Kia Sorento in the "new body" appeared back in 2009. Since that time, manufacturers have improved equipment, appearance and driving performance to stimulate the interest of buyers. And now in 2012 korean car underwent restyling and appeared before motorists in an updated form.

Choosing an updated Kia, buyers received not only a reliable and nice car for city and country trips, and one of the best inexpensive SUVs.

Of the advantages of the car, the owners note excellent sound and noise insulation, spacious salon, great interesting design, economical fuel consumption, good dynamics, high-quality trim, comfortable fit.

Of the minuses, they note a rigid rear suspension, insufficiently good stability and poor handling of the car. Owners, remembering their trips on a gravel road, use a lot of far from flattering words about the car's suspension.

It was to eliminate such “sores” characteristic of this car, namely: sagging springs, oddly enough, a breakdown of the suspension even on a good road surface, and turned to us Kia owner Sorento.

From the "breakdowns" of the suspension, even inter-turn spacers did not help anymore.

After measuring the rear springs, it was decided that air springs would be perfect for the Sorento II generation (restyling)

To install air springs, it was not even necessary to remove the springs on the car. All we had to do was get the inter-turn spacers, because there was no longer any point in them and remove the rubber bumper.

After that, the spring was carefully treated with a silicone spray, the available air was bled from the pneumatic elements, after which they were inserted between the coils of the spring and installed in it.

Following this, the swap nipple was connected and brought out to the lower part of the bumper.

We check that the system does not “poison” air anywhere:

That's it, mission accomplished!

What do we end up with? A car that is ready to conquer unknown routes, take a joyful family to the sea or mother-in-law to the country with a full trunk of garden tools and seedlings.

The owner's expectations were fully justified, after installing BlackStone air springs on his car, he:

Get rid of the effect of "sagging" springs

Got rid of such a disease as "suspension breakdown"

Increased the clearance of the car by 2-3 cm (at a pressure in the cylinders of 1 ATM)

Increased vehicle load capacity

Extended the "life" of the suspension of your car, thereby saving money and nerves.

provided good mood and a comfortable ride for everyone in the car.

Pressure in 1 ATM

General view of the car after installation:

Other installation examples:

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30.03.2017

This article will focus on the shock absorbers of the Kia Sorento mid-size crossover, which has been well known to us for many years. Along with the struts and stabilizer bushings, they, in the suspension of this car, attract the most attention of the owners, not only because of failure, as is the case with the first, but also as an opportunity for tuning an SUV.

Shock absorbers are one of the main parts of a car's suspension. Regardless of its design, they are used on all modern serial cars. The main function of these parts is to dampen body vibrations during movement and prevent it from swinging in a vertical plane. Performing it, they affect handling, comfort level and safety.

Kia Sorento XM and a plane taking off

Several types of suspension were used on the Sorento. From the beginning of production until 2009, there were double levers in the front, an axle with a Panhard rod in the back. At that time, the car could be safely classified as an SUV and the suspension was appropriate. In 2009 the lineup changed, began selling Sorento in the back of XM. The design of many nodes has changed in accordance with the new requirements. Kia's engineers opted for a simpler and cheaper MacPherson strut at the front, and later the rear was also changed.

Faults, diagnostics and resource

All generations of Sorento used telescopic gas or gas-oil shock absorbers. This type is used on all modern cars. There are different opinions about the service life of such elements. Usually the resource is about 70 - 90 thousand kilometers. However, depending on the operating conditions, it may increase or decrease. There is an opinion that 50 - 60 thousand is the limit for Sorento struts, and even if they do not show obvious signs of wear by this time, they should still be changed. The explanation for this is as follows: even if the strut does not flow or knock, and the car behaves normally on the road under normal conditions, in a critical situation, when the load is exceeded, breakdown or swaying may occur, which can affect handling and other characteristics. Therefore, the replacement interval may depend not only on mileage, but also on operating conditions and driving style.

