5 Signs Your Vehicle May Need New Shocks or Struts in Salem, OR

5. If You've Never Changed Them Before

Unlike a lot of other parts of your car, your shocks/struts have a pretty long shelf life. It's widely understood that most shocks and struts have a mileage life of 50,000 to 100,000. Obviously, that's a fairly broad and unspecific frame of reference, but if you think you may need new shocks or struts and your car has over 50,000 miles on its current shocks or struts, it's probably a good idea to just have them replaced. Even if they weren't the cause of whatever problem you were experiencing, you've now prevented a problem that was likely on the horizon for you and your vehicle.

4. Unusual Tire Wear

The instability caused by failing shocks/struts creates an uneven distribution of weight and pressure on the tires. If you suspect your shocks or struts are beginning to deteriorate, take a look at the tread on your tires. If it seems like the tire wear is uneven or random, this can be an indication that your suspicions were correct. However, there are many reasons why your tires may have uneven wear on them, so this is not a definitive diagnosis.

3. Instability on the Highway

Your suspension doesn't just keep you stable when going over bumps or taking hard turns, it also keeps you straight at highspeeds. Because even the tiniest interferences have a larger effect on your car at highspeeds, failing shocks or struts can make driving on the highway a bit more of a perilous task. If you find yourself needing to constantly correct while cruising down the highway, or if it feels like you have very little control over your vehicle at highspeeds, it is likely because you need to replace your shocks or struts.

2. Fluid Leak

The good news about your blown shocks or struts is, once you think you've identified the problem, there's usually a pretty easy way to confirm your suspicions. If you think you need to replace your shocks/struts, simply take a peek under your car and see if you see any fluid seeping from them. If your shocks or struts are blown, usually the seal that keeps their hydraulic fluid inside has broken. If you see fluid leaking or seeping from them, then it's time to stop wondering if that's what the problem is and just replace them.

1.  Excessive Bouncieness

Of course, the most obvious tell-tale sign of faulty shocks or struts is your vehicle's inability to minimize bounce. If you drive your car over a slight bump or dip, or if you hit a pothole, and you don't immediately stabilize after the initial shock, then you likely need new shocks or struts. Of course, you don't even need to be driving to test this- simply push down hard on either the front-or-rear of the vehicle and see how much it bounces. If it bounces more than once, your suspension is going bad you likely need to replace your shocks or struts.