how exactly do you know when it's time shocks/springs to be replaced?

I guess the best sign would be excessive floatiness over big dips on the highway. My Tokico Illumina 2s were getting like this after about 90,000 km of hard usage, including about 6 or 7 days of open-track events with R-compound tires. I found the rear of my car to be getting soft and taking too long to settle down after going over large dips, esp. at 75 + mph. So I've changed the rars for a pair of Konis for now, that fixed a lot of it. The fronts aren't so bad, so I'll wait until winter to do them. Scott, figure that if your car has original shocks, and more than about 120,000 km, they're probably due for replacement. Springs don't generally need to be replaced as soon, however, I've seen T-Birds with busted coil springs here in Toronto. But that's likely due to corrosion caused by winter road salt, they just use sand where you are, don't they ?

cheers
Ed Nicholson
SCCoO
 
doh...so pushing closer to about 210,000km with original shocks n springs, and where they use salt on the roads too and i drive in the winter, i should be lookin at new shocks n springs n stuff lol.


Ahh well gonna have to wait for a bit, unless someone else pays for it lol. Tires are enough money...damn sheets of rubber.
 
fast ed N can you give me the part numbers and prices for your shocks? Did you put them on yourself? if not how much was the labor? The rear of my car feels like i have constant hydrolics :)
Also did they bolt right up without welding?


edit : i looked them up online and found them to be more expensive then the tokico's. i was hoping for a lower priced alternative that bolted right on. any ideas?

thanks
 
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How much are the factory replacements from the dealer ? Up here in the GWN, they are about $125 CAN each. There used to be some available from Ford under an old part number listed for 94 - 95 SC rear, they were CHEAP !! I was selling a ton of them at $52 CAN each, all I could get my hands on in fact. Sold about a dozen pair to SCCoO guys, all gone now though.

Shocks are like tires I think, it's a "You get what you pay for" situation. The Konis are a premium product, and are priced accordingly. I like pushing the corners very hard because of my road-racing background, and these will get the job done. But if you're not as demanding of your car's handling, then a lower-priced alternative will do. If you're not concerned about having to disable the factory ride control system, maybe check a price on KYB shocks as well. Where did you check pricing ? Did you try www.shox.com ? I think their prices are usually pretty competitive.

cheers
Ed N.
 
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