How do you know when your springs/shocks are shot

[99W68Firebird]

Just like subject says: how do you know when your springs/struts are shot? Is there a way to test?

[99v6cam]

more body roll than usually, loud thumps when you go over speed bumps, stuff like that (or at least that's what I noticed when my shocks went out)

[Rabid Dog]

Why, time tested method of "bounce the car in front and the back, and see if each end bounces more than once." of course.

[rhouse21]

First off. We're talkin' about your shocks here. Your springs are good for the life of the car and you should not have worn those you unless you were out off-roading in your car. (unlikely)

My shocks faded really gradually over time. I got more body roll and nose dive, but I spent a long time asking the same question you are right now. They passed the "bounce-test," but just felt wrong after about 100,000 miles. I replaced them with bilstiens at ~180,000 and haven't looked back. It now feels BETTER than new.

My gut says that if you have to ask the question of how do you tell that they're dead, they're probably pretty close to gone.

Buy some bilsteins. You won't regret it. Teh only reason you should look at springs is if you wanna lower the car.

[ September 14, 2005, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: rhouse21 ]

[HokieBird]

Lowering isn't the only reason. You can change springs to get a more desirable spring rate for your specific application (road racing, autocross, drag, street).

[rhouse21]

Good point.

[slow6]

low car = bad for drag racin
low car = better for turns, and high speeds

wish they had adjustable spring rates.

[Rabid Dog]

Originally posted by slow6:


wish they had adjustable spring rates.

They do, we call them coilovers.

[99W68Firebird]

yea well i dont plan on lowering the car anytime soon. Already low enough I mean come on when i lose my front Wings West ground effect from hitting a possum on the highway and he rips it off, i think that tells me its low enough already haha. but yea shocks might have to get maybe i dunno.

[slow6]

LOL
i know hundreds of ppl that ripped off their ground effects.

[99W68Firebird]

yea it sucked.. that was 2 yrs ago and i just now had a friedn bondo it cuz it was still all in one piece just a crack here and there, which was wierd cuz hitting him at 70mph then i ran it over lol and the worst part was that i didnt relize it fell off till i got home hour and a half later and walked around front of my car and saw it missing in the corner of my eye. But had it bondo'd pretty good then some guy painted it at his shop under the table for $75, and then he helped me put it on.. looks pretty good after all that

http://www.geocities.com/timmackman1...rdAngleWW2.JPG

[slow6]

your car is the sex/****!!