Symptoms of shock absorber failure can be different, mainly these are:

• extraneous noises and knocking in the suspension
• breakdowns and rocking on bumps
• deterioration in controllability

Troubleshoot shock absorbers on Sorento using suspension diagnostics. Usually a visual inspection and a shaker test are carried out. Visual inspection to identify leaks working fluid details. If the racks are leaking, they need to be replaced. Another consequence of shock absorber wear is uneven tire wear, however, it is observed with a sufficiently long ride on a worn rack. The condition of the rubber anthers also greatly affects the condition of the racks, if they are torn, the risk of failure increases, so if the anthers are damaged during inspection, they need to be changed, otherwise the racks will soon fail.

Diagnostics on the vibration stand allows you to identify less obvious problems in the Kia Sorento suspension and strut wear at an early stage. This type of undercarriage testing is becoming popular nowadays. The results of such diagnostics look convincing and are quite accurate, but they depend on the correct setting of the equipment and the skills of the person conducting the test, no less than the results of a visual inspection.

The choice of shock absorbers for the Sorento

To figure out which shock absorbers to put on the Kia Sorento, consider some of the most common options. In general, there are a lot of them, but the behavior of the car will change only in two directions: towards sharper handling, with a stiffer suspension, or vice versa.

Among the brands and models of shock absorbers most beloved by motorists for the Sorento, there are several reviews of which have already accumulated enough to give examples. First on the list will be Koni parts. There are several series for four-wheel drive vehicles. Sorento can be equipped with Koni Havy Track or Koni FSD. Their price is quite high - about 10 thousand rubles for the front and 7 for the rear. Replacement kit around - about 35-40 thousand rubles. A feature of the Havy Track series is the variable damping stiffness, which is adjusted before installation on the car. Thus, it can be adjusted exactly to the conditions and driving style. The FSD series is distinguished by a system for adapting to road conditions. The rigidity of such racks varies depending on the working conditions.

Details Kia suspension Sorento XM (2009-2017)

In the middle price category, you can choose Kayaba Excel-G. These are gas twin-tube shock absorbers. The series is designed for different cars. The Kayaba, like the Koni, is slightly stiffer than stock, giving the Sorento sharper handling, reducing body roll and nodding. Feedback from the road becomes more informative. For the best effect, it is better to change all the racks in a circle. There was no improvement or deterioration in comfort levels.

Since the regular racks of the Kia Sorento are quite soft, it is they who are recommended to be installed by lovers of a not too dynamic, but comfortable ride. Such soft and imperceptible swallowing of bumps in the road will not be on the above-described substitutes.

First Generation Kia Sorento appeared in 2002. The release of the second generation began in 2009, based on the platform of the car Hyundai Santa Fe. As a consequence, according to their technical specifications shock absorbers on Kia Sorento 1 and 2 will be different.

Selecting parts for the front or rear suspension, it should be borne in mind that restyling also took place in the nutria of the generation and different shock absorbers will also be installed. Manufacturer original spare parts Mando company.

Front shock absorbers for Kia Sorento 1 and 2

Gas-oil shock absorbers are installed on the front axle in both the first and second generations. All shock absorbers installed on the car will differ by generation and have different numbers depending on the installation side (left / right). Within a generation, the part number will also be different, since the shock absorber was produced in different years release, besides there was a restyling of the car. Use the table below to find the part number you need:

vendor code		Release date	Rod diameter, mm	Case diameter, mm	Length in the compressed state, mm		Working stroke of the rod, mm
Left	Right
546303E020	546403E020	(14.05.02-22.10.02)	-	80	-	550	-
546303E021	546403E021	(22.10.02-01.09.03)
546303E022	546403E022	(01.09.03-01.04.04)
546303E023	546403E023	(01.04.04-25.04.06)
546403E100	546303E100	(18.09.06-08.06.07)
546403E300	546303E300	(08.06.07-11.08.09)
Front Kia shock absorbers Sorento II
546502P100	546602P100	-	22	54	367	492	125
546512W400	546612W400	-

Analogs of the front shock absorbers Kia Sorento I and II

To replace the front struts for the Kia Sorento of the first and second generation, there are many analogues. The most popular ones can be found in the table below. Also, it is worth considering that replacement companies make an authentic copy of shock absorbers for the 1st generation Sorento (including restyling) on ​​the front axle. The exception is Kayaba, which makes separate racks for the period from 09.06 to 06.07, although after 2007 the same racks are used as those installed in the period from 2002 to 2006.

