Dampers (shocks) lasting nearly “forever”?

[AlphaOmega]

I’ve seen this multiple times now, across various forums: dampers lasting for well over a 100k miles and even 200k+, or so people claim.

In my own case, at nearly a 100k I detect no issue with them, with my adult-still-teenager driving style. I know there is no issue because there is no extra bounce when hitting certain familiar expansion joints at freeway speeds.

Here are just a few examples of people’s posts on various German car forums (but not limited to German cars) with people claiming 140k mi or even 220k mi on original dampers

And so on.

How often do people replace still functional dampers and then “think” they feel an improvement, whereas if a proper scientific measurement was done, there’d be no significant difference?

The recommend “every 50k mi” is a corporate BS, no?

 

[AZjeff]

Pretty clear your mind is made up about this. Are you looking for a debate?

 

[Skippy722]

Depends on how the vehicle is used and what the road conditions are like. Driving over rough roads/off-road with a load? They won’t last as long as if you drove with no load on smooth roads.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Pretty clear your mind is made up about this. Are you looking for a debate?

I’m actually genuinely curious what the truth is.

Searching various forums via Google, I can tell that at least a large percentage of people think that 50-100k mi rule is a good yardstick, but do not provide any substation. It just feels right to them. And then there are multiple blog style websites that promote 4 year/50k miles position.

People that claim “hundreds of thousand of miles” are minority, but there are enough of them, and the ones I paid attention are German car forums, where people are NOT averse to replacing parts to maintain their rides in top shape, yet claim dampers did not need to be replaced in their use cases.

Myself, I get an urge to renew, but once I start thinking about it, I realize that the said 50k-100k rule might just be an urban and/or corporate myth

 

[AlphaOmega]

Depends on how the vehicle is used and what the road conditions are like. Driving over rough roads/off-road with a load? They won’t last as long as if you drove with no load on smooth roads.

Your input is appreciated, but is of no value. Do you know what a bell snapped carve? I’m talking about use cases within the bell shape and NOT the tail ends. Obviously driving a loaded pick up truck quickly over off road trail can overheat and damage shocks in under an hour. Or speed racing through downtown Detroit multiple times a day, every day for a year will kill the shocks and not only, quickly. Im talking about most people, ost common patterns of driving - 90% of cases.

Make sense? Please take no offense

 

[Bjornviken]

Koni dampers on my Toyota have over 200k, Lets see if they pass the yearly inspection

 

[chris719]

They might not be unsafe, but there is no way they work as well as new. I’ve never encountered dampers that didn’t feel tired compared to their replacements, and I’ve replaced them as early as 50k on some cars. It creeps up on you, but if you put them on a damper dyno I’m sure it’s not the same as new.

High end dampers need rebuilding quite often if you want to maintain performance.

 

[CharBaby]

I currently have >87K miles on the 2015 Altima in my signature and though the shocks/struts are still working and passing the human bounce test, I am feeling something that doesn't feel "new" any longer in the rear when going over some harsh pavement.
I could be in for some rear shock replacement or even stabilizer bar links but I won't know until I get a good chance to inspect them. I have had better success with Toyota OE factory shocks/struts lasting longer than others meaning, well into the >150K mile.
Thus far, I have only had to do tires & brakes on this Altima and she's been a great car.

 

[explorer2030]

I'm still running stock shocks on my 2015 Jeep Rubicon with 125,000 miles, and the stock suspension feels smooth, responsive, and tight. I took the vehicle offroad fairly often during the first 5 years of ownership, but it has been mostly doing highway duty for the last few years. Based on the current performance, I suspect I won't be replacing the shocks until at least 200,000 miles.

 

[The Critic]

I think most shocks and struts are replaced unnecessarily. I have found that in the absence of severe fluid leakage or obvious signs of failure, replacing the unit often yields very minimal improvements.

More often than not, folks replace the OE unit with an aftermarket unit that is tuned differently. The aftermarket unit is tuned to be stiffer (or softer), and because the driver notices a difference (after the work is done), they assume that the OE unit had failed.

 

[skyactiv]

Some people think Toyota/Lexus does every aspect of a vehicle better than anyone else.
I think German auto makers probably have the longest lasting suspension and steering components as a whole. I wouldn't want a Mercedes with an air strut suspension however.

