How To Know If Your Shocks Need to Be Replaced

More Cash For Scrap is a professional scrap car removal company that has been serving Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley since 2005. We’ve seen it all when it comes to scrap vehicles, and one thing we see a lot of is vehicles with bad suspensions. Which poses the question, as well as today’s topic, how do you know if your shocks need to be replaced anyways?

Aging vehicles or vehicles with high mileage are prone to mechanical breakdown. It doesn’t matter if you have your car serviced regularly, or if you spend a little extra to get the most expensive parts when things need replacing, age will do a number on anything, no matter how hard you try to circumvent it.

That’s why many people who have an older vehicle in need of major suspension work choose the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap, instead of an expensive repair. You have to gauge whether or not your car is worth fixing, before sinking several hundred or thousand dollars on suspension work.

In today’s blog post we’ll talk about what signs to watch out for, the typical cost to replace shocks and struts on a vehicle, and how you can help minimize damage to your vehicle’s suspension system.

What Are Shocks and Struts on a Car?

The shocks and struts on a vehicle are part of the suspension system. They are responsible for absorbing the bounce that you feel when you’re driving on the road.

Whether you’re launching your vehicle over the train tracks in the Matsqui area of Abbotsford, or if you’re falling victim to the many traffic calmers that are placed strategically throughout Maillardville, Coquitlam, your shocks and struts are there to help make sure you spill as little coffee as possible on your daily commute. However, when your shocks are failing, you’ll not only feel it, you could see it in how your vehicle responds when it hits a bump of any kind.

Your shocks and struts don’t just minimize the impact of hitting potholes or speedbumps. They also help provide overall stability when turning corners, braking suddenly, or when need to accelerate quickly. Which is why it’s so important to make sure that your car’s suspension system is in good condition.

How Do You Know If Your Shocks Are Bad?

There are a whole host of issues that come with a failing suspension on any vehicle. But when that vehicle is aging or has extremely high mileage, you’ll notice it more than other drivers might with younger vehicles.

Regardless, it’s important to watch and listen for the signs of bad shocks and struts on any vehicle. While their main function is to make your ride as comfortable as possible, they also offer an added level of safety in the form of better vehicle handling.

Signs You Need New Shocks On Your Car Include:

Shocks do exactly what their name states; they absorb shock. So, whether you’re trying to dodge potholes and miss, or went over that speed bump a little too hard, or even drove over the curb while coming out of Superstore’s parking lot, you’ll feel it.

If your vehicle previously offered a smooth ride with minimal bumping and jarring, but now you feel every little thing on the road, you could need new shocks.

The best way to find out if it’s shocks or something else going on with your vehicle is to have it serviced by a professional, like out friends at Imperial Street Auto Repair.

These guys are professionals and can advise you if you need new shocks, or if something else is happening with your vehicle’s front end. Moreover, they’ll let you know if fixing your car is in your best interests. Or if perhaps selling it to a scrap car removal company like us is a better option.

2. Unusual Tire Wear

This is one of those symptoms that could mean a variety of things. However, if you’re experiencing unusual tire wear along with other signs and symptoms that you need new shocks, your suspension could definitely be the culprit.

When your shocks aren’t doing their job, you’ll notice bulging in your tires, uneven wear on the tread, and something called “cupping”. Cupping is a direct response to bad shocks. What happens is that when your shocks are absorbing the impact from every bump on the road, your tires do in their place. This results in abnormal wear on the outer part of your tires, and can either be concave or convex in nature.

Additionally, this is something more likely to be noticed by your mechanic or a tire repair shop. Another reason why it’s so important to have your vehicle checked out on a regular basis. Particularly, if your vehicle is getting up there in age or mileage.

3. Rattling & Shaking While Driving

If your vehicle is shaking or rattling, particularly when driving around corners or big bends, it could mean you’ve got suspension issues. Because as your suspension begins to wear down, various components become compromised. And when they get compromised, they get loose.

