Struts/Shocks Question 

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot) 06/01/2016 at 07:49 • Filed to: Junkyard

0

63

How often do they need to be replaced? I ask because yesterday I inquired at a auto repair place and was quoted $1200 [for all four], with $300 of it being labor.

He was selling Monroe struts with a lifetime warranty, but it made me wonder how often struts and shocks need to be replaced.

Oppo, your thoughts?

CalzoneGolem > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 07:56

0

Is that for four?

zeontestpilot > CalzoneGolem 06/01/2016 at 07:58

0

That is correct, for all four tires. I'll add that above.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:01

2

They need to be replaced when they fail. I generally get 100k plus or 10 years on mine and haven’t had to replace any on a car I bought new except when I regularly traveled washboard dirt roads. Used cars I’ve bought I nearly always end up replacing sooner or later if I keep the car. One of my wife’s friends only gets ~15k on her front struts on her pilot since her neighborhood has tons of speedbumps and she takes them at speed always.

So...um...it depends. If yours are leaking or not damping then replace them. It's a very doable home garage job. I tend to do springs at the same time prophylactically.

Cé hé sin > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:01

1

I’ve done 266,000 km on the originals if that’s any help.

Original brake discs too.

Sam > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:01

3

I’d say they are usually an “as needed” item. You’ll know when you need them, because the car will kinda wallow around and handle strangely. It’s hard to say exactly how long they last, because it relies heavily on the quality of road you drive on. Consistently driving on roads filled with potholes and bumps will wear the struts much faster than driving on smoothly paved streets.

Party-vi > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:02

3

50,000 miles is what I have always gone with, unless an inspection proves otherwise. You can usually tell if you see your tires cupping as well.

TheRealBicycleBuck > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:07

1

It all depends on initial quality, use and abuse. I’ve replaced the shocks on the old truck exactly once. I replaced stock with heavy duty (can’t remember the brand). The ride went from squishy to decidedly firm, but it’s a truck.

One of my best friends when I was young lived down a gravel road that was always washboarded. I don’t know how often they replaced their shocks, but it seemed like one of their cars always needed a new set.

zeontestpilot > Cé hé sin 06/01/2016 at 08:08

1

So... [googling]... 164k miles. I'm not there yet, so that's a relief.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Party-vi 06/01/2016 at 08:11

1

How would worn shocks/struts cause the tire to cup?

zeontestpilot > jariten1781 06/01/2016 at 08:12

1

I’m convinced the dirt roads aren’t helping them, and an inspection last year (from the same place I inquired) says I should look into maybe replacing them. But I did ask if there was anything that had wear and tear, so I could keep track of it.

All four work right now, I believe.

Honeybunchesofgoats > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:12

2

For what it's worth, $900 for a full set of Monroe shocks sounds awfully awfully expensive.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:13

0

What exactly does that $900 worth of parts include? On RockAuto I ordered replacement shocks and struts for all 4 corners for $325 USD. KYB, not Monroe, but I wonder why there's such a huge gap.

zeontestpilot > Sam 06/01/2016 at 08:13

0

Ha, well, I try to avoid the potholes! I’m getting pretty at it! *humble brag*

zeontestpilot > Party-vi 06/01/2016 at 08:13

0

What is tire cupping?

Slant6 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:16

0

For all 4 tires or shocks?

Slant6 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:19

1

You can do this much cheaper.

Looks like you’ll need a rental spring compressor though.

zeontestpilot > Honeybunchesofgoats 06/01/2016 at 08:21

0

Talking to a cousin-in-law, it seems getting them online would be much cheaper.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:22

1

So realistically, there’s two thresholds. Around 50k, your shocks simply don’t work as well as they did new. If you replace them, the ride quality is likely to improve drastically. Now, were they broken? No. They just deteriorated from wear.

Around 100k, your shocks have gone far enough that one of them is likely to leak or blow. If they start leaking you’ll notice...if one blows you’ll be clunking around all over the place. This is when they’re actually broken, and need to be repaired before the impacts they aren’t absorbing break something else.

I’ll also say $1200 sounds high. A set of four Monroe struts for a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix costs $150 on RockAuto. $150. That’s 1/6th the price you’re being charged for the exact same parts. When I last did struts on my Subaru, it was four new struts, brand new Group N strut mounts (around double the cost of stock ones), and four new bump stops...$400 in total. Those parts prices are a violent ripoff, even if $300 labor is correct (and that’d be 3-4 hours...actually sounds right).

adamftw > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:22

2

tire cupping

zeontestpilot > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/01/2016 at 08:22

0

No idea honestly. It's everything replaced, and an alignment as well. But I not too savvy on what the prices should be.

adamftw > Party-vi 06/01/2016 at 08:23

1

80-100k is really the lifespan of quality parts IMHO. 50k is a little low unless you are using the cheapest off the shelf replacements.

zeontestpilot > Slant6 06/01/2016 at 08:23

0

All 4 shocks.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:26

0

I’ve been in arguments about that before. My experience is that dirt roads degrade shocks faster, other folks have sworn up and down that’s not true...YMMV

I'd not replace shocks that haven't shown any degradation. Catastrophic failures are rare and not particularly dangerous in the odd cases they do happen unless you're driving like an idiot.

zeontestpilot > adamftw 06/01/2016 at 08:33

0

Oh, my car is golden then. I got new tires within the past year, and they still look brand-spanking new.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:34

2

50-80k miles. Depends on the vehicle, your driving, and what you’re willing to put up with.

