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Struts Leaking
I have a 2008 Red HHR 2.4 LT and I love it. It has 71,000 miles. My mechanic states one of the front stuts is leaking. He recommends replacing the pair of struts and the rear shocks also. I do not see any problem right now, but should I go ahead and do the struts at $250/each. Anybody out tthere of the qualitity of the struts.
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Welcome to the site sthompson the search feature should pull up a bunch of information on struts & such.
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Title changed to reflect gist of thread.
If they are leaking eventually they will have to be taken care of. |
go ahead and replace them, at least the front ones. Bad struts leads to poor handling and poor safety.
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Bounch the front end by hand several times, then release. It it bounces more than 2 times, you need new struts.
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The bounce test is outdated and inaccurate with modern suspensions.
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Originally Posted by bk94si
(Post 561435)
The bounce test is outdated and inaccurate with modern suspensions.
Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 187 Re: Rough ride, strut/suspension question -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strut and Shock Absorber Inspection (Strut) Note: The strut assembly DOES NOT have to be removed from the vehicle to perform the following inspection procedure. Note: A light film of oil on the top portion of the strut is normal. DO NOT replace the strut for this condition. Condition 1 Oil or fluid residue only on the bottom of the strut tube or on other strut components and not originating from the shaft seal, is not a strut related problem. DO NOT replace the strut, look for other external leaks. Condition 2 Light film/residue on the strut tube, but not on the spring seat and originating from the shaft seal, is a NORMAL condition. DO NOT replace the strut. Condition 3 Oil drip or trail down the strut tube and originating from the shaft seal, is an ABNORMAL condition. Replace the strut. Condition 4 Extreme wet film of oil covering the strut tube and pooling in the spring seat and originating from the shaft seal, is an ABNORMAL condition. Replace the strut. Inspection Verify the customer's concern is present. If the concern is present, continue to the next step. If the concern is not present, then the vehicle is operating normally. Note: The strut assembly DOES NOT have to be removed from the vehicle to perform the following inspection procedure. Raise and support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle. Visually inspect each of the shock absorbers or struts for external fluid leaks. Refer to the following conditions 1, 2 , 3 , and 4 for visual inspection. • If conditions 1 or 2 are found, continue to step 4. • If conditions 3 or 4 are found, replace strut. Refer to Strut Replacement. If equipped with electronic suspension control system, ensure that the system is working properly. Refer to Diagnostic Starting Point-Electronic Suspension Control. Use your hands in order to lift up and push down on each corner of the vehicle 3 times. Remove your hands from the vehicle. If the corner motion exceeds 2 cycles, replace the strut. If the strut does not exceed 2 cycles, NO repair is necessary. |
I note that conditions 3 & 4 warrant replacement. Are you sure that bounce test isn't referring only to the suspension control system?
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When I was researching whether I needed new struts or not, I was given this as a referance as a visual and testing for strut replacment. Since struts are harder to check verses shocks for the most part, to use this verses dropping a few hundred on struts you may not even need.
Whether is truly accurate or not, it does seem to work. |
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