Strut and shock replacement

DIY and how-to articles on repairing the Saab 9-5 SE.

Updated: 2010 June 15

At 130,000 miles (2010 June 05), I replaced the rear shocks and front struts with Monroe Sensa-Trac units (part numbers 5992 and 71428). We are the second owners of the car and purchased it with 30,000 miles on the odometer. From day one, I was disappointed with the handling. I always felt it swayed too much in the corners and it never seemed to feel as tight as my 1985 Saab 900S. The Monroe replacements made a huge improvement! I should have done this 100,000 miles ago.

To make matters even better, the Monroe units are inexpensive and I was able to take advantage of free shipping and a USD $50.00 rebate. All told, I spent a little over USD $100.00 to replace both shocks and both struts. Fantastic!

Installation is not difficult, just follow the procedure outlined in the Saab Workshop Information System (WIS) software. A couple notes:

• Removing the top nut from the rear shock can be quite difficult. Following advice I read elsewhere (Dmitry Platonoff and Fix My Saab), I cut off the exposed shaft with my chop saw and the used my pneumatic impact wrench to remove the nut. Piece of cake.
• When I purchased the shock and struts, I also ordered the Monroe strut mounting kit (part number 903959) as I feared my original bearings would be destroyed. Instead, I found my original bearings to be in fantastic condition and to rotate more smoothly than the replacements. I reused my originals and returned the replacements for a refund.