There is no distinct rattle to describe when it comes to shock rattle. Because it all depends on what part of your shocks or struts is causing the noise. More importantly, if you hear a rattle and you’ve also got a noticeable shake along with it, that’s when you should get more concerned.

We buy scrap cars throughout the Lower Mainland, and we purchase our fair share of vehicles with major suspension issues. It’s not always the fact that a vehicle needs new shocks that gets it scrapped. It’s usually because there are other issues along with it, or the shocks have been left so long unrepaired that it has started to cause other damaged to nearby systems.

If your vehicle is shaking and rattling, and you’ve got uneven tire wear and a bumpier ride than ever, give us a call. We’ll help you decide if your vehicle is worth fixing, or if a better alternative is to scrap it with the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap.

4. Excessive Leaning or Swaying When Turning

As we mentioned before, your struts and shocks do more than just provide a smooth ride when going over bumps. They also reduce the amount your vehicle leans into turns, or even when braking.

If you’re noticing that your vehicle has considerable lean or sway when going around corners, or that your car tends to do a bit of a nose dive when braking, it could mean that shock replacement is in the very near future.

With older vehicles, people tend to think they need a sway bar replacement when their vehicle starts wobbling or leaning more than usual, especially when cornering. However, in many cases, it’s related directly to the shocks and struts. Without their stability, your vehicle’s ride will not only get bumpier and bouncier, but you’ll notice considerable lean in whatever direction you’re turning.

5. Fluid Leaks

This particular sign that you need shocks is one that is usually only noticed by either your mechanic, or someone who is vehicle savvy. Why? Because when you have fluid leaking from your shocks and struts, it’s something that you need to look for, and look for in the correct place.

Unlike when you have an oil leak or transmission fluid leak, leaking shocks won’t leave massive puddles under your vehicle. Rather, the fluid leaks out and trickles down, making it hard to discern unless you know what you’re looking for.

If you’ve got other signs and symptoms that your shocks need replacing, have a professional check out your vehicle’s suspension system to see if there is also leaking happening. Whatever the issue, they can help formulate a plan for your vehicle’s repair needs.

6. High Mileage

When you live in the Fraser Valley, but commute to Metro Vancouver every day for work, it can take a toll on your vehicle. You’ll be faced with more frequent oil changes, increased tire wear, more regular brake replacement and servicing, and of course, you’ll need to replace your shocks more often.

Typically, the average vehicle should have their shocks and struts replaced every 125,000 kms, depending on the type of driving that you do. If you live in an area that is more bumpy or hilly than others, you’ll probably need them looked at sooner.

Because driving up and down hills regularly, like the ones we have in North Vancouver, Port Moody, and New Westminster, means that your vehicle’s shocks will be absorbing more of the impact of braking hard downhill, and the lean your vehicle incurs while driving up hill.

If you’re driving an older vehicle, or one with higher-than-normal mileage, talk to your local mechanic and see if your shocks need servicing or replacing. And if they need to be swapped out, you can always scrap your car for MORE cash if the replacement cost isn’t worth it for the type of vehicle you’re driving.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace Shocks on a Car?

Suspension work can either be relatively cheap, or catastrophic. It all depends on the nature of the repair that’s needed, and what type of vehicle you drive, along with its age. Naturally, the older the vehicle, the less likely it is worth repairing. And the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the suspension, so the bigger the mechanic’s bill.

Typically, when replacing shocks and struts on an average car in British Columbia, the cost is formulated by a combination of what’s getting done. Front struts usually run $400 – $900 per pair (and they generally only do them together). Rear struts aren’t much different as they are usually priced out at $300 – $800 for a pair. And a pair of shocks will usually cost around $300-$650.

That means, that if you need both front and rear shocks and struts, you could be looking at a several thousand-dollar bill. Which is why many people end up scrapping their older vehicles with More Cash For Scrap instead. Especially when it’s an old 4×4 or big truck that needs suspension work. Those are almost double the price to repair!

