NA Truck shocks: IRAN or Replace at 145,000 miles

denverpilot

denverpilot

Tied Down
Joined
Nov 8, 2009
Messages
55,472
Location
Denver, CO
Display Name
DenverPilot
Home Airfield
KAPA
Just thought I'd toss it out there.

Stock original Blistein shocks on the Yukon at 145,000 miles show no signs of leaking, zero bounce or other bad behavior, no alignment problems, no weird tire wear, etc.

But it weirds me out that they've lasted almost 150,000 miles.

Let 'em go until they show some sign they need replacing or replace anyway? What do the resident gearheads say?

I beat them up on two miles of washboard dirt road, nearly daily. (Once a week or so I catch the road right after grading but it doesn't even last a full day.)
 
We need an objective way to test them, right now all we have is subjective indicators. My 4Runner is the exact same as your Yukon. 190K. Can't decide. Garage guys are drooling to swap them of course.
 
My 2005 2500HD at 101,000 miles still have the original shocks. I have also wondered about when to change them. The last set of tires I took off showed no signs of wallowing, so I left the shocks alone.
 
Look them over, if you can see that any of them have been leaking oil then that's a definite sign of failure, replace.
You can also go to each corner, push the bumper down as far/hard as you can and release it. It should come up to normal height right away, if it bounces more than twice then replace.

Those are the only two test methods I know of without removing one... generally I just go by butt feel but that's often subjective especially when things have been slowly getting worse for a long time. You may just be used to it.
 
cowman said:
Look them over, if you can see that any of them have been leaking oil then that's a definite sign of failure, replace.
You can also go to each corner, push the bumper down as far/hard as you can and release it. It should come up to normal height right away, if it bounces more than twice then replace.
Click to expand...

Yep, know those tests. No problems with rebound and no leaks. No weird rolling in corners, nothing.

Just weirds me out that they're fine after lots of abuse and that many miles.

Guess I'll see what they feel like next year. Ha.
 
I have noticed that after replacing old, high mileage shocks that look fine and bounce-test fine, the vehicle still drives and rides much better. I think even if the oil seals are OK, the gas pressure can leak down and affect their performance. I'm about to spring for new tires and shocks on my wife's car in hopes that she decides to hang onto it for a few more years. It would suck to have to buy her a new one while I'm still paying for the plane... and siding... and...
 
DaleB said:
I have noticed that after replacing old, high mileage shocks that look fine and bounce-test fine, the vehicle still drives and rides much better. I think even if the oil seals are OK, the gas pressure can leak down and affect their performance. I'm about to spring for new tires and shocks on my wife's car in hopes that she decides to hang onto it for a few more years. It would suck to have to buy her a new one while I'm still paying for the plane... and siding... and...
Click to expand...

This. My truck shocks show no sign of leaking or failing at 136K miles but I know that they likely have lost their responsiveness despite passing the "bounce test". Shocks are a fairly cheap item as well for most vehicles, so it's silly not to change them after 100-120K miles. Unfortunately, my Pontiac GXP also needs new struts as well on all 4 corners which is going to run me $850+ just in parts for the special Bilsteins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My Honda Accord has 249k miles on the original shocks. I can't say they are as good as new, but I know they are still functioning well.

IRAN
 
I ran my wife's range rover's air shocks until I could see the air inside them....probably because they are about $400 a corner. If they are cheap and you are mechanically inclined, replace them the next time you swap wheels or change brakes. If you have to pay someone else to do it, then I would wait until they fail, as you cannot get any additional problems if you run them to failure (sans losing control on a twisting road and ending up in a revene:/). Notice I didn't say run them past failure.
 
DaleB said:
I have noticed that after replacing old, high mileage shocks that look fine and bounce-test fine, the vehicle still drives and rides much better. I think even if the oil seals are OK, the gas pressure can leak down and affect their performance. I'm about to spring for new tires and shocks on my wife's car in hopes that she decides to hang onto it for a few more years. It would suck to have to buy her a new one while I'm still paying for the plane... and siding... and...
Click to expand...

I've noticed the same thing. I suspect that the deteriorating performance is so gradual that people don't really notice they're going bad, so they don't notice how bad they are until they get replaced.

Interesting this subject is getting brought up. I was just thinking to myself and marveling at how much longer shocks seem to last these days compared to years past. They do still go bad however, I replaced the shocks on my truck early this summer after both front shocks almost simultaneously blew out. The seals seemed to let go when it got hot out, before that they were ok. Those shocks were low end aftermarket units and they still probably had around 100k on them.
 
Got a truck that is going to be replaced before the front shocks get changed. Just passed 365,000 miles on it. I refuse to pay the dealer 185$+ for each shock, as the ones for this s/n are dealer only. This is the second Garbage Motors produced truck I've had in my possesion that you had certain parts that were dealer only that should not have been.
 
