Ever wondered why youâve not bumped your head on the roof every single time you drive over a speedhump? Well, you can thank your carâs clever suspension for that. Not only does it need to cushion your body (as well as the rest of the car) from all that shaking, but it also needs to make sure you donât bounce around too much. Understandably then, shocks and struts replacement cost isnât something that can be easy on your wallet.
But pay you must, and itâs more than just your discomfort that is at stake. Shocks and struts are among the most crucial components in your carâs suspension. And there are indeed many bits and pieces that co-exist within an automotive suspension system. You can imagine then, that having your entire car, with its many hundreds or thousands of moving parts â all of which need to work within very tight tolerances â bouncing around and swaying about isnât a good idea.
But what exactly are shocks and struts, and what do they do? Arenât shocks and struts the exact same thing? More importantly, if theyâre so integral to your carâs wellbeing, how could they possibly wear out? How can I tell if my shocks or struts need to be replaced? Moreover, how much am I going to have to pay for all this? All very pertinent questions, and ones which weâll hope to answer in our shocks and struts replacement cost guideâŠ
What are the differences between shocks and struts that you need to know?
Shocks and struts both perform similar roles in your carâs suspension. Therefore, a lot of people have made the mistake of using them interchangeably. However, itâs important to understand that they are both different components in their design and structure. So, itâs not a good idea to tell your mechanic to check your carâs âstrutsâ, when you actually meant âshocksâ. As the name may have suggested, struts (unlike shocks) are structural components in a carâs suspension.
Itâs the struts that are what hold the coil springs in place. As they are an integral component in your carâs suspension structure, the struts are also a part of your carâs steering. The struts share responsibility in maintaining the wheel alignment, as one example. Itâs for this reason why â as weâll learn later on in our shocks and struts replacement cost guide â damage to your struts can be felt quite easily through the steering.
Shocks vs. struts
Since they play such a pivotal role, struts can also be expensive to replace. The main role of shocks â or âshock absorbersâ â on the other hand, is to help cushion your car. But even more crucially, shocks also control and moderate the level of the bounciness of your carâs suspension. The coil springs â or just the springs â in your carâs suspension is what absorbs most of the impact and movement. However, itâs the shocks that prevent them from bouncing too much.
Imagine if youâre jumping up and down a trampoline⊠We donât want this on a car. That is what happens when you donât have the shocks. Filled with pressurized gas or hydraulic fluid, shocks are cylindrical tubes that work like pistons. With this in mind, shocks are then able to provide the right amount of resistance against the coil springs extending or compressing too much. In effect, it makes sure your car doesnât jiggle like a bouncy ball every time it goes over a speed hump.
Whatâs causing your carâs shocks and struts to wear out?
So far then, we can understand that your carâs shocks and struts have a lot of key roles to play. But surely if theyâre this important, they shouldnât be able to wear out, right? Well, itâs not as simple as that. Remember that your carâs entire suspension sits in the undercarriage. In other words, it sits outside (and at the bottom) your car and is left exposed to the elements as youâre driving along. This leaves it vulnerable to hitting all kinds of debris.
Add to that, your carâs shocks and struts need to cushion out every little imperfection on the road. This includes speedbumps, potholes, lane markers, cobblestone roads, gravel, stones, and a whole lot more. The most common issue with shocks or struts is leaking, either hydraulic fluids or pressurized gas. This will start appearing as soon as cracks start to form, or if the seals wear out. Once your shocks or struts start leaking, theyâll no longer work as well at cushioning your car.
This will, eventually, lead to prematurely wearing out other strained parts of your carâs suspension. The goods news here is that by design, you shouldnât have to bear shocks and struts replacement cost all too often. Most manufacturers recommend that owners have their shocks and struts checked out every 40,000 to 60,000 miles. But some can last 75,000, 90,000, or even 100,000 miles if you take good care of them.
How can you tell if you need to consider shocks or struts replacement cost?
Among the most common questions in this regard is, âCan I keep driving with worn-out shocks or struts?â In short, we donât recommend it. At least, only for emergencies and very short distances. For a start, driving a car with worn-out shocks or struts is uncomfortable, as youâll have suffered a lot of bumping about. But also, leaving this unfixed can gradually wear out the rest of your car, too. Itâs safe to foresee that the rest of your carâs suspension wonât be all too happy with that much bouncing.
Furthermore, you can imagine that all those sudden jolts and intense impacts reverberated across your car can wear out certain parts faster. For example, mounts or bearings becoming over-stressed, or maybe even shake entire components â like wires or hoses â completely loose. So, being prudent about servicing and replacing your carâs shock and struts will no doubt help to prevent even bigger, more complex, and more expensive repair bills down the line.
