i have a 99 taurus with 67,000 miles on it.never changed shocks. seems to ride rough lately. is there a rule of thumb on what milage they should be changed?|||Mileage really doesn%26#039;t play a role in this matter. Go to the front of the car, and push down on it several times, trying to make the car bounce as if you were going over bumps in the road. If when you quit %26quot;bouncing%26quot; it, it keeps bouncing several times, then you will need new shocks. A new shock should only allow the car to bounce a time or two and then level out. Worn shocks will allow the car to continue to bounce even after hitting the dip or bump in the road. Might want to check the struts as well as for they can be a cause in the problem as well. Might as well, while your at it, see about the wheel alignment as well. This will also cause a rough ride. Hope this helps!|||If you push on the fender of your car and it bounces more than once the shocks need changed. I would say the shocks were dead or leaking miles ago.|||Monroe shocks recommends replacement every 60k miles. B/S! The bounce test described earlier is a good indication of shock wear. You can also run a finger along the shock or strut tubes, if there is an oily residue the assembly is leaking and will need replacement.
On taurus%26#039; they have a major problem with spring wear especially in the back. Check your ride height and for any spring damage. Ive seen more than a few broken springs on those cars.|||when they are leaking, or knocking when you drive in a pothole or physically broken and as you said riding rough.... good luck...bounce test is NOT GOOOD isnt the shock suppose to allow the vehicle to %26quot;bounce%26quot; or dampen the spring%26quot;s oscillations? do not do any bounce test that is crazy. visual inspection .|||there,s no rule of thumb,,as far as replacing shock,s,,on newer cars now the shock,s will last well over the 100.000 mile mark ,,and still perform well,,only exception is,,if you live in the country and you live on a really bad road,then they might need to be replaced more often,,the 60.000 rule,,does,nt apply that was set so that people would spend money,,on new shock,s, i know i do this for a living,,have done it for 35 yrs,,and have a very satisfied customer list,,over 2000,,to be exact,,and all are repeat customer,s,,hope this help,s you.|||The %26quot;bounce test%26quot; is not a reliable indication of shock/strut reliability.That went out with B%26amp;W TV.
The Motorist Assurance Plan (MAP) Uniform Inspection Guidelines have recently been amended to allow recommended replacement of shocks and struts at 50,000 miles.
MAP is a voluntary accreditation organization that offers peace of mind to the automotive repair consumer. MAP guidelines offer a uniform means to assess and recommend repairs. Not all repair facilities are(or deserve to be) accredited. If your local repair facility offers repair recommendations based on MAP guidelines, be assured that that facility is using the highest, industry-standard criteria to recommend a repair.
MAP facililities are inspected annually, and have to earn accreditation.
BTW: a shock and a strut perform the same function, i.e. dampening spring oscillation on jounce (up) and rebound (down).
The difference is a strut is load-bearing, and usually replaces upper balljoint and upper control arm, on FWD vehicles