IRAN, Bilstein is a top shock brand, used on many high dollar sports/luxury cars. I put in Bilsteins to replaced the wallo-matics that came with my F-150 at 30kmi, 100kmi later they're still fine. As long as they don't leak and are doing the job, drive on!

Edit: FWIW, I rotate my own tires on my vehicles every 5kmi even though most tire packages include rotation. I like to put an eyeball on everything and check brake pads, hoses, ball joints, CV's, shocks, etc., for leakage and signs of wear or damage. I've staved off several expensive repairs over the years by catching things early.
 
Last edited:
How much do new ones cost?
You installing yourself, and if so you got a rainy day coming up?


Unless th answers are not too much and yes and yes, I wait till they showed signs of wear, lower performance, or physical.
 
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

They pass a positive functional test. The ride is good and there is no weird tire wear. What more do you want?

The stuff you replace preemptively are the things where you can't tolerate failure. Like timing belts. Other stuff you leave until they give some indication they might need replacing.
 
My guess is that you'll notice an improvement in driving if you replace them as has been said before. But if the performance is fine for you, might as well leave them alone. There are a lot of things I could replace on my 200k mile Mercedes, but I'm not going to.
 
Shocks are pretty wore out, but then the entire truck is too. It needs a rear main seal, two o'rings in the transmission, a new wiring harness in the column and an evaporator core. And to top it off, almost every every piece of plastic in the interior is either cracked or starting to crack. Labor for just the seal and the two o'rings is about 4 AMU's and I'm not putting that much money in a truck that is worth only 2 AMU's at best.
 
denverpilot said:
Just thought I'd toss it out there.

Stock original Blistein shocks on the Yukon at 145,000 miles show no signs of leaking, zero bounce or other bad behavior, no alignment problems, no weird tire wear, etc.

But it weirds me out that they've lasted almost 150,000 miles.

Let 'em go until they show some sign they need replacing or replace anyway? What do the resident gearheads say?

I beat them up on two miles of washboard dirt road, nearly daily. (Once a week or so I catch the road right after grading but it doesn't even last a full day.)
Click to expand...
At 145k the shocks are done and need replaced, it may feel like it rides well but I guarantee stopping distances are compromised along with ride. What shocks are on it? Does it have the electric shocks?
 
Criitter7 said:
At 145k the shocks are done and need replaced, it may feel like it rides well but I guarantee stopping distances are compromised along with ride. What shocks are on it? Does it have the electric shocks?
Click to expand...

How do you (objectively) tell shocks are worn out? If they're not leaking and they pass the bounce test what else is there?

My daughter and I replaced her car's struts last year. (Mazda 3) The ones we replaced were definitely shot. No damping and some were leaking oil. Now the shop is telling her her front struts are worn out. But they pass the bounce test and they're not leaking. They might have 10,000 miles on them and are just a year old.

John
 
Criitter7 said:
At 145k the shocks are done and need replaced, it may feel like it rides well but I guarantee stopping distances are compromised along with ride. What shocks are on it? Does it have the electric shocks?
Click to expand...

You GUARANTEE it?

If he drives on washboard with bad shocks, he'll know it. It's not terribly different from driving on ice, aside from a lot of noise and shaking. The vehicle moves in ways it shouldn't. If a rear shock gives out, it fishtails. With traction control, it will try to center the good wheel. If a front shock gives out, it will understeer.

So, how do you pay out that guarantee?
 
jsstevens said:
Now the shop is telling her her front struts are worn out. But they pass the bounce test and they're not leaking. They might have 10,000 miles on them and are just a year old.
Click to expand...

Shops that prey on women and/or mechanically challenged people suck.
 
MAKG1 said:
You GUARANTEE it?

If he drives on washboard with bad shocks, he'll know it. It's not terribly different from driving on ice, aside from a lot of noise and shaking. The vehicle moves in ways it shouldn't. If a rear shock gives out, it fishtails. With traction control, it will try to center the good wheel. If a front shock gives out, it will understeer.

So, how do you pay out that guarantee?
Click to expand...
Take his SUV measure the stopping distance from 60 then replace the shocks and re measure. If the stopping distance stayed the same I'll send you 20bucks
 
Criitter7 said:
Take his SUV measure the stopping distance from 60 then replace the shocks and re measure. If the stopping distance stayed the same I'll send you 20bucks
Click to expand...

The question is not whether worn shocks have degraded handling, the question is whether the degradation in handling is sufficient to warrant replacement. Shocks aren't cheap, and there is more variability in environmental and human factors that affects stopping distance than marginally worn shocks.

Come to think of it, my 'splorer is about to cross 190K. original shocks. Handles fine, no bounce, no weird tire wear. Replace them? Mmmmm.... nah.
 
My 2005 GMC D/A 2500 HD has around 101,000 miles. As soon as I get home I am going to replace shocks and do a complete brake job. I do it myself so no money pit here. I am going to do all the preventive maintenance because of the age. Not because it is worn out.

