# Bad struts?



## pksjay (Oct 27, 2002)

How can you tell if your struts are bad? I have a 1996 B14 and i not sure if it needs them or not. Car has 85K on it. it is only a commuter car, not at all geared for performance. All suspension is stock


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## 97PocketRocket (Jul 31, 2002)

pksjay said:


> How can you tell if your struts are bad? I have a 1996 B14 and i not sure if it needs them or not. Car has 85K on it. it is only a commuter car, not at all geared for performance. All suspension is stock


If the car rolls over and plays dead when you make slow, very uninspiring sharp turns (like turning onto a street or into your driveway) or bottoms out excessively on bumps that are really not that bad or it has fluid leaking down the side of the shock body or the car is considerably lower (sag, but that can also be bad springs too) than the same year with known good shocks/struts then it's bad most likely.

Most suspension will give out at your mileage but it depends heavily on how often you haul heavy stuff or passengers as well as how bad the roads are where you drive it most often.

I had to replace mine about a year and a half ago with only 60k miles on a '97 thanks to driving through Louisiana down I-10, the 6 inch deep 1 foot wide rut every 10 feet finally shredded the poor stock struts and shocks and about wore out my springs after a half dozen trips.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

pksjay said:


> How can you tell if your struts are bad? I have a 1996 B14 and i not sure if it needs them or not. Car has 85K on it. it is only a commuter car, not at all geared for performance. All suspension is stock


Give it the bounce test. Park the car on level pavement, and push down each corner of the car individually. The car should bounce once, then return to its original position. The car may or may not make a quick hissing sound on rebound. This is normal. If the struts hiss at any other time, the car bounces more than once, or you experience any of the symptoms 97pocketrocket described, you will need new struts.


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