Nissan Xterra Sensen Strut vs Monroe Quick-Strut vs Nissan OEM

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Sensen vs Monroe Quick-Strut

So after driving my beloved Xterra for 8 years I decided it was time to replace all the suspensions. I googled and found a brand named Sensen. They had a model 9214-0125 which came with coil overs so you can easily switch the struts out. Why did I decide to buy Sensen?

My reasons:

  • Affordable. It was the cheapest in the market compared to other competitors.
  • Lifetime Warranty
  • Japanese made NOK seals. Because we all know the Japanese make superior products.
  • A few good reviews on forums.
  • I hate myself

The installation went fine. Only a small issue is the top bolts provided by Sensen, they do strip easy so be careful.  After three months I noticed one of the driver side strut bushing was ripping out. I decided to replace it. Six months later, I decided to check the passenger side strut bushing and it was getting terrible. Next I went to look at the driver side bushing. To my dismay, it was getting bad too. Lifetime warranty is great right? I can replace the strut whenever they get bad. But why would I want to spend hours every 3 to 6 months to replace the strut? My original Nissan strut lasted 8 years without any issue. Clearly the Sensen strut is designed with faulty bushings so no matter how many replacements it’ll just tear apart.


Passenger side bushing tearing.

Back view.

Comparison


From left to right.  New Monroe quick-strut, Sensen (6 months), Sensen (3 months), Nissan OEM Strut (8 years)


Top to bottom.  New Monroe quick-strut, Sensen (6 months), Sensen (3 months), Nissan OEM Strut (8 years)


This is what the bushing looks like on a 8 year old Nissan OEM strut.


This is on a 3 month old Sensen strut.


This is what a 6 month old Sensen strut bushing looks like.


New Monroe quick-strut bushing.

Rear Shocks

I decided to buy rear Monroe shocks to replace the Sensen shocks I installed. After seeing the quality of the Sensen strut, I no longer wanted any Sensen products on my car. I took off the driver Sensen rear shocks after 6 months of use. To my surprise the bushings did not suffer any issue. The compression seemed weaker on the driver side rear suspension. When I was getting ready to take off the passenger rear shocks I noticed there was grease marks on the side of it. When I did take it off it, the suspensions wouldn’t spring back, so it’s clear the grease mark as due to the suspension leaking all of its fluid.

Monroe shocks and Sensen side by side.


After 6 months the passenger Sensen shock leaked and lost all of its compression.


A beautiful view of the Monroe strut installed.

After two months, the strut’s rubber bushing isn’t showing any issue of tearing. The suspensions and struts work fine! I noticed less body roll when turning and less bumpiness on the freeway. I’ll update in a few months with pictures of what it looks like.

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