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Struts stabilize your vehicle on the road, allowing the driver to retain control when driving on the highway or hitting a pothole. Driving with worn-out struts can be frustrating and lead to an accident. Moreover, you can’t hit the minimum speed limit on the highway because your car might lose control.
People spend a lot of time looking for the best strut for their car based on their importance. In this review, we’ll compare two of the most popular strut brands. Stick till the end to know which is best for your driving experience.
Does FCS Make Good Struts?
Deciding on the best struts at this point of the review isn’t fair. However, FCS promises OEM quality struts, which means FCS struts are durable and glue your ride to the ground when you hit incredible speeds.
Are Monroe Struts the Best?
Monroe has been deemed the best suspension brand among customers regarding complete strut assembly. The brand utilizes the latest technology to match your OE ride expectations.
The best part about Monroe struts is their versatility. Their struts are available for both lightweight cars and monster SUVs.
FCS vs. Monroe Struts Specs Comparision
Before we dig deeper into these struts, it’s best to get the specifications out of the way. Remember, personal experiences can be different from the specifications.
So, read besides our spec comparison to learn about our personal experience with these two brands.
| FCS Struts | Monroe Struts |
|---|---|
| Comes preassembled and ready to install | Comes preassembled and ready to install |
| Can be customized for your vehicle | Has a verticle fixed design |
| Limited lifetime warranty | Limited lifetime warranty |
| Doesn’t require a spring compressor | Requires SAEgrade nuts and bolts to fix in place |
| Fights corrosion with electrostatic coating | Resists rust and corrosion with a protective coating |
| Improves handling, steering, and ability performance | Premium upper strut mount improves steering performance |
FCS Struts Review
FCS struts have been pretty good for the last couple of years on our Corolla, so we decided to compare them with Monroe we installed on our other Toyota. For starters, FCS struts provide precise vehicle control.
They don’t wobble your car when you make sharp turns or hit a pothole. Moreover, speeding over 60 miles/hours, we didn’t feel any vibration from our Corolla’s back or front.
Since FCS struts are quick to install, you don’t need heavy equipment. So, you save tons of cash on installation charges and can do it yourself. However, some Toyota vehicles require taking out the back seat to install rear struts. Besides being easy to install, FCS struts are good at absorbing shocks.
We drove on the bumpiest road in our area and couldn’t feel any bumps at low speeds. However, FCS struts gave us a mini heart attack at high speed. Nevertheless, no one wants to top 50 miles per hour on a bumpy road. If you are hitting the gas on the highway, FCS struts will hold your car on the road.
OEM Quality
When buying struts or any other parts for your car, make sure they have Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM quality. This brand guarantees OEM quality. These struts won’t be as good as those that came with your car, but they are very durable. Moreover, OEM-quality manufacturers have strict requirements, and their products have to pass several tests before being deemed suitable for sale.
As a result, you get top-notch gear for your vehicle. Thankfully, FCS struts are OEM-quality. So even though you are buying FCS struts separately, they will match or sometimes exceed original quality depending on which car you have.
Some customers exchange their original struts with FCS quality immediately after the showroom deal. So, you know these struts are pretty good.
Compatibility With Your Vehicle Model
It’s best to check whether the FCS struts you bought are compatible with your car. You can find that information in the store or on the packaging. FCS offers customized struts for your car, so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Personal Experience
After testing the FCS struts for over a year, we noticed they aren’t the best choice for cold weather conditions. FCS glued our ride to the road in the summers but were terrible in winter. Moreover, customer reviews on Amazon and other sites confirmed our suspicion.
Many reported FCS to be bad for the cold weather.
Monroe Struts Review
Monroe is a well-known strut manufacturer with tons of positive reviews on its side. We installed these quick struts on our Corolla after taking the FCS struts off for a fair comparison. We found Monroe to be all about shock absorption, drive stability, and road control from the start.
We didn’t feel any vibrations from the back or the front of our car. Monore struts kept our car on the road at high speeds, and the feel was much better than FCS.
OEM Quality
Thankfully, Monroe also offers OEM quality. Monroe felt much smoother on potholes and bumps compared to the FCS struts.
The high-quality materials used in Monroe struts prevent metal-to-metal contact, and the springs are compressed perfectly without any signs of running loose when your car jumps on the road.
Improved Steering Smoothness
In our opinion, Monroe struts will improve your driving pleasure. Our 2017 Corolla felt like the latest model, and the steering quickly came back to its original place after sharp turns.
The new rubber adds more to the steering softness and protects the other components of the strut.
Personal Experience
Monroe struts felt more durable and long-lasting. We tested them for a year for a weather check, and they performed exceptionally well in all seasons. Monroe struts are known to increase your ride height, and we had no problems with that.
However, they were squeaky. The sounds coming from the strut were limited to shocks or high speeds only. It might be a worrying sign for inexperienced drivers. But the struts never moved an inch from their place in one year!
Verdict
You have probably decided on a winner by now, but let’s shed some more light on both struts. While the FCS struts are poor in cold climates, they didn’t make squeaking sounds. Moreover, FCS struts are OEM quality, so you don’t have to worry about replacing them sooner than five years.
Likewise, Monroe struts are also OEM quality, but they are much smoother. They aren’t susceptible to weather conditions, but the squeaking sound was off-putting.