Shocks & springs
 

I'm going to have my shock absorbers replaced on my 55,000 mile 1992 MX5
following various postings here saying that the shocks will be well and
truly dead by now (to my knowledge they're still the original ones - there's
no record of them having been replaced, and when braking hard the car
strongly pulls to the right which apparently is an indication of dead
shocks, right?) My question is whether to replace the springs as well while
I'm at it. Do the springs have a longer/indefinite life-span, or would it be
sensible to replace them at the same time as the shocks?

Thanks

Eric

In article >,
"Eric Baber" > wrote:

> when braking hard the car strongly pulls to the right which
> apparently is an indication of dead shocks, right?)

No. Check your caliper slider pins.

> My question is whether to replace the springs as well while
> I'm at it.

Not necessary. Springs don't wear out.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

"Eric Baber" > wrote in
:

> I'm going to have my shock absorbers replaced on my 55,000 mile 1992
> MX5 following various postings here saying that the shocks will be
> well and truly dead by now (to my knowledge they're still the original
> ones - there's no record of them having been replaced, and when
> braking hard the car strongly pulls to the right which apparently is
> an indication of dead shocks, right?) My question is whether to
> replace the springs as well while I'm at it. Do the springs have a
> longer/indefinite life-span, or would it be sensible to replace them
> at the same time as the shocks?
>
> Thanks
>
> Eric
>
>

Shocks have nothing to do with the car pulling to the right. THat's your
brakes.

Shocks may or may not be trashed at that mileage. If you push down on a
corner of the car and then let up does it come back up and stop or keep
bouncing? Springs are definitely not even close to sacked at that mileage.
Plenty of OEM springs with 155,000 that are still fine.
Get your brakes fixed!

In article >,
MLB > wrote:

> Shocks may or may not be trashed at that mileage. If you push down on a
> corner of the car and then let up does it come back up and stop or keep
> bouncing?

FYI, that test doesn't work on a Miata. It won't bounce no matter how
bad the shocks are. If the rear bottoms in dips, the shocks are wasted.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

> FYI, that test doesn't work on a Miata. It won't bounce no matter how
> bad the shocks are. If the rear bottoms in dips, the shocks are wasted.

And it certainly does that!! Glad to hear I don't have to replace the
springs though.

Eric

"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> MLB > wrote:
>
> > Shocks may or may not be trashed at that mileage. If you push down on a
> > corner of the car and then let up does it come back up and stop or keep
> > bouncing?
>
> FYI, that test doesn't work on a Miata. It won't bounce no matter how
> bad the shocks are. If the rear bottoms in dips, the shocks are wasted.
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
> '94C
> the alignment page:
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

I have 80,000 miles on my '96. It doesn't seem to bottom in dips. So why
have my shocks lasted so much longer then they should accordiong to the
conventional wisdom? I remember reading here that they're toast after
about 40,000 miles. Is there a more rigorous method of testing the shocks
on a Miata?

> I have 80,000 miles on my '96. It doesn't seem to bottom in dips. So why
> have my shocks lasted so much longer then they should accordiong to the
> conventional wisdom? I remember reading here that they're toast after
> about 40,000 miles.

Does it perhaps depend on the type of driving you do? I would expect city
driving (with more potholes etc) to be rougher on shocks than, say, lots of
motorway driving - could that be the case? What type of driving do you
usually do?

Eric

"Eric Baber" > wrote in message
...
> > I have 80,000 miles on my '96. It doesn't seem to bottom in dips. So
why
> > have my shocks lasted so much longer then they should accordiong to the
> > conventional wisdom? I remember reading here that they're toast after
> > about 40,000 miles.
>
> Does it perhaps depend on the type of driving you do? I would expect city
> driving (with more potholes etc) to be rougher on shocks than, say, lots
of
> motorway driving - could that be the case? What type of driving do you
> usually do?
>
> Eric
>
>
Mixed. Maybe my shocks are worn and I just don't realize it.

Frank Berger wrote:
> >
> Mixed. Maybe my shocks are worn and I just don't realize it.
>

When I had the shocks replaced on my Miata,the difference in
handling was amazing . It was also kind of an eye-opener when I
got out of her the first time - she sat at least an inch higher
off the ground!

Iva & Belle.)
'90B Classic Red.)
#3 winkin' Miata

On 2004-09-11, Iva > wrote:

>> Mixed. Maybe my shocks are worn and I just don't realize it.
>
> When I had the shocks replaced on my Miata,the difference in
> handling was amazing . It was also kind of an eye-opener when I
> got out of her the first time - she sat at least an inch higher
> off the ground!

You must have replaced the shocks with new ones that didn't
have the same geometry as the stock ones. Normally, shock
replacement shouldn't change ride height.

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