Struts lasts over 168k miles?

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fiddler2068

fiddler2068

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Boston, MA
I just did the rocking test on my 2000 cr-v with 168k miles on it with original struts. I could barely get it to rock. I am 200 lbs and lift weights. This is front and rear.

What's going on? I didn't think that struts lasted this long. The suspension makes a noise when i go over speed bumps ( the large kind that you have to really slow down for otherwise you get air time). Other than that it seems to be working fine if a little soft. When going over bumps or pop holes, the vehicle does not bounce on the springs.

Needless to say, i am a little confused by this. I expected the rocking test to show that I need new struts.

fiddler
 
I am sure your struts are worn, worn and shot are two different things, but by 160k I am assuming your OEM struts and springs are closer to shot than worn..
 
Modern gas-charged struts have multi-valving designs, meaning that standard (ole way) of testing struts by watching your vehicle rebound is, for the most part, no longer a good/reliable way to verify the status of your struts.

I'd replace them if I were you.Afterall: 169kmiles on your struts is a long time and worn shocks/struts will add a tremendous stopping distance to your vehicle, and also gives unpredictable road handling behaviour while emergency menouvering...

I have a life and my family to take care of, and I don't gamble my life when it comes to struts/shocks, brakes and tires.

Q.
 
The springs won't wear out, but the shocks sure will. I'll bet a brand new OE set would really help the ride.

Do your tires wear smooth or is there any cupping?
 
Originally Posted By: Dominic
The springs won't wear out, but the shocks sure will. I'll bet a brand new OE set would really help the ride.

Do your tires wear smooth or is there any cupping?


I just measured all the tires treads, 4 per tire. they seem to be wearing smoothly. I figured the struts need to be replaced. Just couldn't figure out why they didn't bounce. That would also explain the squeak from going over really large bumps at slow speeds.

My plan is to replace them next spring along with the tires. they're all at 4/32 wear. some inner treads have 5/32 but i figure that's not enough of a variation to worry too much about.

thanks guys

fiddler
 
I've got 235k miles on my original 01 Civic struts.

The car still rides fine, it doesn't bounce on big bumps, or have any other negative effects that I can tell. So I don't see the need to replace. I guess I'm a real menace to society.
crazy.gif
 
Quote:
You have really, really smooth roads?

Not in Boston or MA as a whole, the roads here as as close to WWII tank traps as it gets.
Honestly i have been in old communist countries with better roads.

If the car is a MA native the struts are done.
 
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the noises your describing sound like it could be bushings too. which should be in pretty rough shape with that mileage...
 
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Have you examined the struts? My last BMW passed the bounce test even though the struts were bad due to leakage. People always want to see if the car bounces excessively. The issue was that my car actually didn't bounce enough- the struts were nearly seized.
 
My LS isn't quite to 160k miles, but my shocks and struts are all still in excellent working order. The factory units in this car are manufactured by Sachs, and they are great! Tire wear is very even, except for the fact that I drive and corner VERY hard, so my fronts get a lot of shoulder wear. Body control is still great, and stopping distance seems to be just about the same as it was when I got the car at 47,000 miles. I have not gone out and measured this, though.

Just wanted to let the OP know of my experience, and my opinion that maybe some cars have shocks that can last way past the average life expectancy
 
I got a good look today when i replaced the sway bar link, no leakage or anything that i can see wrong with it. Just squeaks a little when i go over a big speed bump.

my tire wear is very even too. i just measure all four tires yesterday 4 tread readings each tire and other than the tire that started out 9/32, which was the full size spare, every other one was 4/32 across the board. I think there was a couple that was 5/32 on the inside, that was it.

I wanna curse Honda for making "lifetime" sway bar links. they obviously are not and were a huge pain in the [censored] to get off. No frigging bolt on the other side of the nut, the [censored] thing just spun! I had to get a locking pliers and lock onto the [censored] ball after hammering the plastic or teflon or whatever it is off then i could undo the bolt.

Oh and no anti-seize, NOT cool Honda!

Took me 3 hours to work the stupid old linkage off and about 30 minutes to put the moogs on. That includes pumping the grease into the moogs.

I have to give a big thumbs up to the moogs, they are twice the size of the oem. don't think these guys are gonna break.

fiddler
 
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Sometimes worn struts bind up. The strut rod can get slightly bent. If you can't push 168k mile strut down, I'd be inclined to believe that they are binding up rather than that they are not worn.
 
Originally Posted By: fiddler2068
I wanna curse Honda for making "lifetime" sway bar links. they obviously are not and were a huge pain in the [censored] to get off. No frigging bolt on the other side of the nut, the [censored] thing just spun! I had to get a locking pliers and lock onto the [censored] ball after hammering the plastic or teflon or whatever it is off then i could undo the bolt.


I think there is a hex opening at the end of the stud, so you can put in an allen wrench which will stop the stud spinning while you undo the nut. A good shot of penetrating oil and letting it soak for a few hours usually helps too.
 
Sometimes the strut is okay, but the mounting plate and bearing is no good. If that happens, just buy a quick-strut.

That noise may be coming from the ball joints. If your CRV uses Machperson struts, put a jack under the body weld, and pry between the steering knuckle and ball joint. Any vertical movement, and it means the ball joint needs replacement.

Earlier versions of the CRV had a double wishbone suspension, but did not use a conventional shock. If that suspensions is what you have, put your jack under the lower control arm, and pry on each ball joint to see if they move vertically or horizontally, If either happens, replace that ball joint.

Also, while it is in the air, pry on control arm bushings. Any more that 1/2 an inch of movenent means it has gotten soft and must be replaced.
 
OP, thats what you get for buying a quality vehicle- seriously i wouldnt sweat it, my Wife's Toyota Rav Rides like the day it came out of the shop, no slop at all in the suspensions, corners just as stiffly as it did before when new , i cant get it to rock either, this is a 2004 RAV4 with 192,000 miles.
be concerned about the thud sound you hear though, this could be just bushings which can be replaces cheaply withing doing any shock changes.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Sometimes worn struts bind up. The strut rod can get slightly bent. If you can't push 168k mile strut down, I'd be inclined to believe that they are binding up rather than that they are not worn.


I can push them down, just a few inches, then they come back up and that's it. no bounce at all.

I was really paying attention to the noise the suspension makes going over speed bumps, not a squeak, more like a low freq. road noise. Not sure how to describe it.

when going over regular bumps, i can't tell if its making any more noise than usual. It's been 10 years since the car was new and i don't remember what it sounds like then.

fiddler
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Sometimes the strut is okay, but the mounting plate and bearing is no good. If that happens, just buy a quick-strut.

That noise may be coming from the ball joints. If your CRV uses Machperson struts, put a jack under the body weld, and pry between the steering knuckle and ball joint. Any vertical movement, and it means the ball joint needs replacement.

Earlier versions of the CRV had a double wishbone suspension, but did not use a conventional shock. If that suspensions is what you have, put your jack under the lower control arm, and pry on each ball joint to see if they move vertically or horizontally, If either happens, replace that ball joint.

Also, while it is in the air, pry on control arm bushings. Any more that 1/2 an inch of movenent means it has gotten soft and must be replaced.


This is a gen 1 CR-V with the double wishbone suspension. not sure what kind of struts it has. will look in the factory manual again. I will do that when the jack and jack stands get here. Thanks.

fiddler
 
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