Normal Shock Replacement Timeframe

[Ytailhtr]

What is the normal/average life of the struts and shocks on the Honda Pilot, or any car for that matter....I have over 60,000 on my 2004 Pilot and while it rides nice (or does it?....as shocks go bad gradually and so do we really feel them go bad?!?!) I was wondering when would be an average timeframe for strut/shock replacement....seems like my other vehicles in the past have been in that 70,000 range, but with the newer technology it may be longer.....so someone help me out here PLEASE....I am making up my own list of what services I will have done in the future and when.....

Thanks, Kelly

[andyschneider]

Modern shocks/struts are gas charged, and tend to last a very long time. But the length of time is dependent on the use of the vehicle - for stuff like towing, hauling, lots of rough roads, etc. Here in NH they have required annual safety inspections, and their rule of thumb is that if they're leaking you need to replace them, if not they're OK. And you can't use the old "push the bumper and see if it bounces more than once" method with gas shocks either.

So - the short answer is that I wouldn't plan on anything really soon, as these could last well into their 100k range. But the seat or your pants and the feel of the steering will tell you most of all whether it needs changing, as well as the wear on your tires.

I don't think you'll get a specific answer here....

andy

[rockman19762001]

They shocks on the 03 Pilot lasted 55,000 miles, before they began to creak and pop. The 4 struts are still OK, at 65,700 miles. I never noticed a ride change, I am guessing because the shocks go bad over a very long time. However, when I had them changed I could tell immediately that the ride had improved tremendously. Hope, this helps!

[Dano]

I've got 125k on the pilot and still have the original struts/shocks.

I've been wondering when to replace them, but I can't report the ride as being terribly harsh. It's bumpier than it used to be, but not much. Still smooth as silk on well paved roads. And when I hit bumps, it absorbs them -you feel it - but it doesn't keep bouncing up and down. And the car still handles great.

So I'm pretty much lost about putting new struts/shocks on the vehicle. Have no clue if I need them.

On my last car, a dodge ram pickup, I replaced them and felt absolutely no difference.

So go figure.

[ctobio]

My clue for replacement of struts is how much rebound you get when going over a dip in the road. Your butt should not feel a second bounce after the first.

This will vary based on road conditions where you drive. My VW Passat spent the first 2 years in Queens, NY. After 70,000 miles, the rears had had it. I bought all 4, replaced the rears, and it turned out that 80% of my ride issues were the rears- and this car rarely gets loaded. I'm going to do the fronts one of these weekends.

So, the butt bounce test is one, and another test is the bump-steer test. If hitting a bump makes the car want to shift laterally, the front struts are shot.

You could also do the bumper push test. You should encounter decent resistance pushing down one end of the car. It should also rebound, but not bounce excessively.

Unfortunately, the only aftermarket struts appear to be Monroes. I hope that by the time my '06 Pilot needs them, that Bilstein will have a part number.

[Dano]

Well,

I just replaced my Michelin Cross Terrains with Goodyear Triple Treds and they ride improved dramatically.

I think after 65k on the Cross Terrains, they were a bit tired, cause the ride is really much, much better.


Think I'm going to hold off on new struts/shocks for a while.

[whizmo]

It's difficult to put too fine a point on this for a couple of reasons: a) shock life very much depends on the roads and climate a car is used in; and b) the deteoriation is slow and whether it's significant depends on how sensitive a driver you are.

I'd certainly replace any shock/strut that is leaking, but waiting until they leak is probably waiting too long. If it were my car, I'd replace them during a general refurbishment (perhaps taking care of other major maintenance like belts, hoses, CV joints, suspension bushings, etc.) somewhere north of 75K or possibly a bit earlier if I felt the car was handling poorly. I wouldn't take them beyond 100K. A lot would depend on whether I was planning on keeping the car long-term - I wouldn't replace them if I was thinking of trading in a year.

- Mark