Blackbird

am I kidding myself thinking they are still good?

not really sure how long a shock or strut should / can last.

I ask because of late the car feels loose, wants to pull at times under braking and in general isn't feeling as it used to handling wise.

beyond seeing the shocks / struts leak, any way to test? If do the bounce test it seems fine. Still nice and stiff, rebounds right back.

input????

Luder[PAK9]

A question I would like answered as well. I have 80,000 on the stockers. I know the stockers are ****, but that doesn't help to know how you can tell they're worn out.

Black02SLPSS

iTrader: (5)

I have 57k on my stockers and when the Koni's I ordered come off of backorder and make it stateside they will be going on. Which should make me happy

staringback05

iTrader: (8)

something you can tell is how far the car leans when braking and also the tire wear

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

If they car has gotten vague, starting wandering around, won't take a set/settle down as well or as quickly as it used to, *or* the ride quality is starting to suffer they lack damping and should be changed.

A bounce test is a complete waste of time and of no value unless the shocks are COMPLETELY shot as in not working at all. Say you weigh 200 pounds. The car is 3500 or so, that's a LOT more mass moving and that the shocks need to control. You simply can't move things far or fast enough for that test to be valid.

I doubt either of the cars in the first two posts have broken shocks. And "wear" is a term that many folks can't agree on. I had a set of tires once that had good tread left, no cracking on the sidewalls and in good shape...... except they were rock-hard and had no grip left. Some might have considered them to be fine, or not "worn-out"--but I assure they were and needed changed desperately.

Whisper

iTrader: (12)

I was going to make a separate post but I guess it will fit here. The ride of my car has gotten extremely rough, even minor potholes jar the car and minor bits of road wear are felt constantly. While the car used to be quiet, many rattles have now surfaced. Im not familiar with suspension parts-if shocks are worn, what all needs to be replaced? Can just the shocks be replaced or do you need to replace springs as well?

Also, what are the best bang for your buck replacement shocks? Specifically, Im looking for the cheapest I can get without getting pure crap. Best retailer to buy from? Thanks for any info.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

You shocks have worn out.... They are pretty much all you need to replace.

As for what shocks to use: Given the statement saying you want the cheapest without being pure crap, and the best bang for the buck, I think I can actually make a recommendation here. I'd recommend Tokico HP's. You can buy them from me, and I'd like to think I'm the best retailer to buy them from.

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7

Blackbird

Sam how close would the Tokico's be to what my Bilstiens were?

I too can't pony up the Koni coin but the car is getting worse and worse each week so something has to be done in the near future.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Closer then the "new" Bilstein HD's are..... I think you know this isn't my first choice (Koni's are). If the old HD's were around they'd be in play too, but they aren't. Given the options, or lack thereof this is what I'd use given what have stated (which is pretty clear, more so than many posts).

Blackbird

Many thanks Sam.

I really dont push the car these days, so knowing that your standards are going to be extremely high, if these get a yah they should be fine from you, thats more than likely going to translate into perfectly acceptable for me.

Blackbird

reading up on the Tokico's

what are your thoughts on the Illumina series?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

moot point... they don't make them for the front of the 4th gen.....

Greggy

On the brakes: pulling left or right, that is usually the caliper slider pins seizing up.

I replaced my stock shocks with the "old" Bilsteins at 40k miles and was so happy I did. The rears especially. The Bilsteins were then worn out in my eyes after 50k of use. The car felt very insecure on the highway going staight, and would not take a set on turns. Koni's fixed that right up. Fantastic control.

I agree the bounce test does work. Many people told me my shocks were fine. They were wrong. I'm very sensitive to bad suspensions parts and bad tires, and the results tell me my Butt-O-Meter is working.

Blackbird

good point on the caliper pins. that was actually just recently suggested to me as a potential reason as well.

will definetly be checking that out.

SIC LSX

iTrader: (10)

108k on my sticks still good!

Wilkenstein

iTrader: (5)

I know it may sound obvious, but a simple aligment is where I'd start.

Blackbird

absolutely. first thing I did check.

01SSRMS

iTrader: (7)

They've gotta be better than my de Carbon stockers with 114k, lol. Btw, I'll be in touch in the next month or so Sam to remedy that.