However, you wonât be compelled to have them replaced immediately, thankfully. According to some technicians, you can still drive around for a week or two at most with worn-out shocks or struts. Mind you, this is merely a general estimation and doesnât take into account your particular carâs condition. In our case, weâll still highly recommend that you just pay up any necessary shocks and struts replacement cost as soon as you see just one of these symptomsâŠ
1. Your car bouncing around more often than it should
A healthy shock and strut should always maintain your car to be composed. You shouldnât have to feel like youâre sitting in a bouncy castle. So, you can tell that something is wrong with the suspension when your car starts bouncing around excessively every single time you drive over a fairly small obstacle. Most often, we can pinpoint this problem more specifically towards the shocks or struts.
You can try to diagnose this by leaning down and checking your carâs shocks and struts. If you notice that your shocks and struts are looking a bit greasy or oily, then youâll need a replacement soon. Alternatively, see if thereâs a puddle of oily liquids near the base of the tires. As we mentioned earlier in our shocks and struts replacement cost guide, they can wear out and start leaking after a while.
2. Your car rolling a lot while turning
This is called, âbody rollâ, which in short means how much your car leans when itâs turning. Too much body roll can be felt as though your car is about to tip over and fall on its side. If your carâs shocks and struts are in good condition, it should work to prevent excessive body roll. It should keep your car and its four wheels planted firmly in the ground, even if itâs a taller and heavier vehicle like an SUV or truck.
When youâre experiencing this terrifying leaning too far right or left, then itâs another clear sign of suspension problems. Turning across at steeper gradients or doing so too quickly could even cause your car to roll over! Once again, we can point the blame most likely towards worn-out shocks or struts. At the very least, you can still notice this even if youâre not moving. See if your car is leaning more to one side when itâs parked on a flat surface.
3. Your car squatting a lot while accelerating or braking
Other than bouncing up and down, you might also feel that your car is bouncing front and back. You can feel as though your car is dipping in, or diving ahead nose-first into the ground as you press on the brake pedal. Or, you can feel your car squatting hard backward while accelerating. This can be normal even with good suspension, but it shouldnât feel as though the front or rear end is kissing the ground. You could check this for yourself to make sure with a âbounce testâ.
With your car safely in âparkâ, go to the front and press down on the hood with your entire body weight. Release, and count how many times the car bounces. You can then repeat this same step on the back of your car by pressing down on the trunk lid. Either way, if your car bounces more than 2 or 3 times, then you have worn-out shocks and struts. By repeating this both back and front, you can also check more clearly on which side of the car itâs worn out more.
4. You can hear an odd clunking sound after driving over something
Your carâs suspension shouldnât be making any sort of sounds. If you hear a âclunkingâ noise â or any other sort of noise â any time you drive over a bump or hole, then it could point to a worn suspension. In the case of shocks and struts, that clunking sound is what happens when the tires donât stop bouncing around. As we learned so far in our shocks and struts replacement cost guide, shocks and struts are what prevents excessive bouncing, both the body of your car and its wheels.
5. You notice uneven tread wear on your carâs tires
An extension of our previous point, a lot of a shockâs and strutâs wellbeing can be seen with the state of your tires. If your tires are bouncing around a lot, you can feel this with vibrations through the steering wheel. But if youâre not able to feel this symptom from the steering, then you can inspect your tires just to make sure. If your carâs shocks or struts are worn out, it wonât be able to maintain your carâs composure as stably as it once did.
This means that itâll put more pressure and strain on one side or a set of tires more than others. Check your tires for any uneven tread wear. It might show itself along the inner or outer walls of your tires. You can also look out for the pattern of the wearing itself. Normally, a carâs tires should wear out evenly across the entire width of the tire. But with a potentially faulty suspension, the uneven wear might appear as a wave-like pattern.
How much is the shocks and struts replacement cost that you should worry about?
Now that youâve patiently waited long enough, itâs a good time to discuss more on financials. Remember that thereâs a lot of different components working together in your carâs suspension. From the coil spring itself, control arms, ball joints, sway bar, bushings, and a whole lot more than requires attention. Overall, the average cost for repairing or replacing the entire suspension system is around $1,000 to $5,000.
If we narrow it down a bit further, we can note that the average shocks and struts replacement cost sit somewhere in the range between just $200 to $1,500. This price goes out for a whole set for your entire car, meaning four shocks and four struts. Although, know that struts are more expensive, and you can expect to pay at least four digits for just a pair. You could also see this price go up even higher if you have a higher performance or heavy-duty vehicle.
