Shocks need not be leaking to be worn-out or weak. In fact, many people drive on worn shocks without realizing it. While they won’t stop you from driving, worn shocks will make your vehicle handle poorly, and that makes driving tiring.

Mileage alone is a poor indicator for shock condition. Some shocks work reasonably well after 40,000 miles and premium shocks might perform for 100,000 miles.

The best way to evaluate your shocks by driving over familiar roads. Your course should include corning, braking and have a variety of smooth and rough surfaces. The accompanying list will give you some shock evaluation guidelines to consider as you note the car’s handling behavior while driving your course.

Worn or Weak Shock Characteristics

• Excessive suspension rebound, float or bottoming
• Wander, poor tracking or poor steering response
• Excessive body wallow or lean during lane changes or cornering
• Corner to Corner pitch (corkscrewing motion) during cornering
• Excessive front end dive during braking
• Excessive brake lock-up
• ABS engages too quickly and often
• Poor adhesion on rough surfaces, like railroad crossings
• Harsh ride quality