When to replace shocks?

[Hollow]

Manufactures seem to say everything from 30,000 miles to "as needed".

I have 135,000 on all original suspension parts. Car seems to handle normally, no leaks evident. Still passes the old "bounce test".

Is there any reason to refresh the suspension based on age/miles, or should I wait until I see leaking?

Of note: this would be mechanic work, I don't have the tools/space to do this level of repair. Therefore, I don't want to waste money on labor for unneeded work.

 

[Chris142]

Id say with that much milage you will notice a huge improvement with new ones. I rarely get 30k out of mine. They either break or leak .

 

[nwjones18]

I don't replace them until they start leaking or show obvious signs of failing.

 

[Cardenio327]

To me shocks are about the most over rated component on a car. If they still pass the bounce test and aren't leaking I say don't bother. The ones you install very well may function worse than the ones you already have and almost certainly won't last 135,000 like these ones have.

If you track your car or like to take curves on two wheels then by all means put new shocks on it.

 

[Doog]

I have 195k on one of my cars with the factory struts. They are just now going bad and getting clunky. Wait another 50k unless they make noise or get bouncy. Replace with KYB.

 

[DemoFly]

Originally Posted By: Cardenio327
To me shocks are about the most over rated component on a car. If they still pass the bounce test and aren't leaking I say don't bother. The ones you install very well may function worse than the ones you already have and almost certainly won't last 135,000 like these ones have.

If you track your car or like to take curves on two wheels then by all means put new shocks on it.

I am with this guy. I replcaed my factory OE shocks @ 150k miles. My truck rides worse now.

The originals didn't leak and passed the bounce test.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Id say with that much milage you will notice a huge improvement with new ones. I rarely get 30k out of mine. They either break or leak .


What brands do you use? Leaking and/or breaking at 30k isn't anything I've experienced. I usually go the route of high quality for replacement. My application isn't anything tack related or truly HP related. Tokiko shocks on 97 Explorer went 130k and were still sound before the truck was totaled around 215k. I have Bilsteins on F150 (they are stiff!! but work great) I hope they last as long as the Tokiko's mentioned.

The BMW in my sig is 77k with original shocks and they are still A-ok. I'd imagine around 100k I'll be swapping them out. If I had to do that every 30k ouch!!

 

[Hollow]

KYB is the OEM supplier and is what I would be replacing with. I've always had good luck with them in previous Fords after a few poor experiences with Monroe, but never had the factory shocks/struts last this long without starting to leak.

I drive a Outback wagon, it's not a track car, it's meant to get me wherever (within reason and physics) I need to be.

 

[Quest]

I wouldn't claim that shocks are over-rated. Afterall: worn shocks are not noticeable until the damping properties are so bad that during emergency maneuvering or emergency braking on slippery roads when you know (by then 99 out of 100 it would be too late) your shocks are worn.

Those who spent most of their time in good road conditions won't notice this; only those who has to live in wicked road/weather conditions year after year will be able to tell that something is not right about their car.

But then again: most avg motoring joe don't even know what shocks are for, letting alone replacing them. They usually ended in in situations where they would regret, and then go from there.

30,000mile replacement interval is a sham. more like 80~120,000 or around that. By then most shocks should have between 20~40% control left, and may still be able to handle the road somewhat (catchword is "somewhat" vs "fully"). shocks experiencing leaks are a sure sign of failure impending, so replacing them is the only way to go.

99 out of 100 mechs out there that I've came across cannot diagnose worn shocks properly: some cited the manual jounce/bounce test while the car remains steady, etc. IMO the proper way to do so is to find a familiar stretch of road with mild bumps and so on, drive along and feel. uneven shock wear will be more pronounced as a form of "swaying" esp. on the rear end. Front end is difficult to detect.

Another trick I used in the past (when help purchasing used cars) is to have a test driver driving while I tailgate behind from a short distance and watch the tires...those who "vibrated" up and down violently are sure worn...