 

[Escape08]

I'm still running stock shocks on my 2015 Jeep Rubicon with 125,000 miles, and the stock suspension feels smooth, responsive, and tight. I took the vehicle offroad fairly often during the first 5 years of ownership, but it has been mostly doing highway duty for the last few years. Based on the current performance, I suspect I won't be replacing the shocks until at least 200,000 miles.

As long as you avoid heavy loads, potholes, rough roads and slowing down on speed bumps the stock shock would go beyond 200K miles.

 

[Cujet]

 

[Cujet]

These are pics of various motorcycle shocks and forks, but the info is relevant. In the past, when a shock's piston sealing effectiveness declined even a little, (or the oil aerated, got hot or broke down and lost viscosity) the damping force was markedly lower.

The off road guys forced development of shocks that could maintain consistent performance over a wide temperature range and over a long period of time. Without going into mind numbing details, the 1950's DeCarbon method of a sealed gas filled chamber kept oil from aerating was employed, along with a refinement of the piston holes.

No longer were the piston's oil passageways tiny. Instead they were huge, and "one way". With a spring loaded valve on each side. (really a stack of spring steel washers) As the piston lost some sealing ability on the bore, or the oil lost viscosity, the springs would simply deflect less. Leading to more consistent performance.

So over time, shocks were refined into a consistent performance device. With oil choices that hold up over time, piston ring seals that last, piston designs that can accommodate significant wear and DeCarbon gas chambers that prevent aeration and can even tolerate some oil loss.

 

[Pew]

In my experience, it varies wildly. The focus stock shocks "lasted" 230k until I got rid of the car but since I had the car since new, the wear and tear change probably wouldn't be noticeable but the ride quality never made me think if the shocks were blown. If it was blown, it definitely didn't feel like my previous/friend's cars with blown shocks <100k miles.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I’ve seen this multiple times now, across various forums: dampers lasting for well over a 100k miles and even 200k+, or so people claim.

In my own case, at nearly a 100k I detect no issue with them, with my adult-still-teenager driving style. I know there is no issue because there is no extra bounce when hitting certain familiar expansion joints at freeway speeds.

Here are just a few examples of people’s posts on various German car forums (but not limited to German cars) with people claiming 140k mi or even 220k mi on original dampers

View attachment 149664View attachment 149665View attachment 149666View attachment 149667View attachment 149668View attachment 149669View attachment 149670
And so on.

How often do people replace still functional dampers and then “think” they feel an improvement, whereas if a proper scientific measurement was done, there’d be no significant difference?

The recommend “every 50k mi” is a corporate BS, no?

I suppose it's possible on vehicles which have softer suspensions and taller tires. As I understand it the deterioration in ride is so gradual that owners are unlikely to realize it unless they look under the car and see their shocks leaking. Especially for those who putter around town.

As for a change interval I can't see there being one and I've never heard of an automaker having one.

 

[Cujet]

However, like anything automotive, some manufacturers install quality components, and some do not. There is a reason older Hyundai/Kia vehicles don't drive as well as they used to. Whereas the "towing" package F150 still drives like new, 200K down the road.

Back to answer the OP's question directly. Some quality dampers can last and perform properly for a vehicle's lifetime.

 

[repairman54]

Struts and coil over shocks cannot be tested like the old days of separate coils and leaf springs in soft suspensions with the ''bounce'' test that loss of damping was obvious.
Only true way to evaluate a strut or shock that is not leaking and performing to spec is on a shock dyno comparing it to a new one.
If your ball joints or bushings or any suspension components are worn rest assured the dampers are worn out also.
Modern dampers have come a long way but seals leaking nitrogen out happens as the miles pile on yet no signs of oil loss.
I've had shocks rebuilt on snowmobiles with only a few thousand miles on them. Gas loss and dirty oil in them are a telltale sign. And in that mileage frame it's a lot less cycles than 100k road miles and less heat built up affecting the oil in them.

 

[Number_35]

Who else remembers the "Replace Your Worn Shock Absorbers Now!" displays? I think I saw these in Goodyear stores, and they said that shocks were typically worn out in something like 12,000 miles.

 

[pcoxe]

I replaced the stock shocks on my 2009 Colorado at around 30,000 miles. It felt like it was wandering around on washboard roads, and the tire tread showed signs of cupping. New Bilsteins made a day vs night difference. Over 100,000 miles on the Bilsteins and they still "feel" stable.