FR SPORT (2019) Shocks query.

[Steve Caney]

I have only done 33,000 miles and car is 6 1/2 years old, but I live on an estate with lots of speed bumps and taking missus to/from work means a lot of shorter journeys

What is the average lifetime of shocks? considering the above?
I have had misting advisories on service/MOT, but no obvious shock failure.

I also have DCC so its going to be expensive as well as I would also replace springs bushes at same time.

Thanks in advance

 

[SuperV8]

My rear shocks were absolutely knackered at 90,000 - like the piston would fall with no resistance! My driving is mostly A roads/dual carriage ways and motorways - so not really taxing the dampers much compared to local roads?
I had had 'misting' advisories on several MOT's - but it never failed. The handling got a little 'weird' with a strange yaw - only subtle even with knackered rear shocks.
There is only a finite amount of oil - so if they are misting, this oil is slowly escaping!
They are also gas filled - so if the oil is escaping the gas has probably also escaped - and the gas helps with the ride quality of the shock.

 

[SuperV8]

Regarding springs - I'm of the opinion if your ride height is correct (so they aren't sagging) - and they aren't badly corroded, no harm in re-using them, obviously new top mounts for the fronts.
My rear damper top mounts were perfectly fine.

 

[DEAN0]

I have only done 33,000 miles and car is 6 1/2 years old, but I live on an estate with lots of speed bumps and taking missus to/from work means a lot of shorter journeys

What is the average lifetime of shocks? considering the above?
I have had misting advisories on service/MOT, but no obvious shock failure.

I also have DCC so its going to be expensive as well as I would also replace springs bushes at same time.

Thanks in advance

DCC shocks are no longer daft money.
OEM DCC shocks are Monroe

Autodoc are doing DCC Monroe shocks under £100 a corner.

 

[DaveS]

FWIW the rear shock on my car started failing at over 90,000 which was 9 years. Though they just showed a misting of oil, I really noticed the difference with new ones fitted. I don't drive very gently either and we have plenty of bumpy roads where I am.

 

[Mr Pig]

At your car's age and millage I'd be very surprised if the shocks are broken. I've seen so many bullshit advisories I ignore most of them. Either the shocks work or they don't. They're not allowed to bounce the car anymore so they effectively cannot test the shocks. Maybe this pisses them off, i don't know but I do think they give a lot more advisories for misting these days.

 

[BillyCool]

My 184 ST had my rear shocks done about 90,000 miles as well. The car start to shimmy a bit at the back on overtakes on country roads. New ones were consirably better. 33,000 seems quite low mileage but I guess it depends what sort of driving life it has had.

 

[G.P]

One of my rears misted at 9,000 miles, with the replacement also misting after 9000 miles..

 

[Mr Pig]

One of my rears misted at 9,000 miles, with the replacement also misting after 9000 miles..

I ignore misting, no way I'd replace shocks because of it. They could work for years after a report of misting. The seals could tighten up and the misting stops. I've had misting on several MOTs, with different cars, and I've not replaced a shock yet. My daughters Toledo had a shopping list of advisories including misting. I didn't check the shocks but I knew the other advisories were absolute bullshit. I don't know why some MOT testers do that, but they do.

 

[G.P]

I ignore misting, no way I'd replace shocks because of it. They could work for years after a report of misting. The seals could tighten up and the misting stops. I've had misting on several MOTs, with different cars, and I've not replaced a shock yet. My daughters Toledo had a shopping list of advisories including misting. I didn't check the shocks but I knew the other advisories were absolute bullshit. I don't know why some MOT testers do that, but they do.

Depends how quickly they mist for me but on both occasions the car was under 3 so the garage replaced then at no cost to me..

 

[SuperV8]

I ignore misting, no way I'd replace shocks because of it. They could work for years after a report of misting. The seals could tighten up and the misting stops. I've had misting on several MOTs, with different cars, and I've not replaced a shock yet. My daughters Toledo had a shopping list of advisories including misting. I didn't check the shocks but I knew the other advisories were absolute bullshit. I don't know why some MOT testers do that, but they do.

I 'ignored' my MOT misting advisories for three years - this is the result!
Looking back on old photos my car at the time was on about 110,000miles, and 8 years old.

Leon ST knackered rear shocks at 110,000 miles

youtube.com

Even with the dampers this bad the usual bounce test didn't show anything obvious!
There is a finite amount of oil in your dampers - if it is misting - it is leaking/escaping.
We obviously have no way to quantify the quantity which is leaking.

 

[nd-photo.nl]

@SuperV8 that is knackered indeed

 

[SuperV8]

@SuperV8 that is knackered indeed

They were both similarly 'knackered' - so it wasn't a one off..

 

[nd-photo.nl]

Then you absolutely made the right decision

 

[Mo_86]

I 'ignored' my MOT misting advisories for three years - this is the result!
Looking back on old photos my car at the time was on about 110,000miles, and 8 years old.

Leon ST knackered rear shocks at 110,000 miles

youtube.com

Even with the dampers this bad the usual bounce test didn't show anything obvious!
There is a finite amount of oil in your dampers - if it is misting - it is leaking/escaping.
We obviously have no way to quantify the quantity which is leaking.

I just had my two rear shocks replaced, one had oil misting the other hardly any.
Both you could press down with your hands, not as bad as your video but they shouldn't move at all.

 

[SuperV8]

I just had my two rear shocks replaced, one had oil misting the other hardly any.
Both you could press down with your hands, not as bad as your video but they shouldn't move at all.

How many miles/what age car?
Yes, new ones are very stiff to push by hand.

 

[Mo_86]

2019, 55k miles.
The shocks were Sachs stamped nov 2018.
I think any misting should warrant an inspection.
I know its a lot of work especially on the front end but you only know how bad they are when you press them with your hands.

 

[Mo_86]

Also this might be a flawed test but the new shocks have a hiss when pressing down on the boot.
This was missing from my old shocks, the fronts still do it and have no misting.