| randywebb |
Wed May 02, 2012 11:35 am |
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there are discussions of which shocks (dampeners, dampers) to buy, but how do you know when?
in ye olden days people used to jump on the bumper and try to bounce up & down, but that does not work on some cars at all - I guess it would tell you if your Vanagon had completely worthless shocks...
Will the following test work?
An easy way to determine whether the shocks are worn out is to drive over a speed bump. You don't have to go fast. If you go fast you won't be able to feel how the car moves across the speed bump. If the car seems to try to plow through the speed bump rather than going over it the front shocks are worn. If the rear end feels like it is falling down from the speed bump and almost hitting the ground after you have passed the speed bump the rear shocks are worn.
if not, how do you know? -- assuming that you do not know how many miles are on the shocks, and they may have been replaced about 7 PO's back in time or something... |
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| dhaavers |
Wed May 02, 2012 1:06 pm |
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Your plan sounds reasonable but I'm not sure in practice...it's very subjective to judge by "feel".
consumerreports.org wrote: Suspension
Walk around the car to see if it's standing level.
Bounce each corner up and down. If the shock absorbers are in good shape,
the car should rebound just once; it shouldn't keep moving up and down.
Grab the top of each front tire and tug it back and forth. If you feel play in it or hear
a clunking or ticking sound, the wheel bearings or suspension joints may be shot...
I just put my knee on the top corner of each bumper, transfer my weight onto it to compress the shock,
wait until it's "settled" then get off quickly to assess the "bounce".
My van was very loose/bouncy when I bought it & I figured on replacing shocks almost immediately.
Sure enough, when I removed the old there was absolutely no pressure - they were loose as a goose.
(OMG now I sound like Terry Kay) :wink:
New Bilsteins & it's a different story ever since...it rebounds & stops immediately. What does yours do? |
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| Wildthings |
Wed May 02, 2012 2:08 pm |
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1. Check for signs of leakage. If they are wet with oil, it is time to replace them.
2. If you don't get any movement when you try to bounce on the bumper or if your vehicle really launches when it goes over a bump you may have a frozen shock.
3. When your cross a railroad track that crosses at about a 45° angle to the road, do you feel a loss of control?
4. If the ride is acceptable to your standards the shocks are likely okay. |
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