How Can I Prevent My Shocks from Going Bad?

Replacing your shocks is a part of routine maintenance on any vehicle. However, there are things you can do to prolong the life of your shocks and struts. This way, your replacement can happen later, rather than sooner. Moreover, if your vehicle is aging and you know your shocks are on the way out, take extra care when driving to prevent serious damage to your suspension.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Shocks:

• Avoid steep hills when possible
• Avoid speed bumps or drive over them very slowly
• Take corners more gently
• Go slow over train tracks
• Avoid potholes and raised up sewer covers
• Refrain from driving in deep puddles or flood roadways

In a city like Vancouver, we are faced with a lot of rain, any day of the year. And constant rain exposure to any component of your suspension system can equate to rust. So, while you can’t outrun the rain, try your best to keep your vehicle out of it whenever possible.

That means parking underground in the pay parking lots in Downtown Vancouver, instead of the street. Or clearing out your garage so you can actually park your daily driver in it. And even using a car cover when your vehicle stays parked outside and not in use. All these steps can help prolong the life of all of your vehicle’s suspension system.

Cash for Cars that Need Suspension Work in Vancouver

Got a vehicle that needs a major overall when it comes to its suspension? Great! We love paying MORE cash for cars that need suspension work! Seriously, we do. Whether you’ve got an old Buick that needs new brakes, shocks, struts, and everything in between, or a late model vehicle that needs struts, but also needs a new engine, we’re the ones to talk to. We’ll make you a great offer on any vehicle, in ANY condition.

Simply call or text our scrap car removal team today, and we’ll collect some basic information about the vehicle you’re scrapping. Let us know the make, model, year, condition, mileage, and location of your car. If there are known repairs that are needed, let us know what those are too. We have no problem purchasing vehicles that need some work, so don’t hesitate to share all the details with us!

Once we have all of the information, we’ll make you an instant cash offer on your car, truck, SUV, van, or even your bus. Running or not, we always pay MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley!

Cash for Scrap Cars in Metro Vancouver

We are always happy to purchase vehicles that need suspension work, but we don’t stop there. We buy scrap vehicles of any make, model, year, and condition. And we always pay MORE cash for scrap cars than the other guys. If you have a vehicle with problems, give us a call and we’ll make you an offer on it.

We Are Always Looking to Buy:

• Commuter cars with REALLY high mileage
• Cars with collision damage
• ICBC write-offs
• Late model cars, trucks, and SUVs that need a new engine or transmission
• Vehicles with or without the catalytic converter
• Older vehicles with major mechanical issues
• Scrap cars with electrical problems
• Vehicles that need a complete brake job or suspension replacement
• Out of province vehicles that failed inspection
• Junk cars that have been sitting too long
• Vehicles with extensive rust, mould, mildew, or corrosion

No matter what type of vehicle you’re selling, no matter what condition it’s in, you’ll get the best offer on it when you choose the scrap car removal services of More Cash For Scrap. We always pay MORE!

Call Our Scrap Car Removal Team for an Instant Offer

If you’ve been thinking about scrapping your car for the past several years, stop thinking, and start doing. It’s as easy as picking up the phone and getting an instant cash offer in literally just a couple of minutes.

We’ve been buying scrap cars, trucks, SUVs, hybrids, and vans throughout the Lower Mainland since 2005. No one knows MORE about scrapping an unwanted, damaged, or worn-out vehicle than we do. And because we have such strong roots throughout Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, we are always able to fetch a better price for scrap metal than the general public.

If you’re wondering what your vehicle is worth, talk to one of our highly trained and dedicated team members today. We’ll show you that scrap car removal can be quick, easy, and of course, worthwhile.

So, if you want MORE customer service, MORE flexible junk car pick-up times, and MORE cash for scrap cars than others have offered you, choose More Cash For Scrap. We simply offer MORE!