When is it time to change shocks? I'm at 63,000 miles right now on a '99 2 door blazer. At just under 50K I thought I needed shocks, but instead I needed my whole front end rebuilt, but shocks where fine. My ride is so horrible, hitting comon little bumps feel like major potholes. Don't hita bump going around a corner, or it will throw me all ove the place. I'm also starting to develop alot of rattles in the interior from the shock of these bumps. If I push down on the truck, it doesn't bounce forever like an old shock. Tire pressure is good. Any tips?

 

I had a similar issue in a 2000 4 door. Lower tire pressure, fixing the rear door, ball joints and new shocks improved the riding. Look for the lid (sorry, the engine bay cover) being loose. Other point are the wheel bearings, but I'm not sure how adjustable they are in its nut.

 

Have a professional shop check the shocks and entire front end. That's the best way to find out whether you need more than one thing.

I'd bet that you could use shocks, but ball joints aren't entirely out of the question. You could have a broken part or two.

Also, at 63K miles, if you're still running the original tires they may be getting nearly worn out, and tires often ride more harshly when they get badly worn. Tire pressures can also be an issue, although I always run Blazer tires at the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall.

 

Pilgrim:

At maximum tire pressure listed on the sidewall you are over inflating your tires and will wear them out sooner in the middle than necessary. I recomend running at 2-5lbs over the recomended tire pressure on the door sticker. The manufacuterer treats the tire just like a hardware component with the properties of a coil spring. The more air pressure the stiffer the spring and this extra stiffness will also lead to early failure of related parts in the suspension both front and rear....

 

My '96 has new shocks on it, but I feel the same thing...every little crack or bump in the road vibrates through the whole chassis. I don't know much, but aren't there numerous rubber bushings all over under there? I know I've seen ones that are dried out, cracked and hard as a rock, or even totally gone. It's not all in the front end, either...I can feel it from the rear, also.

 

I just checked my original shocks (Bilstiens) the last oil change and they are starting to rust, but are not leaking or worn out yet....134,000 miles and 10 years! Do you have stock size wheels? You are describing exactly how my Blazer handled with the 20" wheels...like a log wagon.....the stockers are sooo much better for ride quality...and I always run 40 P.S.I. in tires on every vehicle...just my preference, but you will usually get the best ride quality running the exact pressure that is on the tire placard on the driver's door/jamb.

 

As Mark Twain thoughtfully replied to each letter received from his critics, "Dear Sir or Madam, you may be right. Sincerely...."

Actually, I recommended the same thing that 20Blazer00 did - he just didn't think it through. We disagree only on the tire and suspension wear issues. Read on to find out why....

I learned this trick at the Washington State Police Driving Instructors' School in the 80's. It's oriented to providing the best handling by keeping the sidewall and tire profile as firm as possible, but it does NOT wear out modern radials prematurely. It might have caused wear in the center of the tread in tires such as the bias/belted models that became outdated in the early 70's, but running these pressures doesn't cause deformation of the tread or increased tire wear in modern radials. It just doesn't happen. It's a myth.

Here's the WSP recipe I have used for 22 years without tire problems, without excessive tire wear, and without premature failure of springs or other suspension components: If you want slightly improved handling, run your tires at the maximum rated pressure on the sidewall while maintaining any front/rear differential recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. In other words, if Chevy says to run 32 PSI all around, if your tires are rated 35 PSI you can run 35 PSI with no negative impacts other than a slightly firmer ride. Handling and gas mileage will be slightly improved. If it's an older car and the door jamb sticker says to run 30 front, 32 rear, then you can safely increase these to 33 front, 35rear. The pressure differential maintains the vehicle's designed handling characteristics, but handling and gas mileage will benefit.

Those who disagree with this approach may feel free to address all complaints to the Washington State Patrol, onna counta that's where I learned it.

IME most tires are prematurely worn out by under-inflation (causing edge wear) or worn front end components (causing wear lawdy knows where) then any other causes. Running at max rated pressure is, by definition, within the design of the tire and therefore not a problem!

It is certainly true that manufacturers treat the tire as part of the suspension, but the pressures they recommend have traditionally been designed as a compromise between handling and comfort, with their primary goal in most cases (especially passenger cars) being comfort. Softer tires equal softer ride. As CAFE standards have forced manufacturers to improve gas mileage across their fleets, I have watched the recommended tire pressures on most vehicles move upwards. In fact, given the slow climb in recommended tire pressures, 20Blazer00's recommendation of running 2-5 PSI above the manufacturer's stated pressures is the SAME recommendation I make. Viz: my '99 Blazer has recommended tire pressures of 32 PSI all around. The max pressure in the tires on the car is 35 PSI...so an increase of 3 PSI is exactly what I recommend, which is running the max rated pressure. This is the same recommendation that 20Blazer00 made, so I fail to see the problem.

One caveat: I wouldn't use this pressure approach with heavy truck tires that allow variable pressures depenging on the load. In that case, do what you should and adjuct the tire pressures by load.

As evidence that this approach works,