Mine were gone by 80,000 km (50k miles).

And 1200 is rediculous. I got rather expensive ones for my truck, $450. Canadian. I did them myself, but using your numbers for labour I still paid $400 less than you. For generic Monroe shocks it should be a lot less. Even for higher end Monroes it should be less than what I paid, never mind less than $900.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > adamftw 06/01/2016 at 08:34

0

Or if ztp is replacing OEM shocks. Mine were done at the 50k mark..

zeontestpilot > jariten1781 06/01/2016 at 08:36

2

Ha, define “driving like an idiot”, :).

Not sure why people would think dirt roads wouldn’t degrade your tires faster; dirt roads aren't smooth so the suspension will get used more. More use means it'll wear out quicker.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:37

1

80k miles is generally accepted shock replacement interval, but if they aren’t actually blown I wouldn’t replace them. My Miata, which has well over 200,000 miles, still has the original shocks.

If you are convinced they need replacing, for the love of all that is holy find a friend with some tools, buy him some beers, and do it in his garage. Macpherson struts are stupid easy to change, especially if you’re buying a Monroe “quikstrut” which is a new shock, spring, and top hat all preassembled (I highly recommend this route). Then it’s just a matter if undoing three bolts in the engine compartment, two brackets on the shock that hold the brake lines out of the way, and then two large bolts that hold the shock to the spindle assembly. Boom, the strut is out. Installation is reverse of removal. Two big bolts, three small bolts, two brackets. Repeat for each corner. I have experience, but I can have a shock out of my car within a half hour, easily.

jariten1781 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:41

1

I’ll let Justice Stewart handle that:

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of [behavior] I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it"

adamftw > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/01/2016 at 08:43

0

Depends on the OEM.

Honeybunchesofgoats > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:44

1

I’ve never used them, but people on Jag forums seem to love http://www.shockwarehouse.com/

For my car, they’re selling a full set of OE Bilsteins for ~$400

Invinciblejets > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:45

1

Do it yourself on a weekend and save 800 bucks..............................

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > adamftw 06/01/2016 at 08:45

0

GM in both his case and mine. I think it applies.

zeontestpilot > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/01/2016 at 08:46

0

Yeah, I have no idea how firm I want the replacements to be when I do get them. I DD on dirt roads, so I wasnt sure if maybe a firmer suspension would be a good idea or not.

PartyPooper2012 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:53

1

you go to a barber and ask if you need a hair cut. He says of course you need a haircut.

The two times in my lifetime I replaced shocks/struts, the ride didn’t improve or worsen. It was same. I will officially never replace them things ever again as preventative maintenance. I will only replace them when my car is dragging on the floor.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:54

1

Firm is more the springs than the shocks.

Weird story. I did the “bounce test” on my truck where you push and shove it from all angles to see if it keeps rocking and the result seemed to confirm that the shocks were shot. When I got them off and compared them to the new ones I was even more convinced. The old ones took nothing to compress, the new ones could barely be compressed in the limited space I had to get them back in. However when I got everything installed and repeated the bounce test, I thought I’d made a mistake—it seemed to bounce even more than before. When I actually drove it though, the difference was amazing. It still rode like the bouncy little truck it is, but it felt much more supple and didn’t roll over immediately in corners. Combined with tire pressures being set properly they also removed the bulk of my highway wandering. Still have no idea why it feels like the shocks are gone when I’m at a standstill.

PartyPooper2012 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 08:55

1

you are pretty! ;)

PartyPooper2012 > Invinciblejets 06/01/2016 at 08:58

1

Don’t change them at all and save $1200 and have all the free time to play GTA V or something

Party-vi > adamftw 06/01/2016 at 09:05

1

Good lord 100k miles on struts/shocks? That seems excessive. That’s anywhere from 5-10 years for drivers.

TheRealBicycleBuck > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:06

1

I can’t imagine why. Everyone knows that dirt and gravel roads are just as smooth as pavement.

As a frequent user of such roads in my youth, I can attest that the perceived smoothness of such roads is positively correlated with velocity. Of course, control on such roads is inversely proportional to velocity.

zeontestpilot > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/01/2016 at 09:08

1

I mean, obviously. It's science in a handbag.

zeontestpilot > PartyPooper2012 06/01/2016 at 09:10

0

I tell myself that every morning in the mirror. Sometimes, I yell it.

