Just wondering how you know when it is time to replace the shocks. Also, I looked into Bilstein's, since my L is a 2000, and they claim that you MAY not have to replace them for the life of the vehicle, but my wife's 2000 GMC Jimmy with 46000 miles on it and factory Bilsteins has definately degraded ride quality from when it was brand new. So is there a rule as to how long they last? And are the Bilstein's they carry at AutoZone the same as the factory part #'s for our trucks?

Any help would be great,
Bill

 

When they are shot you will have alot more body roll, and especially in our trucks a softer ride.

 

If your looking for a set of Bilsteins, I have a full set off my 2002, with 5,000 miles on em! Let me know.

-Mike

 

I'm intersted in those shocks!

 

I'd pm YOU BUT THE "ADMINISTRSATOR HAS DISABLED PRIVATE MESSAGING"

can you e-mail me

nawrockm@cooley.edu

 

I have 38K on my original Bilsteins and I am starting to feel some degradation in ride quality. If when you hit a bump on the freeway and there is more than one "oscillation" after you hit a bump, that's a good sign they are getting weak. Also, you might notice that the body will lean more in one direction than the other. Springs or bars generally won't cause that, but shocks tend to wear more unevenly(not all four go bad at once), so you will sometimes feel a difference right to left.

Personally, I love the balance between ride and handling that SVT developed, I'll stick with Billsteins when I swap.

Hope this helps, Randy

 

I have 15K miles on my Roush bilstein shocks. I think they are going fast. I'll probably replace with QA1's.

 

Thanx for the help guys, you are helping me out for my truck and my wife's. It is funny that you said that Randy because I can look at my wife's Jimmy from the back and can see that it is leaning a little to the drivers side . That and what others have said worries me about Bilstein's now since she only has 46000 miles and when I contacted Bilstein today they said original equipment shocks are not covered for life, just under the manufacturers warranty. Mecca thanx for the offer but right now I am in the info gathering process so sell them to the other guy if he wants them.

Thanx again,
Bill

 

Ooops, I was a bit unclear, sorry about that. I meant while driving the car could lean in one direction more than the other with one bad shock.

Shock absorbers, at rest, have very little "spring action". They only serve to slow down and "damp" roll when they are being actuated(like over a bump or in corners). They do exert a spring force, but it is very small compared to the coils or leafs.

I regard Bilsteins as one of the best OEM shocks around. I'd be curious to see if mine at 38K miles are still within spec, but not too many people around here have shock dynos.

Randy