Is there any way without taking the car into a garage that i can figure out whether it is my struts/shocks or springs that need replacing. Advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
How many miles are on the car? Are the shocks and struts stock? Do they make noise when you drive? Is it more of a pop or a clunk, or if you hit a bump does it keep hopping for the next block?
Gonna need just a bit more info dude. It's probably your struts though, springs don't go bad unless you make them go bad usually.
if you can push down on the car a few times, and the car "bounces" a little when you stop, chances are your struts are bad, or your springs are worn.
Check your struts by looking for a "oil" substance around them. If the seals have gone out, than its probably just your struts.
Typically your struts ware before your springs do.
If your getting a clunk when you hit bumps, your strut mounts could be worn, or your struts are bottoming out.
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well i doubt its your spring. how about you tell us what is going on and we will be able to tell you whats wrong with your car. my guess w/o even hearing the problem is strut mounts
yo sorry about that. K it doesnt bounce and theres no clunk. Its just the smallest bump in the road feels liek a canyon. The suspension is horrible and just dont wanna replace both if only one is screwed. The struts and shocks are stock. The car has about 200000km on it......i dnt think its the mounts. Thanks alot guys
well what kinda noise does it make? give us a good example. saying the road feels like a canyon doesnt really help. does it happen only in the front, in the rear or both?
WHY does it have to be making a noise? there is no noise.....it just rides like @!#$....like i said the smallest bump in the road feels like i hit a canyon. I know i need new suspension components....and the question is whether i need new shocks/sturts or new springs? Thanks again
i give up. we're trying to help but your giving like no information at all. the only reason i asked is because you said the smallest bump feels like a canyon but then you said your car doesnt bounce so to me its not your struts. no one can help you if all you say is that. do all 4 corners feel like that or is it just one corner that does it? w/o info no one can help.
Struts are probably shot, or your tire pressure is low.
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It is very rare that a spring "goes bad". And when it does you will know, it will break and the car will sit un-even.
It sounds like the compression valving of your struts is bad. That would mean new you need new struts. However, we would all like a little more info about what it is doing. I've never drivin into a a canyon before so I don't know what that means.
Here, answer these questions. Does it seem to float over bumps? Does it bottom out after a bump? Does it just hit the bump really hard? What about dips in the road? Answer these questions and elaborate a little, and I can help more.
Go Go OG Traction!!
k i apologize for the lack of information...im at work and am kinda in a rush. Thanks for the help so far i appreciate you guysa tryin to help.
Now that i have more time ill elaborate, the car is riding very sloppy. Every bump i hit the car takes it real hard. Hence the use of the canyon as an example. It is all four corners, like it is the ride of the car in general that is rough. There is no noise being made by any of the 4 coreners of the car.
One other question, from what i understand, the only way a spring can go bad is if it breaks? I was under the impression that they can get worn out too?
Thanks again
Hmm... I am still kinda confused. You say the car rides sloppy, and that makes me think it rides loose and floaty, like an old caddilac. Then you say it hits hard, which sounds like the struts are just too stiff. I think it is just bottoming out, meaning the stuts are worn and there is no damping force anymore. But again, it is hard to diagnose suspension problems over the internet.
As for springs wearing, they do sag, but they aren't really wearing out. The car will get lower, but it won't really ride much different.
Go Go OG Traction!!
k thanks alot man....iu dunno its really hrd to explain cuz every word i try and use one way someone interprets it another. lol. But pretty much it bottoms out every once in a while....and its a rly rough ride. Im juts gonna go buy a set of struts and hope that fixes the problem. Anyone have any opinions on the KYB GR2 struts?
Push down on one corner of the car. If it comes right back up and settles, the strut is good. If it bounces several times, its bad. The only thing a damper (I used the word damper here, because although a strut is a damper, it also locates another suspension part, so thats not the only thing a strut does, but it IS the only thing a damper does) does is slow down spring oscillations, so if its bad, the spring is going to oscillate and only the weight of the car will slow it down. Do that test and see whats going on.