Manufacturer	Front right	Front left	price, rub.
Front shock absorbers Kia Sorento I
KYB	341364 (8.02-8.06+ from 6.07)	341365 (8.02-8.06 + from 6.07)	4700
KYB	340045 (9.06-6.07)	340046 (9.06-6.07)	4400
Pmc (Parts-Mall)	PJBFR016	PJBFL016	1900
Monroe	D8026 (set)		4400
Front shock absorbers Kia Sorento 2
KYB	3340121	3340122	5600
Pmc (Parts-Mall)	PJBFR018	PJBFL018	2700
Monroe	G8406	G8407	5700
Front shock absorbers Kia Sorento 2 (restyling)
KYB	335624	335625	6000
Pmc (Parts-Mall)	PJA161FR	PJA161FL	32600

Rear shock absorbers for Kia Sorento I and II

The rear struts in their characteristics do not fundamentally differ from the front ones, with the exception of the option of self-adjusting struts. Self-adjusting racks or SELF LEVELIZER, are placed only on the back, complete with their own bump. They differ from standard ones in a more complicated design, and, accordingly, in price. The peculiarity of their design is that the speed of movement of the shock absorber rod (resistance force) is more non-linear, operating as a self-adjusting device, providing comfortable ride. In other words, their design allows you to "swallow" small irregularities, smoothes out the flaws in the canvas, and on large ones it is possible to counteract the pits as much as possible.

Technical characteristics of the front shock absorbers for Kia Sorento 1 and 2
vendor code	suspension type	Extended length, mm	Length in the compressed state, mm	Working stroke of the rod, mm	Price
Rear shock absorbers Kia Sorento 1
553003E020	standard	482	307	175	4000
553003E120	SELF LEVELIZER				29000
Rear shock absorbers Kia Sorento 1 (restyling)
553103E500	standard	482	307	175	6500
553003E520	SELF LEVELIZER				37700
Rear shock absorbers Kia Sorento 2
553102P200	standard	436	292	144	5700
553202P100 - left 553212P100 - right	SELF LEVELIZER				30700
Rear shock absorbers Kia Sorento 2 (restyling)
553102W310	standard	436	292	144	10700
553202W210 - lion. 553212W210 - right	SELF LEVELIZER				39300

Kia Sorento I and II rear shock absorber analogues

Very often the owners Kia Sorento I and II, instead of the original shock absorbers, use analogues for replacement. The brands of shock absorbers Kayaba, Monroe - gas-oil are especially popular. It is worth noting that after the restyling of the 2nd generation Sorento, exactly the same shock absorbers were installed as on the 3rd generation Hyundai Santa Fe (original cat. no. 553102W310), and of the analogues, you can only supply from the Monroe company (cat. number G2228).

To replace the self-adjusting struts, in addition to the original, you can find the Mando struts (before the original number, you must add the prefix "EX").

What shock absorbers are better to buy for Kia Sorento 1 and 2 generation?

The original is considered the best option, especially when it comes to self-adjusting shock absorbers. According to car owners, standard ones can be replaced with self-adjusting ones, but only if the corresponding springs are replaced. But, after these changes, most of them still returned to their native originals, although the price for them is cosmic. The most popular among standard racks is Kayaba. It is worth paying attention to Hola, this is a Dutch brand, it costs less than Monroe and Kayaba, it is good because it produces not only gas, but also oil shock absorbers, which are softer. A lot has been written on the forum about shock absorbers from the Volga: SAAZ, Fenox, Finval, they Of course, it is cheaper than foreign analogues, but it is better not to take them into account due to low reliability and “oakness”.

When to change Kia Sorento struts?

Racks Kia Sorento must be checked at each scheduled inspection of the car. It is also always necessary to monitor your own feelings while driving, since many factors affect the service life (roads, driving style, etc.). The average service life and guarantee for the racks extends up to 70 thousand km.