How Often Should I Replace the Shocks and Struts?
By Khalid Mustaffa
Almost every time I walk into a car repair shop, I see advertisements about shocks and struts. Some mechanic shops will tell you that those are necessary
for your safety, and other will tell you it gives you a smother ride, and more comforting drive on uneven roads. But the question is, do you need to invest into changing them, and if at all, how would it hurt you.
If you continue to drive on your worn out shocks and struts, you are necessarily putting yourself in risk of creating a driving hazard, however, statistical and physical studies have concluded that worn shock increase the stopping distance for a car driving on a rough surface. So, if you were someone that wants to keep their car in perfect driving condition, how often do you change the struts and shocks.
Different manufacturers suggest different odometer readings for changing them. However,after detailed interviewing with my network of trusted mechanics, I came to the conclusion that it is almost impossible to a certain point in the car's life that the the struts and shocks are to be replaced. Some factory shocks may show aging signs after only 30,000 or 40,000 miles. Struts usually last around 50,000 or 60,000 miles. Shocks and struts do not require replacing at specific mileage intervals like filters or spark plugs. This is simply because the damping characteristics of the parts gradually deteriorates over time. And since you are driving the car pretty much everyday, the decline in the quality of the drive is going to happen with out you noticing.
Would you like to know if you need to change those parts without going to mechanic?? A preliminary way of testing "bounce test". This is where you would rock and release the bumper or the body. If the cars continues to gyrate more than one or two times then the parts are aging, and it's time to replace them. You can also diagnose the parts by answering the following questions.
When driving on rough roads, does the car excessively bounce?
After hitting a bump, Does the car excessively bounce?
Does the body sway excessively when cornering or driving in crosswinds?
Does the nose dip when braking?
When backing out of the driveway, does the suspension bottom out?
When hauling extra passengers or weight does the suspension bottom out?
If you answered yes to more than one question, then the change is due. Remember, by not changing the parts you are necessarily putting yourself in risk of creating a driving hazard. Spend the money only if you were someone that wants to keep their car in perfect driving condition, how often do you change the struts and shocks.
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You Can Examine Your Shock Absorbers
By Matthew Keegan
Bouncing down the road one day it occurs to you that things are just not what they should be. The road you are riding on is as smooth as glass, yet your car is jostling up and down like nobody’s business. You enter an upcoming curve in the road
and quickly learn that the control you had over your car was lost just moments before. Suddenly, the vehicle careens off the road, goes down through a ditch and up an embankment before coming to rest against a fence adjacent to Tony’s garage. You are in luck: you aren’t dead and your car is at Tony’s, who happens to be your favorite mechanic.
Yes this story is ridiculous, exceedingly so. All joking aside, your shock absorbers [or struts in the case of some cars] plays a vital part in your vehicle’s suspension system. When certain signs of wear and tear become apparent, you must replace your shocks or otherwise you can put yourself in danger and/or damage your car.
A shock absorber works by damping the compression and extension of the vehicle's suspension springs to prevent ongoing movement. Shocks work to diminish road impact, prevent excessive bounce back, reduce sway, and improve general road handling. When your shocks are functioning properly your vehicle grips to the road whether you are braking, negotiating a curve in the road, driving on uneven roads, or experiencing powerful side winds. When worn out, shocks can play a part in you losing control of your car putting you and everyone else in harm’s way.
How often should you replace your shocks? One manufacturer suggests no less than once every 50,000 miles, but that depends on whether you frequently drive on coarse roads [in this case it will need to occur sooner] or it could even be much later if you do mostly local driving, the roads are well maintained, etc.
There is a simple test you can perform on your car to establish whether your shocks need replacing. It isn’t absolute, therefore you may want to take your vehicle to a garage to make certain:
Take hold of a corner of your vehicle’s bumper.
Press down on the bumper with all of your strength and then let go.
Your shocks are probably okay if the bumper drops down and returns in place without rebounding again. Slight movement is okay, but if it continually moves, then that particular shock is no longer effective. Duplicate the test on the remaining three corners of your vehicle.
Other telltale signs of shock wear can be observed through leakage [although a leak is not always indicative of wear] and by observing tire wear patterns. Finally, if you are simply experiencing motion sickness every time you go for a ride, then that can be the best indicator that your shocks or struts need replacing. No kidding here!
Matt Keegan is an auto enthusiast and contributing writer for PitStop Auto Parts, a seller of discount shocks and suspension components including
Monroe shocks and Rancho shocks for your motor vehicle.
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