For instance, sports cars, pickup trucks, or specialized 4Ă4 off-roaders. In this case, a complete shocks and struts replacement cost for all corners could set you back anywhere from $2,000 to upwards of $5,000. Itâs not easy to find an exact price tag for your vehicle. However, there are easy ways to do this. You can ring up your local mechanic or dealership for a quote. Or, you can find them online on sites like RepairPal, RepairSmith, YourMechanic, AutoGuru, Fixter, and more.
Can you replace just a single shock or strut?
There have been times when we try to skimp out on shelling out for full shocks and struts replacement costs by just replacing only one. For example, instead of changing both shocks and struts on the front axle, you only do this on one side. Itâs tempting to save on your hard-earned money, but we donât recommend that you do this. Firstly, replacing them only on one side will cause uneven wear, as one shock or strut works better than the other.
As weâve learned earlier, this will eventually result in your tires wearing out quicker and youâll need to replace those. Now, youâll have to worry about tire rebalancing and extra labor costs. Aside from that, itâll also wear out the rest of your carâs suspension prematurely, which will cost you a whole lot more in repairs. Depending on your mechanicâs prognosis, we definitely recommend changing out entire pairs, such as both the front or rear shocks and struts.
What affects the shocks and struts replacement cost?
Thereâs a lot of different factors at play when it comes to determining how much your shocks and struts replacement cost will be. The make and model of your vehicle is one way. Luxury cars will no doubt charge you more, as the shocks and struts on a Mercedes will assuredly be different than those on a Honda. Then, youâll need to see where youâre going to send your car off to. Official dealers have always had a higher price tag on them than independent workshops.
Next, weâll need to know how much rust is present in your car. The more rust there is around the suspension â which is normal in older cars â the more time and effort itâll take to complete the repair. In turn, this added complexity will add more hours for the fix to be done, which means a higher labor cost. On average, you can expect that a complete set of shocks and struts can be replaced fully within 2 to 4 hours.
Diverging a bit into the overall suspension, know that modern cars have more complex and clever setups. This can include innovative tech like active damping or air suspension. These advanced suspension designs are no doubt comfier, but are also very deadly expensive to replace when they go wrong. Other than that, you can take a look at your carâs warranty or insurance. In some cases, they might have coverage for shocks and struts replacement cost.
How can you prevent shocks and struts from wearing out too quickly?
Understanding now that shocks and struts replacement costs can be quite hefty on your bank account, it would be helpful to learn more about how we could prevent them from wearing out quicker than they need to. In fact, there have been owners whose cars have driven for 100,000 miles without needing to replace their shocks or struts. The simplest way to extend the lifespan of your poor old suspension is to be mindful of how youâre driving.
Drive modestly and gently, while looking far ahead of any approaching speedhump, potholes, or potential debris. Take them slowly, and try to avoid any sudden or sharp jolts. But beyond just the style of your driving, take note of how youâre treating your car. The more load â in other words, mass â youâre putting on your car, the more that weight will impact the health of your carâs shocks and struts. So, think twice before moving that sofa with your car.
Then, youâll want to pay attention to where youâre driving your car. Try to avoid rough surfaces that could put your shocks and struts under a lot of strain. In short, minimize your driving over gravel or unpaved roads, and take those badly paved roads cautiously. There are some hobbies that also could wear out your suspension a lot quicker. This includes going off-roading, or taking your car down to the race track. Although fun, it can cost you a pretty penny in due time.
Shocks and struts replacement cost â Conclusion
As an oh-so-important component of your carâs suspension, shocks and struts will indeed ample amounts of love and attention. Weâve learned so far that shocks and struts replacement cost is not something one can swallow easily. But there are also thankfully a lot of ways in which we can prevent needing to replace said shocks or struts more often than is necessary. Driving carefully and calmly will do wonders for lengthening the lifespan of your carâs suspension as a whole.
Should you like to save on money, then maybe you can consider replacing shocks and struts by yourself. Although, we only recommend this for those that have plenty of experience in working on cars. Changing out your carâs shocks and struts at home can be quite the difficult fix for most people. But if youâd like to take on the challenge, there are some pretty helpful guides out there on how you can do it. Otherwise, itâs likely better to just suck up the price of labor.
But even if you need to pay for replacing your carâs shocks and struts, there are some good reasons why you should. Theyâre paramount to the well-being of the rest of the suspension. Would you rather pay 5x more to replace your carâs entire suspension just because of worn out shocks and struts? So, whether you like it or not, shocks and struts replacement cost should always be a subject matter that sticks in your head whenever youâre sending your car out for its regular check-up.