I change the transmission oil and external filter every other oil change, and the transfer case along with the front and rear differential fluids will be replaced, and all grease fittings, not just the easy ones, get hit on each oil change.

I do all the preventive maintenance on a regular schedule since I plan to keep this truck another 9 years. Usually when I sell a vehicle, my friends will start a bidding war because they know my used vehicles still have plenty of life in them. I have a 93 GMC K1500 that will go for sale in November. Already a couple friends are wanting it for their sons.

Yes, I am that guy that keeps detailed maintenance records locked up in a safe.....
 
Bill Jennings said:
IRAN, Bilstein is a top shock brand, used on many high dollar sports/luxury cars. I put in Bilsteins to replaced the wallo-matics that came with my F-150 at 30kmi, 100kmi later they're still fine. As long as they don't leak and are doing the job, drive on!

Edit: FWIW, I rotate my own tires on my vehicles every 5kmi even though most tire packages include rotation. I like to put an eyeball on everything and check brake pads, hoses, ball joints, CV's, shocks, etc., for leakage and signs of wear or damage. I've staved off several expensive repairs over the years by catching things early.
Click to expand...

They do rock, the Taco I just got has them factory, and you can really fling that truck around corners unlike any other 4x4 I've driven before.
 
Bill Jennings said:
IRAN, Bilstein is a top shock brand, used on many high dollar sports/luxury cars.
Click to expand...

Top shock brand or not, the factory billstein struts on the GXP are 100% toast at 120K on fronts and rears. It is typical of the model, too, so it's not purely bad luck. Sometimes the design is just sub par no matter who makes them. Unfortunately Bilstein is the only manufacturer for this vehicle unless I want to swap out lots of other components to try and downgrade it back to the base-model suspension.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I love the folks mentioning stopping distance and warn shocks. Look at the data. The stopping distance increase is within the noise of reaction time & road conditions. Also consider that the folks publishing the data are funded by the shock absorber manufacturers.

Better advice would be to slow down on rough roads, slick roads, congested roads, etc. Yes, maintain the vehicle (daily driver is a 97 explorer with 200k miles) but be realistic and practical.
 
Last edited:
I never thought the post would uncover such emotions about shock absorbers. LOL.
 
Craig said:
Got a truck that is going to be replaced before the front shocks get changed. Just passed 365,000 miles on it. I refuse to pay the dealer 185$+ for each shock, as the ones for this s/n are dealer only. This is the second Garbage Motors produced truck I've had in my possesion that you had certain parts that were dealer only that should not have been.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that you cannot get shocks for that truck anywhere other than a dealer? There are no aftermarket ones even out there? Monroe, bilstein etc etc?
 
luvflyin said:
Do you mean that you cannot get shocks for that truck anywhere other than a dealer? There are no aftermarket ones even out there? Monroe, bilstein etc etc?
Click to expand...

There are 900 trucks by serial number, of this particular model that have an oddball suspension. There are no aftermarket front shocks available unless I want to have some custom manufactured, or change out the entire front suspension. I've been through every aftermarket shock listed for the truck and none match. It's the second truck I have from this particular manufacturer that has major parts that have to be bought by s/n, and often from the dealer only.
 
Craig said:
Got a truck that is going to be replaced before the front shocks get changed. Just passed 365,000 miles on it. I refuse to pay the dealer 185$+ for each shock, as the ones for this s/n are dealer only. This is the second Garbage Motors produced truck I've had in my possesion that you had certain parts that were dealer only that should not have been.
Click to expand...
What truck? I've been able to get shocks for every gm truck I've had roll through the shop aftermarket.
 
Craig said:
There are 900 trucks by serial number, of this particular model that have an oddball suspension. There are no aftermarket front shocks available unless I want to have some custom manufactured, or change out the entire front suspension. I've been through every aftermarket shock listed for the truck and none match. It's the second truck I have from this particular manufacturer that has major parts that have to be bought by s/n, and often from the dealer only.
Click to expand...

That was a small run down the assembly line. Was it a special model or did they find a problem with the design that was changed?
 
Clark1961 said:
I love the folks mentioning stopping distance and warn shocks. Look at the data. The stopping distance increase is within the noise of reaction time & road conditions. Also consider that the folks publishing the data are funded by the shock absorber manufacturers.

Better advice would be to slow down on rough roads, slick roads, congested roads, etc. Yes, maintain the vehicle (daily driver is a 97 explorer with 200k miles) but be realistic and practical.
Click to expand...
Well yeah who else is going to do shock data? The wheel bearing company? Seat belt company? If you have to slow down now for rougher roads then it's probably a sign you need new shocks/struts
 
Criitter7 said:
Well yeah who else is going to do shock data? The wheel bearing company? Seat belt company? If you have to slow down now for rougher roads then it's probably a sign you need new shocks/struts
Click to expand...
For stopping distance? NHTSA and the Insurance Institute, for starters.

The lack of safety improvement with ABS did not come from Bendix. Government testing exists specifically to remove a profit motive to lie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top