Safe. Reliable. Durable.
These are all words that customers want to hear about their vehicle repair, so it only makes sense that, as the professional installer, you’re installing parts that can be described with each of these words—especially when it comes to a part of the suspension.
Duralast loaded struts do just that.
The Design
“Anything that is in the Duralast brand meets or exceeds the original equipment (OE) manufacturer or equivalent part,” says Omar Gomez, Commercial Category Manager.
Duralast parts are produced to strict standards by trusted manufacturers who utilize high quality materials, state-of-the art processes and well designed, durable components. With very little consolidation in the part line, these application-specific struts restore vehicles to OE performance.
The Loaded Struts contain the MacPherson strut, the coil spring and the strut mount in a pre-assembled unit, which speeds up the installation process, making the repair shop more efficient. Each one is constructed with OE-grade components, ensuring optimal performance and restoring the vehicle to OE ride height. Each Loaded Strut has reinforced brackets and torture-tested bearing plates for superior strength.
The Testing
Before being approved for the Duralast brand, these loaded struts underwent extreme heat treatment as well as multiple load, torture and end-of-the line tests. And, the manufacturers had to meet quality certifications plus pass ongoing factory audits.
“The testing we put Duralast products through ensures consistent quality that will last a long time… the standards are set extremely high for Duralast products,” says Alan Eaves, Commercial Merchandising Director.
The Selling Points
Because the Duralast Loaded Struts come pre-assembled, the job can be done in a safer, more efficient way that will get the customer back on the road quicker.
“Instead of having the customer wait around the extra time it takes you to assemble the strut, you can go ahead and install it as soon as the customer has agreed to get the work done,” says Bill Hackney, Senior Vice President Merchandising. “Not only will the shorter wait time leave the customer happy, it will also allow the installer to get more work in and out, turn bays faster, adding to your bottom line.”
Duralast Loaded Struts utilize a coil spring with OE-compression level and electrostatic coating for optimal corrosion resistance. Add that to the chrome-plated piston rod and you can promise your customers better strut performance and a longer life. This is a point that can be extremely effective when it comes to selling your customers on getting work done.
“Replacing struts is an expensive job that is both time consuming and unsafe for shops,” says Hackney. “Most of your customers will defer the work until a later time. Be sure to let them know to watch for signs of failing struts—excessive nose dive when stopping, rolling in the corners and continued bounce over bumps or dips. Often, they’ve just grown used to the gradual decline in performance and don’t notice the indicators. Make sure they know what to look for.”
Another way to sell your customers on the job is by guaranteeing a quieter ride. With bumpers molded from urethane rubber, Duralast Loaded Struts have been designed to absorb harsh, damaging road impact and noise, resulting in a smoother, quieter ride. The reinforced brackets and torture-tested bearing plates allow the struts to last in even the worst road conditions, something that can be used to sell to customers that live in areas with extremely harsh winters or drive in especially challenging terrain.
Not only are the Duralast Loaded Struts proven tough, they’re also priced to compete with the time and effort of bare strut replacement, which means you can guarantee your customers a quality job at a competitive price.
When you sell a job, make sure you’re using the best quality part at the best possible price. Duralast Loaded Struts guarantee a safe and long-lasting repair.
