It's been raining really heavy all day here in sunny Phoenix but I did go for a couple test rides. The verdict- I am really not sure how much difference they made. Small cracks across the road seemed smoother but big bumps actually seemed worse. Back to work tomorrow so I'll be traveling over same bumps I experience everyday. I'll post my impressions after giving them a few days.
Thanks
Bob

 

to make the ride smoother the best thing is going to be doing full coilovers. This will help handleing as well. Just doing springs and new shocks/struts is inexpensive and you won't get a super smooth ride no matter what spring/shock setup someone has. Coilovers are expensive, but worth it. That is my next upgrade which will be done in a couple weeks.

 

So, how are the shocks? The rear looks easy to swap out, I might be able to do that this weekend. A bit more effort for the front.

Are they softer over all? Softer for a few inches of travel then firms up?

 

I am still on the fence regarding the 5987's. It's pretty obvious they are softer at very low speed when going over something like a speed bump. Just going down the road it sems that small cracks across the road feel better but larger bumps like sunken sewer caps feel about the same. I feel part of my problem is the stock Bridgestones are rapidly deteriorating both the ride and handling (26,000 on them). They have also become very noisey. I plan on replacing them with the Yokohama TRZ's this weekend. I'll keep you posted.
Bob

 

My car came with goodyear tires and they are rather noisy too.

I may do the shock upgrade if I can find my dads old set of spring compressors.

 

Auto Zone rents them for free.