Q.

 

[rslifkin]

I replace them if they start to leak, or the suspension starts to feel less damped than it used to (or more bouncy), or if I have a reason to change to a different shock setup.

I've got about 50k on the current shocks on the Jeep and will be changing them out this summer for a different setup, as I'll be changing springs and the current shocks won't match up well with the new springs. Plus, the rears are starting to feel a little bit under-damped on rebound, although the fronts are still doing their jobs just fine.

 

[Nickdfresh]

I'd consider just replacing the front ones, that bear the weight of the engine...

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: Quest
worn shocks are not noticeable until the damping properties are so bad that during emergency maneuvering or emergency braking on slippery roads when you know (by then 99 out of 100 it would be too late) your shocks are worn.
This. And everything else Quest said above.

When I bought my DD in July of '12, with 120,000 miles, I thought it rode fairly well, but replaced the front shocks because: (A) They were the originals and it was easy & inexpensive and (B) I was trying to track down a clunking...which turned out to be the sway bar bushings. The car didn't really ride or handle any better, but I decided to replace the rear shock with matching ones anyway, because it's good maintenance practice. Now THAT made a difference...much less "bounce" over speed bumps and uneven road surfaces. I like the car a lot better now.

 

[zzyzzx]

I replace mine when they are worn out or leak. The bounce test normally needs to be done with it parked next to a known good car for comparison purposes.

 

[cptbarkey]

127k on my somewhat rusty outback, i believe they are original struts and shocks. the car rides [censored] smooth. too smooth? my back does not complain that for sure.

 

[Burt]

If you plan to keep the car 5 or more years, do it now. Why not replace them now and get the full use out of them? Otherwise, you put up with marginal shocks longer and end up putting new shocks but only getting the benefit for the last 2 years or so.

 

[Quest]

The way I typically prioritise auto related workings (from most important to least important are as follows):

(1) suspension
(2) brakes
(3) tires
(4) transmission ( I mainly drive M/T anyways, so clutch slipping is no big deal)
(5) engine.


I don't mind driving a used automobile with engine issues (smoking, oil burning, etc.) so long as it accelerates properly.

I DO MIND, however, driving a car with suspension (weak/worn shocks and struts), bad brakes and or worn/cupped/unevenly worn tires, citing that with either 1 of the (1) to (3) are in a somewhat compromised situation, your car cannot stop properly ....

folks typically don't realise the importance of struts/shocks in keeping their automobiles tracking properly on the road until something happens.

The most proactive joes would pursue new brakes or new replacement tires, but never even checked their shocks/struts.

(1) to (3) are always on the top of my priority list. You/your family's life is depending heavily on these 3 to keep them safe.

Q.

 

[Nyati]

I put Bilsteins on my Ford F150 @ 30K miles. HUGE improvement.

 

[SteveSRT8]

wildly platform specific.

I have owned cars where the shocks and/or their bushings were significantly worn at 30k miles or even less. But these days it is only the really cheap models that have these issues.

FWIW our fleet vans at over 9000 pounds typically need shocks at 100k miles or more, my car in my sig has factory Bilsteins on it that are known to easily exceed 100k miles, too.

Just depends on your rig...

 

[sleddriver]

You can read about my recent experience with this here.

In my case, both rear shocks and front struts were flat worn out. No visible signs of leaking, however the gas pressure was very low and the internal valves were quite marginal resulting in very poor damping and control.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
You can read about my recent experience with this here.

In my case, both rear shocks and front struts were flat worn out. No visible signs of leaking, however the gas pressure was very low and the internal valves were quite marginal resulting in very poor damping and control.


That's exactly how we find most of our fleet trucks shocks, they simply fade away. I usually start pulling one of the fronts off every 6 months or so once we get some miles on a unit, like 75k or more. Generally they still feel pretty stiff but when they lose their gas charge the handling degrades rapidly.

I also see the bushings fail on cars, the shock itself may be fine...