wholeinone

Hi,

I just bought this car off my mom so I'm trying to make sure I take good care of it

Anyways, I took it in for an oil change and mentioned to them that the car felt a little too bouncy on the freeway when I was going over bumps, potholes, etc. They came back and told me that I needed new rear struts for sure and that the front struts were worn out too and those should probably be replaced. The car has 100k miles on it, so I think this seems reasonable. I think the mechanic said the shock was going into the boot and getting stuck or something like that?

Either way, I knew the shocks were messed up, and probably needed to be replaced but the estimate came in at $1,400 for parts($950) and labor($450). I looked up some mcpherson shocks online(I think this is the kind I need?) and they were ~$150. I'll probably take it into a local mechanic that I trust to get a second quote and to do the work if need be.

What is a fair price for this service and do I need to do all four or just the rear two? Will the rear shocks be over-compensating for the front if I only replace them?

What is the difference between a shock and a strut?

Do I need an alignment afterwards?

Is there any downside to not replacing shocks/struts other than my ride will be a little more bouncey?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm trying to learn a little more about this car. I'm an engineer so feel free to explain anything technically and I should understand

Thanks so much!

cartman57

Welcome!!
Check this link out...........
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...truts-diy.html

And.......http://www.differencebetween.net/obj...ks-and-struts/

Adamjeeps

Definitely do not go to the dealer unless you have to have fancy coffee and a big tv to watch.

Get a second opinion from a established repair shop. Sometimes they run deals for free install if you buy from them. Many stealerships don't even provide good service anymore, based on posts here.

wholeinone

Cool thanks for the advice, when I tested the shocks by forcefully pressing on the bumper, there was no bouncing, so I'm thinking the shocks may be ok. I'll probably get down there and look at them at some point, but not sure what to look for. How do you tell if shocks need to be replaced visually?

Is there any downside to not replacing shocks if they need to be?

Jumper73

Bounce test is a good indicator, however not sure if pressing on the "bumper" of the car is most effective way (although I know it's the old school way to testing shocks in a rush).

Check this: http://www.monroe.com.au/trade-corne...nd-struts.html

I would suggest as this site says, do a road test for squat, dive, roll/sway as this is a pretty clear indicator. You said car was bouncy on bumps and potholes, that is also a good initial indicator, although SUV tends to be a bit bouncy in general compared to sedans.

Good visual indicator is any oil leaks on shocks themselves. If there are any leaks, it's time to replace.

There are plenty of downside and great dangers if you don't replace it. It''ll take greater distance to stop (especially emergency braking where you break HARD), create roll/sway condition where you can lose control of vehicle, and lose of control when you hit bumps/holes on freeway speeds (and sometimes even lower speeds).

Jumper73

Copied from another site.. good information though.

DANGERS OF WORN SHOCKS

POOR ROADHOLDING: Worn shocks are unable to keep the tyre in contact with the road or even out excessive spring movement and the car becomes more difficult to control on the road and a danger to the driver, passenger and other road users.

WORN TYRES: With the worn shock not being able to keep the tyre in contact with the road, it bounces on the road causing worn flat spots on the tyre which reduces the life of the tyre by a huge margin – expensive.

POOR BRAKING: When a car brakes with worn shocks the tyres tend to bounce causing the tyre to loose contact with the road and extends the stopping distance by an extra 2.6m from 80km/h in the dry ! The difference between hitting someone or not. ABS braking systems are even more affected.

AQUAPLANING: Normally this happens when there is some water on the road and your car’s tyres are worn, as you go over the film of water the tyre lifts off the road and you have complete loss of control. The same thing can happen if you have worn shocks – Even if your tyres are good !

COMPONENT WEAR: Due to the extra movement of the suspension with worn shocks this causes other suspension and steering components to wear out quicker – expensive.

HEADLIGHT DAZZLE: Your car will bounce more causing the headlights to blind oncoming traffic – dangerous.

FATIGUE: With the long distances we have to travel in South Africa it’s easy to tire on long journeys, this is made worse when your car’s shocks are worn as you now have to concentrate more on keeping the car on the road (even if you are not aware that you are doing it), this tires you more easily – dangerous.