When to replace shocks and struts?

[raccoon]

I was having a tire repaired at an automotive store/repair franchise last night and saw an ad saying they need to be replaced at 50,000 miles. It doesn't take long at all to rack up 50,000 miles.

Any ideas, experiences?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Don't believe the signs,

but do take your car to a mechanic you know and trust. That's the only way you'll get the truth. Those franchise places are in the business of SELLING, so you cannot trust them.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. You replace them when they're bad...

and that depends on a lot of things-- like how good they were to begin with and how many potholes you hit. I've had 'em go at 30K years ago, but others still working fine at 150K. 50K now is for the truly paranoid, since struts are made much better than those old $5 Sears shocks I bought ages ago, although it doesn't hurt anything but your wallet to replace them. I do know people who claim that regularly replacing even good shocks has kept them from replacing other suspension parts, but I don't know whether or not to believe them.

If the tire guy sees oil leaking from a strut, he should mention it to you and that pair should be replaced. If you hear clunking, or notice some really bad handling, or push down a corner of the car and it keeps bouncing-- these are signs they should be replaced.

[Lost4words]

3. Get a big person and have them press down on your car and release.

One corner of the car at a time. It the auto returns to the original height and stays there the shock or strut are probably OK. If any corner of the car when released bounces until coming to rest at normal height that shock or strut is bad.

US auto manufacturers original equipment shocks are not the best and can show improved handling with new s/s after 50,000 to 75,000 miles.

But the equation is what type of roads do you drive on , how you drive, and what you drive.

Without shocks (struts are a shock that also provides a suspension function)you would drive over a bump and your car would bounce for the next mile, if you didnt hit another bump. Naturally that creates an unsafe condition. So if you feel your car is Bouncing then its time for s/s.

Shocks can wear and provide less buffering action over time and it may be less noticeable as the condition accrued gradually with you diving. So you dont realize its different.

This is why shops will ADVISE you to replace around 50K to 75K on new cars.

If you feel your car is not handling as well as it used to, it could be the shocks.

At any rate my advice is to consider what I have written and make your own decision, in the mean time start looking for sales for shock and strut replacement in your local paper. Might as well save money if you can.

Good Luck

Jim