Rear struts-how often to replace?

[Russell]

I have 157,000 miles and have never replaced the rear struts. My indy mechanic says they last a very long time and mine do not need replacing. just seems illogical. Opinions? TIA

[93AlpineII]

If you've kept your front struts fresh, you've kept the car from bouncing / flexing in ways it shouldn't, which also helps prolong life of rear ones. I would guess that you've replaced front ones and kept alignment correct, tire pressure, etc. This, in my experiences, has a lot to do with rear ones staying tout, as they just don't have the same work load. Plus, if you've driven the car responsibly and have a good % of highway miles, it justifies them being OK even more so. Just my 2 cents...

[Russell]

Thanks for your comments. Yes my front struts are reasonably fresh, about 35,000 miles ago, upper trust arms replaced and mostly highway miles for me.

[Tiger]

Depends on what is installed... if you put in Boge, Sach and similars, you probably have to change them every 70,000 miles.

If you installed Koni or Bilstein, you never have to change again.

If you don't replace your rear shocks, what will happen is that when you hit a bump, the car will lose control from rear. For example, on wet road and around a bend... if there is a bump just before the bend, your rear will slide out and spin you around.

You might be able to tell if your rear is bad for a long time... the tire is cupping... run your hand through the tire threads... if highs and lows are felt, it is definitely bad. The wear is from all the bouncing. HOWEVER, this is rarely the case in modern cars...

In any case, you have to decide... is it worth the risk of getting into an accident... you, your family, loved one... etc? Definitely not. You are right that the mechanic is BSing you.

[Russell]

Thanks, Yep, I feel some instability on curves with bumps. Even felt it slip a bit in the wet on curves. Come to think of it I had the rear slip out without warning on ice this winter! Caused an accident and $2,500 worth of front end repair. Shocks could have been partially the reason as was worn tires. (see below)

Never had cupping on the rear with my old tires. Ny newer ones only have 6,000 miles and have not noticed an issue.

I think new rear struts are in the works!

[Tiger]

Yeah... ice is the easiest to test the shocks... although too dangerous as you know. Good decision and I am glad to help.

My dad once had a Caddy... the big one RWD... that had a self leveling rear shocks... We replaced the front with Bilstein long long long ago... but we never changed the rear as it is super pricy until a couple of years before we gave it away, My dad keeps getting spinout on a curve uphill road we always drive on... snow and rain day... We finally replaced it and it was affordable... and all that spinout is gone. We had dedicated Blizzak snow tires on all 4 wheels and it kept getting spinout... just to let you know that we didn't skimp on tires...

[BMW4LIFE]

I have 162K on my e34 and i just found out that my rear struts are leaking (a good sign that they are due for a change....are yours leaking)

but like it was said...if i take a corner too fast i notice my rear wanting to go its own way...i think they are going to be replaced this sat...ill let you know how it differs

p.s. when it doubt...replace it...especially when it comes to the safety of your loved ones;)

[schnell944]

I am guessing my rear struts are shot as my rear wheels will spin with absolute ease in any mildly damp conditions....planning on getting shocks and struts replaced next week.

[BMWCCA1]

If you installed Koni or Bilstein, you never have to change again.Ahh, the innocence of youth! How many dead sets of Konis or Bilsteins would you like to see? I'm not saying they're not the best choice, just that to imply they never wear out is a bit naive. Sort of like suggesting bad shocks is the cause of spin-outs on ice! ;)