front struts, AWD VS FWD, what are the differences?

[macantley]

they are listed on ebay and on car-part.com that AWD and front wheel drive use different struts in the front, im surprised if thats true seeing as the front would generally be the same.ive got a bent strut on the front of the vibe i just bought (it was wrecked) and will need to replace the strut, im just curious if there is really any differences between FWD and AWD struts, FRONT ONLY, i know the rears would probably be different.matthew

[trb]

According to Autozone.com they both use the same replacement struts, G52014 for right and G52013 for the left. So I would not think there is a difference.

[macantley]

good to hear, i should have posted that mines a 04 model, but it probably doesnt matter. matthew

[Old Tele man]

...our local Toyota dealership said there were 10 different front struts for the Matrix/Vibes, depending upon years & models!

[trb]

Quote, originally posted by macantley »good to hear, i should have posted that mines a 04 model, but it probably doesnt matter. matthewI checked 03 and 06 and they were all the same.Quote, originally posted by Old Tele man »...our local Toyota dealership said there were 10 different front struts for the Matrix/Vibes, depending upon years & models!Wow! Now thats crazy. I could see maybe one for base and one for the GT (or XRS) models.

[vibenvy]

Per GMPartsDirect...2004 Vibe AWD front right strut: #889728262004 Vibe AWD front left strut: #889728272004 Vibe FWD with aluminum wheel front right strut: #889739412004 Vibe FWD with aluminum wheel front left strut: #889739432004 Vibe FWD without aluminum wheel front right strut: #889739402004 Vibe FWD without aluminum wheel front left strut: #88973942I would definitely tend to trust GM over Auto Zone, car-part.com, eBay, etc.

[trb]

Quote, originally posted by J_TO_ENVY »Per GMPartsDirect...2004 Vibe AWD front right strut: #889728262004 Vibe AWD front left strut: #889728272004 Vibe FWD with aluminum wheel front right strut: #889739412004 Vibe FWD with aluminum wheel front left strut: #889739432004 Vibe FWD without aluminum wheel front right strut: #889739402004 Vibe FWD without aluminum wheel front left strut: #88973942I would definitely tend to trust GM over Auto Zone, car-part.com, eBay, etc.Yeah, those would be the exact replacement ones, but I'm sure GM wants you to buy their more expensive "specifically designed for your exact car" struts instead of aftermarket ones. There is a $20 difference in the list prices, and I usually get most car parts for about 10-20% less than the auto parts house retail prices. So for me, a $65 strut is a lot better than a $95 one. The aftermarket ones are made by Gabriel, and I've put Gabriel and Monroe shocks & struts on several of my cars and never had an issue with them. Either way, unless the struts were very recently replaced, you probably should replace BOTH of them at the same time with new ones.

[macantley]

unless i can find a cheap used one with similar mileage, im going to buy a pair of them, i hate to spend $100-150 for a pair right now until i find out if the car is going to be able to be repaired properly.absolutely no frame or frame horn damage, but im not sure about the control arm, spindle, and the headlight mounting sheet metal is buckled up some.