Suspension feels 'off' - how to diagnose?

[nolaride]

As my username probably makes obvious, I'm a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. For all the many reasons I think this city, one daily annoyance remains: awful roads. Potholes are pretty much unavoidable during my short daily drives (usually less than 100 miles/week) and lately, the ride seems noticeably rougher.

I've owned my 5 speed 2007 sedan (crank windows FTW) since January of this year. I'm unsure of the previous history, such as whether the previous owner replaced shocks at 50,000 miles as recommended. I've got to take the car into my mechanic for a 75K service anyway and I was wondering what I should expect him to say.

In short, is there any way to tell if it's the shocks that are blown versus shocks and destroyed coils? Basically I want to have some idea of how much hurt I can anticipate, wallet-wise.

Oh, and please speak slowly and clearly; I'm not a dumb guy but I'm new to cars (or at least worrying about what it takes to fix them). Ultimately, I'd like to do my own repairs but one step at a time.

Many thanks in advance!

[sleey0]

Don't worry as shocks and struts aren't super expensive. Actually, my mechanic charges the same price (inluding tax and alignment) as the tokico shocks themselves ($300 for all 4). If you have the tools and no-how to do it then it can save quite a bit of money. I love doing my own installs but for something like this I will just throw money at it;)

Look at the struts (front) and shocks (rear). Are they leaking any fluid? Do they look corroded or rusted? How does the car handle bumps? Does it ride smooth on smooth roads?

These are the ways to tell if you need new suspension components.

[nolaride]

Thanks for the quick reply! The car rides well on smooth surfaces but seems to handle rough roads less well then it did when I first purchased it. Then again, I might just be noticing it more as I worry about the cost of the repair and my (limited) student budget.

I'll take a peek at the shocks and struts tomorrow to see if there is any leaking or rust. I appreciate the input!

[sleey0]

No problem.

Struts/shocks/springs can last 100k miles or 20k miles. Depends on driving styles mixed with product mfr variance and road conditions.

Luckily, it isn't a huge expense to fix, realatively speaking;) lol

[ddongbap]

I thought it was NO LOS ANGELES RIDE YO

[MUSKOKA800]

If you need/want OEM shocks/struts/springs you'll find nearly new take-offs in the "for sale" forum.
Quick shock test: Push down on a corner of the car. It should rise and settle back to it's static position quickly, without continued up and down motion. If it pogos up and down that damper is suspect. Next, move to another corner and repeat process.
An alignment may help if you've been pounding it hard.

[auxmike]

The shocks are real easy to change yourself. The struts...meh, take that job to the shop....

[nolaride]

Thanks for the additional replies. The I pushed the car down and it seemed to spring back to it's normal position, without any noticeable oscillation.

I headed into a local auto parts store for an air filter and talked to a seemingly knowledgeable guy at the parts counter about shocks and struts, and he warned me that if the shock/struts were shot, eventually the coils would get too beat up too, requiring an expensive replacement. Am I correct in assuming that such a situation would be pretty noticeable?

I'll (finally) be taking my car in this week to get new tires and the 75,000 mile service, so I'll have a definitive answer on my question then. My roommate has the tools, time and experience changing shocks and struts on other types of cars, so I might save a few bucks and learn how to do it from him.

Again, thanks for the feedback!

[why?]

The guy you talked to is right, and yes, it would be rather obvious if they were all trashed.

You could also just be noticing everything more now that the car is not brand new to you, as well. The more you drive a car, the more of the little things you notice.

[toast]

things may improve with new tires. i just got rid of a worn out set of dry rotted goodyears and the ride quality on sub-prime roads is dramatically better.