How long should a set of OE Macpherson struts last

[nfafan]

Or maybe a better way to ask;

the car is a 99 Nissan Maxima SE with 60K miles and with the original stock struts (Tokico AFAIK) - and it still passes the "bounce" test.

But I could have sworn I read somewhere that Mac struts can't properly be judged like ordinary tube shocks in the old fashioned bounce test.

Should Mac struts be changed out at some mileage limit as a "wear item", or is the "bounce" test an accurate measure of their life?

TIA!

 

[oily boyd]

Years ago, some shops tested them with a shock/strut dynomometer. Of course, you'd have to pay to remove/replace the struts you are testing.

You could have someone drive the car down a high-speed bumpy road and observe the wheel movements from another car.

You will be able to tell if wheel movements are not "under control".

Look at other cars as you are driving on the highway; you'll notice the ones with bad shock/struts. I'm surprised at how often I notice cars with only one bad strut. Of course, I'd change them all if it were my car.

 

[Quest]

struts can be "bounce/jounce" tested to reveal their conditions if done properly. Regrettably, not all shop mechs know how to do it right, esp. many lightweight subcompact/compact cars where the rebounce isn't very obvious due to their relative lightweight.

OE may or may not mean much as far as longevity's concerned for I have OE KYB rear struts (marked "made in USA")failed prematurely on my dad's 7th gen civic (1 claimed under warranty, the other has to be replaced by yours-truely) within 60k kms. On the other hand: my wifey's Camry has it's original struts all around for over 180k kms before they need to be replaced (due to fluid leak on 1 of the rears).

Also: domestic vehicle's OE struts/shocks typically leads to a much shorter service life than that of many other quality spplied OE counterparts from European/Asian makers: I've seen Cavalier OE struts failed within 3 yrs time on a regular basis and ditto with many Ford vehicles. I strongly suspect that they are the cheapest possible quality varieties from the supplier and one shouldn't expect them to last, no matter how much it costs to purchase your whole vehicle...

My 2c's worth.

 

[Donald]

And then there can be mounts needed also which ups the cost even more. Monroe sells assemblies with strut/mount, but the cost is high and its not a super quality strut.

 

[rpn453]

I like the bounce test. A strut is just a shock integrated into the steering/suspension structure, so I don't see why it would be treated any differently.

The original struts in my Pathfinder were weak at 100K miles. The struts in my Mother's Sunfire are still decent at 120K. I've seen struts leak and go back long before that though. Mileage is not a good indicator of shock absorber condition.

 

[brianl703]

The OE struts and shocks on my 1988 Mustang GT were made by Tokico (if I recall correctly) and they were done at 120K miles.

I replaced them with Tokico aftermarket struts and shocks; these are not the same as what was originally installed.

 

[JustinH]

I didn't like the tokico "HP" shocks (the blue shocks).

They were very poor quality.

 

[Tosh]

I'm all for keeping up on maintenance, but I think you should have real evidence of a problem, like an observer riding alongside or huge damp spot, before you buy new shocks. The three times that I've put on new shocks I wasn't that impressed with the difference and wish I had saved my money.

 

[JTK]

Quote:

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I'm all for keeping up on maintenance, but I think you should have real evidence of a problem, like an observer riding alongside or huge damp spot, before you buy new shocks. The three times that I've put on new shocks I wasn't that impressed with the difference and wish I had saved my money.

---

I agree. The aftermarket warranty co paid for a front strut replacement on my 2001 windstar at ~70Kmi due to a front suspension noise issue. I couldn't tell the difference between old/new with repect to ride quality.

I've swapped out shock absorbers and noticed the difference, but strut cartridges for what ever reason seem to hold up much longer. I wouldn't replace struts again unless you had major bounce, wheel-hop or oil leakage.

Joel

 

[Volvohead]

There's a distinction between service life and optimal life.

The jounce-bounce test is not necessarily an effective barometer of strut health. If they fail the bounce test, they're usually more than worn out. But that doesn't mean new struts sooner won't help matters.

