Last weekend, I replaced my rear shocks. I had them replaced several years ago for the TSB issue and the Suzuki Service Location installed the revised rear bump stoppers. I've since put over 60,000 miles on the rear shocks and now at 100,000 miles on the car, they felt rough so I replaced them.
I replaced them with aftermarket KYB shocks given I could find zero information indicating that the OE Suzuki part (made by KYB) was any bit different than the KYB aftermarket part which was a fraction of the cost. I compared them during the swap and found no noticeable differences other than the part numbers stamped on them.
I reused the shock mounts, the solid rubber piece that goes on top of the mounts, and the washer that goes in between the mount and the shock rod. I decided to get the KYB SB113 boot kit (bump stoppers included) given they were way easier and cheaper to source than new OE bumper stoppers of the revised design. I figured this way, I could use the new KYB parts or elect to reuse the OE bump stoppers installed from the TSB warranty work.
The KYB SB113 are made in Germany (both the bump stopper and the boot which both have different designs from the OE parts).
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The process of replacing the rear shocks was quite easy. The hardest part was removing a corroded nut on top of one of the shocks after it came out of the vehicle. It was a foreshadowing to the condition of the shock once the bump stopper/boot was removed. The shock was quite corroded at the top which made me question how well the revised bump stoppers really addressed the issue of moisture retention on top of the shocks. Both shocks were corroded at the top, but the pictured one from the driver side was worse. Fortunately, there was no oil leakage but it was evident comparing with the new shocks that the rebound rate was significantly diminished.
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The KYB SB113 bump stopper/boot have a different shape and design from the OE part. A major difference is the diameter of the bump stopper in that the KYB part is larger and this posed a problem: it's too big for the Kizashi's rear shock mount. It literally did not fit into the recessed housing on the mount given the larger diameter.
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The picture below is the mount on the top of the bump stopper. The top of the bump stopper was too large to fit into the mount without some cutting modification.
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While I considered reusing the OE part given it was in good condition, I considered the fact that, A) the revised part didn't really prevent corrosion, B) I already paid for and had brand new SB113 parts, and C) I no longer live in a climate where humidity is any significant consideration. Thus, I opted to cut around the top of the KYB SB113 bumper stopper's foam to make it fit. There was no way it was going to fit without this modification. Once I trimmed a bit to make the top of the bump stopper fit into the mount, I installed everything. During the installation, the bump stoppers and the shock mount did not stay mounted to each other so I had to rely on simply driving on the road and subsequent suspension travel to place the bump stoppers back into the mounts naturally. Both sides are now properly seated into the mount and fit nicely. Though I did not reuse the OE bump stoppers, I kept them. I cleaned them and will keep them stored in case I ever need to resort back to them for whatever reason. They were in good condition and could be reused.
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Given the rears are done and all properly in place, I'll be seeking a shop to install my new front struts, having them reuse my springs. I'll be providing the KYB struts, shock boots, and the mounts I already have in hand. I'll have the shop then to do a four wheel alignment. I'm looking forward to the restored ride quality.