Worn Shocks?

[airportstar]

Is there a way of testing if the shocks are worn?

What kind of life expectency should one expect?

Also should the springs be changed at the same time as the shocks?

Thanks in advance!

 

[BlackC55]

If the shocks are worn the car will bounce too much and/or knock

Shocks tend to last quite a bit of mileage but it all depends on use

No

 

[golden1245]

I think my shocks are really worn down too, they haven't been changed since the car was new and now it has 147,000 miles on it!!

My car gets really wobbly after it hits a pot hole at high speeds and a general "floating" sensation at very high speeds (100+ mph)

 

[markjay]

If you bounce down the car, one corner at a time, you should feel a dumped upward response and the car should quickly settle. If it continues to bounce loosely a couple of times before settling, this is not right. Compare this to a new car to be sure.

Also look for leaks on and around the shocks. Wet shocks should be replaced.

 

[WDB124066]

Is there not a reliable machine that can measure the response from a step input......??

 

[markjay]

Is there not a reliable machine that can measure the response from a step input......??

I imagine there would be such a device, but I think you'll need to remove the shock for that and test it on a bench, at which one you might as well just renew it...?

 

[renault12ts]

In NI, the MOT includes a bounce test for the suspension front and rear.

The car sits on plates and each wheel in turn is bounced at an increasing frequency. This is translated into a pattern on a screen. Each wheel per axle is overlaid one on top of the other so that differences between each side will be apparent. If the patterns are very different then one or both shocks will have a fault.

This is a very useful and rather more scientific approach than the age old bouncing on each corner.

 

[renault12ts]

Is there not a reliable machine that can measure the response from a step input......??

Yes, there is...see my answer above.

 

[grober]

I think my shocks are really worn down too, they haven't been changed since the car was new and now it has 147,000 miles on it!!

My car gets really wobbly after it hits a pot hole at high speeds and a general "floating" sensation at very high speeds (100+ mph)

You have described classic worn shock behaviour. At 147,000 MILES they aren't owe you any favours. If you are regular high speed driver renew them ASAP. As Black C55 says its not necessary to change the springs. however Check you haven't got any broken/heavily corroded springs at the same time [ they tend to break at the ends rather than the middle] if in doubt renew them too. MB are the best source for springs unless you go for H&R or EIBACH but they are are expensive. For shocks BILSTEIN [ ECP stock them I believe? ]take a lot of beating altho Sachs/Boge are also OEM for merc.

 

[markjay]

Not directly related, but....

This is a 'tip' I received many years ago from someone in rally racing, and applied it to my car at the time.

On many McPherson struts, the shock is inserted into a metal tube, leaving a very small gap between the external sleeve and the shock. The 'tip' was to fill this gap with undiluted antifreeze... Fiat Paraflu was considered the best antifreeze at the time, for some reason. The logic behind it was that the shock gets hot from the constant up-and-down motion and the resistance of the fluid to being pushed through the valves, and the anti-freeze will help with heat dissipation without causing corrosion.

Not something I would bother with nowadays, anyway...

 

[HB]

Guys if you need shocks we can supply Bilstein at a reasonable price to all Merc guys. Email me at [email protected] or PM me I think it should work now. I need your chassis number year of make, model etc and we ll get you a price. Bilstein are the best for Mercs. We sorted a set for Olly's car recently.