How many miles are shocks good for?
“Driving on rough or unpaved roads, towing a trailer or carrying heavy loads, can shorten their functional life,” says Reina. “With heavy use, you could be looking to replace them at 40,000 or 50,000 miles or sooner. Under normal conditions, 75,000 to 90,000 miles might be reasonable.”
Is it safe to drive with a failed shock absorber?
In any of these cases, the strut might be bent, which may not be visible, but can be detected during the wheel alignment. Driving with a failed strut or shock absorber is not safe. In addition, if one shock or strut is not working, there is more load on the other three, which will cause them to fail sooner.
When do shocks and shock absorbers need to be replaced?
The most common problem with shocks and struts is when they start leaking. See these photos: leaking front strut and leaking rear shock absorber. Struts and shock absorbers are filled with oil.
How often should I Change my shocks and struts?
Q. The tire store in town says I have to change my shocks / struts every 30,000 miles [CarScope note: or 50,000, 75,000, or whatever mileage-based recommendation they give] … A. The shocks and struts we carry in most cases are considered an upgrade by the U.S Government, over the stock, O.E. suspension units.
Where are the struts and shock absorbers located?
A strut is the shock absorber built into one unit with the coil spring (in the photo). Any car has four struts/shock absorbers; one at each wheel. Most cars and SUVs have struts in the front suspension and shock absorbers or struts in the back.
How are shock absorbers and struts the same?
Shock absorbers, or shocks for short, look similar to the shocks you see on the front wheels of bicycles. Struts are encased inside a coil spring and are much more complicated designs. This is because struts are an integral part of the front suspension.
In any of these cases, the strut might be bent, which may not be visible, but can be detected during the wheel alignment. Driving with a failed strut or shock absorber is not safe. In addition, if one shock or strut is not working, there is more load on the other three, which will cause them to fail sooner.
Q. The tire store in town says I have to change my shocks / struts every 30,000 miles [CarScope note: or 50,000, 75,000, or whatever mileage-based recommendation they give] … A. The shocks and struts we carry in most cases are considered an upgrade by the U.S Government, over the stock, O.E. suspension units.
Is there a shock absorber replacement interval poster?
The shops often show a shock absorber replacement interval poster to evidence their claim. Is there something more to this? Here is an article from a place that sells shocks and struts, so they have a lot of reason to push shock sales; but they confirm the same things we at CarScope have always felt and observed about shocks and struts.