How do you know if your shocks are out?

 

Generally, the first indication of shock problems will be cupping of the tires (small chunks of rubber dug out around the circumference of the tire).

Excessive bouncing after hitting a bump, excessive lean going around corners or nose diving when braking are other less noticeable indications of worn shocks.

One way to evaluate your need for new shocks or struts is to consider how your vehicle has been handling and riding lately. Does it bounce excessively when driving on rough roads or after hitting a bump? Does the nose dip when braking? Does the body roll or sway excessively when cornering or driving in crosswinds? Does the suspension bottom out when backing out of the driveway or when hauling extra passengers or weight?

 

well i hear a weird noise when i go over bumps, like a thudding noise.....

 

other than poor ride quality, check to see if there is leakeage near the top of the shock absorbers.

 

how i knew i needed new shocks were:

1. it had about 118k on the clock

2. over speed bumps it squecked

3. little bouncy on the ride and not that firm on handling

4. a tad floaty

5. again, it had 118k on the clock


also to check, you shouldn't really be able to push down on the car much, meaning go to the front fender and try to push down, shouldn't be much if any play. if you get new ones, compare them to the old by trying to compress them and see the diff

 

well when i push down on the front of the car, its pretty hard to push it down

 

If in doubt and you are planning to keep the car and it is over 50k, replace all the shocks. believe me you will not be regretted. you can hardly bounce it since the springs are very firm. If you know your car well, make a quick turn will tell you whether the shocks are bad or not.

 

I have 65K on my TL-S... and I'm wondering about shocks myself. Great thread! I'm gonna start paying attention to this!