A mechanic friend of mine has gone as far as 150k on OEM Plymouth struts before, in his opinion, they were "done" (and one was starting to leak, so they were). But long before then, the ride starts to slowly degrade. Like boiling a turtle, it happens so slowly that the driver can't notice the decline. At some point, the ride difference of new struts is so noticeable that the decision to replace is almost always validated. On our one Volvo, it still had functional OEMs on it at 166k and was quite serviceable to drive, but installing new Bilsteins vastly improved road matters.

Conversely, I have another colleague who is much more of a driving enthusiast and raced competitively many years ago. He finds the optimum sweet spot of a strut to rarely exceed 25k. After that, depending on the chassis dynamics, the vehicle's handling begins to decline. I doubt that many folks would notice the differences at 30 or 45 or 50k, but this guy can, and it's not nonsense with him.

So it may be the case that you need to decide at what point past 25k but before 150+k (or outright failure) would you want to recover new strut performance. I would think the type of vehicle and your driving style would dictate that decision. As damping performance degrades, it can influence tire performance and wear, which depending on the cost of your tires may also be a factor.

 

[Quest]

With frequent rain issues and soggy wet PNW weather, compounded with the fact that we have quite a lot of hilly, winding terrain here, good road handling from functional shocks/struts, decent drainage/handling tires and functional suspensions are a must when it comes to safe driving here. While some folks may argue the need of frequent shock replacements when the OE ones seem to "hold up" nicely. Regrettably, 1 rainy wet morning northbound along #4 rd in our city will bring near-death experience unto you and the rest of your fellow occupants.... (it's not funny at all...for I regularly use this stretch of road for testing vehicle's shock/strut conditions as well as alignment/suspension, roll and yaw, etc. issues).

Too many folks disregard the importance of shocks/struts handling and would play down the importance of regular servicing/maintenance of such components.I've been preaching the notion that while I don't mind driving an underpowered car or car with engine smoking, I DO MIND driving a vehicle that does not have proper braking systems, bald tires and/or bad shocks/struts. Problems like these will make the vehicle in-question in becoming a killing machine--accidents waiting to happen....

My 2c's worth. I valued my safety with utmost importance.

 

[jsharp]

I've replaced a number of struts on my vehicles over the years. But I've never had a set that didn't start leaking before the dampening was gone. The top seals and bushings don't seem to hold up nearly as long as the internal parts.

 

[va3ux]

Suspension knowledge is definitely my weak area. I have 187K miles on my car and everything is original.

Over on DodgeIntrepid.net people have said that my struts need replacing without question just based on mileage. I guess I don't doubt them, but I've inspected the struts and there is nothing leaking anywhere. And this is one car where the OEM struts ($$$) seem to be almost a must for some reason. I hate to spend the required $$ only to find that there's no difference after the money is spent.

Any thoughts or guidance appreciated.

 

[JohnBrowning]

For an enthusiast about 50,000 miles. For the average joe most people do not get the hint until about 100,000. They usualy do not notice the mild symptoms like poor handleing,poor brakeing,odd tire wear etc... It has to get to the point that the vechile is floating after a bump or bottoms out while breaking before most notice. Heck some people think if they are not cracked,dented or leaking that they are still good. By 50,000 most need replaceing and a few HD ones make 75,000 miles. If they make it past this consider it a gift or the exception!! Unfortunately car parts are all over the place. case in point take a car battery. In general 3-5 years is the rule but I have had some last 7 or more years but that is not the norm especialy in a cold state like Michigan were cold cranking performance is a must!

 

[T-Keith]

I have owned many cars with over 150,000 miles and have never replaced a strut or shock on one of them. All of them pass the "bounce test". I have seen cars with worn out shocks, and I've heard of people saying they replace theirs a 20,000 miles. One thing these cars have in common - after market shocks. I don't think OEM shocks are indestructible, but I do think they last a long time.