How often should I change my car's struts?

Struts wear out over time and as a result cause a rough ride in the vehicle. The type of struts you have and the types of roads on which you drive are among the factors that determine when you need to replace the struts.

Why to Change Struts

Bad struts affect not only ride quality, but safety as well. For example, worn struts increase the stopping distance for a vehicle. Good struts limit the amount of weight transfer to the front of the vehicle during stopping, whereas bad struts allow more weight to be transferred to the front, throwing off the vehicle's balance and increasing stopping distance.

Additionally, bad struts cause excessive body sway when the vehicle turns. This has the potential to cause a spinout, which could lead to an accident. Struts in good condition control vehicle rebound and body sway, and allow the vehicle to be more controlled during everyday driving situations.

When to Change Struts

There are two ways to determine whether your struts need replacing. The first is ride harshness. If you feel that your vehicle rides worse and bounces much more than it used to, then this is a sure sign that your struts aren't doing what they were designed to do, which is to control the spring rebound. The second method of determining whether your struts need replacing is to inspect them. Raise the vehicle and place it on jack stands. Using a flashlight, look for any oil seepage. If a strut is soaked with oil, it has failed internally and needs replacement. A more general guideline to follow is to replace the struts every 50,000 miles.

Why Some Struts Wear Out Faster

There are two reasons some struts wear out quicker than others. One is road conditions. If you drive in places that have a lot of potholes, speed bumps and rough surfaces, your struts will have to work overtime to dampen the spring rebound, and consequently wear faster.

The other factor is the quality of parts in the strut. Cheaper struts use a low-quality coating that causes a high level of friction between the strut cylinder wall and piston. High-quality struts use a better quality of cylinder and piston coating to inhibit high friction, and thus last longer.

Source:

Monroe Shocks and Struts

Aamco Shocks and Struts