Shock Absorbers Gone Bad?

[AIB]

Hey,

What are the symptoms of shock absorbers in need of changing?

And

How can I check if my shock absorbers really do need changing (Diagnostics, Bounce test?) ?

Anyone know the cost of OEM front shock absorbers?

Thanks...

[cvhs18472]

When shocks go bad they will show signs of leaking around the piston. Otherwise they are OK. If the ride is getting worse, you can also check springs, motor mounts, suspension parts. Ed

[1schoir]

Hey,

What are the symptoms of shock absorbers in need of changing?

And

How can I check if my shock absorbers really do need changing (Diagnostics, Bounce test?) ?

Anyone know the cost of OEM front shock absorbers?

Thanks...

The bounce test is only good when the shocks get really bad.

In that case, when you press on one of the four corners up and down, that side will tend to keep traveling up and down as opposed to coming to a fairly quick halt once you stop applying momentum.

Because of the firmness of the stock shocks and the "thinness" of the sheet metal, you have to be careful not to dent the sheet metal when pressing down.

Worn shocks will also give you the feeling that the car is "wandering" when going over rough or uneven pavement.

Regards, Maurice.

[berty987]

If your car is equipped with PASM dampers testing them is very difficult. With the ignition off , the damper reverts to sport setting and is at its most firm, therefore a bounce test is useless. The PASM dampers can fail internally with no outward signs of oil seepage. This is difficult to test unless the damper is put on a dynamic load test rig. One simple test for a damper is its temperature , if you drive the car on equal corners and load conditions for about an hour both dampers on each axle should be about the same temperature. If one feels excessively hot it suggests the one on the other side isn't doing its work so the hot damper is taking more load , so getting hotter. This simple check was proven out with my PASM dampers , the test rig results showed one was under performing significantly. In reality its usually best practice to replace as a pair.

[AIB]

If your car is equipped with PASM dampers testing them is very difficult. With the ignition off , the damper reverts to sport setting and is at its most firm, therefore a bounce test is useless. The PASM dampers can fail internally with no outward signs of oil seepage. This is difficult to test unless the damper is put on a dynamic load test rig. One simple test for a damper is its temperature , if you drive the car on equal corners and load conditions for about an hour both dampers on each axle should be about the same temperature. If one feels excessively hot it suggests the one on the other side isn't doing its work so the hot damper is taking more load , so getting hotter. This simple check was proven out with my PASM dampers , the test rig results showed one was under performing significantly. In reality its usually best practice to replace as a pair.

Thanks for the advice....

The bounce check wasn't really showing anything since the car was very stiff when parked and off, I do have pasm. My car does feel a little bouncy on un even roads but I'm not sure if its the shock absorbers being damaged or just the state of the roads and the cars reaction to them.... Anyways my main problem is the steering wheel wandering (tugging to the right mainly) on uneven roads at high speeds, I think I have isolated it to a worn out bushing on the right control arm (steering feels lose at high speeds and when i make a full right turn the front right wheel feels like its slipping or tugging, hard to explain in words). My mechanic says any bushing for the control arms is not sold separately and we will need to order the whole control arm set if we want to change a bushing, is this true?

And if the absorbers do turn out to be damaged does my warranty cover them? If so I will send the car to the dealer to repair.

Thanks again for all the help...

[berty987]

The shock absorbers will not be covered under a porsche warranty as they are classified as wear and tear items. My boxster 987 which has an identical front end to the 997 had similar issues with occasional wandering on cambers. It turned out the inner ball joint on the steering rack was worn giving about 2mm of free play on one side. With two people checking the car, one on the steering , the other underneath , its simple enough to check if the inner or outer joints are worn. The suspension arm bush is best replaced as a complete unit as rebushing is only for professionals and needs to be done with the same material as the other side or you do both sides at the same time. Rebushing is done with aftermarket bushes as Porsche don't sell the rubber inserts as spare parts. After any work on the suspension you really need to have the suspension re aligned and checked.