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On average, how long do shocks, struts and leaf springs last? miles/age? Also, is there a way to test if they need replacing? What are the signs that they may be up for replacement?
Shocks/Struts life can very by a lot. Id say average lifespan is 60-100k miles.
A leaking one is a bad one.
The bounce test is another indicator. After a bump, you really should have a bounce or 2 after. Pressing down and releasing the bumper to check the bounce works too.
Since they loose their dampening abilities over time, we usually dont notice when they are warn out until they are very warn out. Poor handling is an indicator.
Leaf springs usually last many many years. They may start to sag a little over the years. They can break though, which means its needs replacement asap.
On average it depends on the vehicle, the driver, and road conditions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ducviloxi
On average, how long do shocks, struts and leaf springs last? miles/age? Also, is there a way to test if they need replacing? What are the signs that they may be up for replacement?
The bounce test is nearly worthless. Very few vehicles, even with very worn shock absorbers, will bounce noticeably under the weight of a normal adult. There is just too much friction in the bushings (etc.) to really see how the shocks are working.
Drive on a road with both ripples in the pavement and big dips. The vehicle shouldn't bounce more than one cycle or two on the big dips. Shouldn't hear and rattling or loose sounds on the ripples. Of course any signs of leakage on a shock is a sure sign of a worn shock.
Springs can last a long time. When they wear the vehicle will both sit lower and cause the vehicle to bottom on bumps (but also affected by the shocks).
Other parts like rubber bushings just wear out with age and get "loose." You can hear clunking noises, or the car can wander around on the road - just feels sloppy.
My sister-in-law took her car with 43,000 miles on it to the dealer for routine maintenance and he said that she needed all new shocks and struts at her expense. She took it to another dealer and he inspected her suspension, shocks and struts and told her that everything looked good. Professionals have trouble telling if they have gone bad.
I just use the leaking indication to tell me when they need replacing or when they start making noise. I have 2 vehicles with more then 200,000 on them with original shocks. they handle very well and are not showing any unusual wear on the tires.
I did replace all of the original neoprene bushings on my Bronco with new polyurethane bushings. With the old bushings the truck would wander going down the road. The new polyurethane bushings corrected all that.
On average, how long do shocks, struts and leaf springs last? miles/age? Also, is there a way to test if they need replacing? What are the signs that they may be up for replacement?
As others have said, it depends on the vehicle. Typically though, sporty vehicles with stiff springs will have their shocks last longer, because the springs are supporting more of the weight of the vehicle. The bounce test works great on SUVs that have a lot of suspension travel, not as accurate with most cars, and it's pretty worthless with a sports car because they have stiff springs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cignalife
What are the dangers of not replacing shocks/struts when they should be replaced, besides poorer handling/uneven tire wear?
It could possibly lead to loss of control, especially in wet pavement. Shocks/struts help keep your wheels in contact with the road, instead of them just bouncing over things. They also help keep the rest of your front end from having premature wear, like the wheel bearings. Best way to ruin a good set of wheel bearings is to drive on blown out shocks. All the extra bouncing will ruin them much more quickly than normal.
I had an '85 Corolla that wore struts out like crazy, I had them replaced at a chain that advertised guaranteed for the life of the car, and every year they cheerfully replaced them. They went out in a trip to Panama, and I couldn't get them fixed in Nicaragua because of currency hassles at that time so I drove from there to Guatemala, with the wheels leaping off the road on every bump, of which there were plenty. It felt like the axles were welded right to the frame. But as long as I was careful, it was no problem and did no further damage.
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