The Dummy Gummy > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/01/2016 at 09:11

0

What? I feel like I’m missing something. I’ve had three cars go to a 150k and never had to replace either, in either of them. Why so low of a number for replacement?

BigBlock440 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:13

0

I replaced both my front and rear withing the last year, just over 100k. Both were definitely blown, but I didn’t really notice a difference when I drove it. The $900 seems about right if they’re going with the full assemblies, they’re $230 or so each at Autozone for my car. That said, you could certainly get them for cheaper, same ones at RockAuto are half the price. The ones I went with ended up being $130 for both rears, fully assembled. Definitely the way to go, much, much easier. Also gained a bit of clearance with the new springs, but I only did that on the rear, so it’s got a bit of a rake to it now.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Dummy Gummy 06/01/2016 at 09:15

0

In this case, OEM GM parts.

Really though, the only way to go is expect to need them changed anywhere upwards of 50,000mi/ 80,oookm and go by feel from there.

PartyPooper2012 > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:16

1

It’s working for you. Your wrinkles and grey hairs are disappearing! Everyone you know likes you. Everyone you don’t know, want to know you.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/01/2016 at 09:21

1

While some claim damping is a science, it seems more like voodoo to me. There are so many variables to play with that affect how the shocks work, it’s almost impossible for the average guy to predict how they will really perform. It sounds like your new shocks have separate low speed and high speed compression rates - when moved slowly, the shocks provide little resistance to movement, but when they are quickly compressed, additional valves close which provide much greater resistance to movement.

Think of it like oobleck. Soft and squishy when you touch it gently. Hard as a rock if you try to punch it.

-this space for rent- > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:36

0

Are you sure they didn’t quote you $300 parts and $900 for labor?

crowmolly > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:43

2

You said “Monroe” so here’s a follow up question:

Is he talking about quick struts? Or doing strut mounts, struts, and springs?

That is very high for just struts.

OPPOsaurus WRX > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 09:58

1

BULLSHIT. I’ve done a few. They are the easiest thing to do. Its like 3 bolts at the top and 2 at the bottom. in and out and on to the beers. Parts could be $100 per corner.

The Dummy Gummy > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 06/01/2016 at 10:02

0

That is incredible. 50k seems such a short life. I guess I really rode mine out. 3 cars to 150k (never switched, just sold) and 2 above 50k forget exact mileage. Probably something like 54k & 60k. Never replaced a single strut or spring. Whooooooops. My current car has 126k... slightly worried lol.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Dummy Gummy 06/01/2016 at 10:08

1

Depends on the manufacturer, the driving you do, what you’re willing to put up with and so many other things. The reccommended range to start keeping an eye on them begins at 50k. Mine weren’t broken, but were worn to the a point beyond what I was willing to put up with. They weren’t unsafe, I know people running on worst, but they were definitely well past their prime.

And it’s so variable that I wouldn’t be worried about yours if you aren’t noticing anything. My brother has 270,000km (167,000mi) on original shocks with no issues beyond a little sloppier ride.

BigBlock440 > The Dummy Gummy 06/01/2016 at 10:28

1

Generally, 50k is the recommended interval. I recently replaced mine on my DD at just over 100k, they were factory and they were obviously shot when I took them out, but I didn’t notice any difference in the ride with the new ones.

adamftw > Party-vi 06/01/2016 at 10:43

0

Just because they “should” be replaced before that doesn’t mean they “need” to be.

Party-vi > adamftw 06/01/2016 at 11:52

1

You sound like a used BMW driver.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 11:59

1

That’s insane. I got Bilstein HDs for my whole car for $600

djgreenlava > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 13:00

1

Everywhere wanted to charge an hour labor per corner on the new suspension with the fronts already assembled. They are still sitting in their box.

zeontestpilot > PartyPooper2012 06/01/2016 at 16:34

0

Heck yes

zeontestpilot > -this space for rent- 06/01/2016 at 16:35

0

I'm sure, he mentioned it a few times.

zeontestpilot > crowmolly 06/01/2016 at 16:36

0

Quick struts

zeontestpilot > OPPOsaurus WRX 06/01/2016 at 16:37

0

That's good to know

crowmolly > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 16:43

1

I figured.

Rock Auto has the fronts for $127.79 ea, the rears for $141.79 ea.

So that’s $539.16 for just parts from them. Say $580 with shipping.

OPPOsaurus WRX > zeontestpilot 06/01/2016 at 16:51

1

I’ve done all four on a Camry and an Outback. The outback we couldn’t find the prepackaged struts so we had to compress and remove the existing springs. It still wasn’t bad. We were able to rent the tool from the parts store.