swchang
04-22-2017, 09:09 AM
I have a 2004 sedan. I'm at about 179,000 miles. Probably 3/4 of that mileage is highway driving, but it's been in Manhattan and Baltimore for many years, and so has been through some serious potholes. I noticed about half a year ago that when I went over bumps my car would bounce more than I was used to. When I cornered, any bump or road imperfection would cause the rear to feel like it would lose contact with the road for a second.
I brought my car to NTB, a tire shop, to balance my wheels this week and the tech noticed that my left rear spring is broken. He thinks it's because the coating is peeling, which caused it to rust and weaken. The rear shocks were also leaking very badly. So, he recommended replacing both rear shocks and springs.
However, he also recommended replacing the front struts. He said they should be replaced every 100k miles. (He also said the rear springs and shocks should be replaced every 80-100k miles.) Given that I'm almost at 180k, I'm well past 100k. I haven't noticed any squatting of the front of the car when I have to stop suddenly, though.
I would like to keep my car another 2-3 years at least, and ideally as long as it will last. I drive about 18k miles a year, most of which is highway. I would therefore put at least another 36-54k miles on it.
Given all of the above, should I go ahead and replace the struts now or just wait until I notice symptoms of failure?
Also, should I replace anything else while I'm having the springs and shocks (and maybe the struts) replaced? I've read something about bushings and mounts and control arms in other threads.
I plan to stick with oem zhp parts, btw, unless there is a strong consensus that certain aftermarket parts are substantially better.
Thanks in advance.
I brought my car to NTB, a tire shop, to balance my wheels this week and the tech noticed that my left rear spring is broken. He thinks it's because the coating is peeling, which caused it to rust and weaken. The rear shocks were also leaking very badly. So, he recommended replacing both rear shocks and springs.
However, he also recommended replacing the front struts. He said they should be replaced every 100k miles. (He also said the rear springs and shocks should be replaced every 80-100k miles.) Given that I'm almost at 180k, I'm well past 100k. I haven't noticed any squatting of the front of the car when I have to stop suddenly, though.
I would like to keep my car another 2-3 years at least, and ideally as long as it will last. I drive about 18k miles a year, most of which is highway. I would therefore put at least another 36-54k miles on it.
Given all of the above, should I go ahead and replace the struts now or just wait until I notice symptoms of failure?
Also, should I replace anything else while I'm having the springs and shocks (and maybe the struts) replaced? I've read something about bushings and mounts and control arms in other threads.
I plan to stick with oem zhp parts, btw, unless there is a strong consensus that certain aftermarket parts are substantially better.
Thanks in advance.