How long does suspension last in general?

[Per10d]

lately i've noticed my suspension isn't as good as it used to be, a bit more bumpier and generally not as comfortable as it used to be.

I'm just curious to know how long suspension is supposed to last roughly. obviously it depends on how the car is cared for and driven, but generally speaking, say for daily driving, how long should the suspension last?

since i've had the car, i've put on 100k or so in daily driving, no track use and no real hard driving...

oh and i'm not really sure what my suspension is as it was lowered when i bought the car, but roughly 2.5" drop and duno if the shocks are stock or aftermarket.

[Chi]

Lowered springs+stock shocks = dead shocks quickly.

100k = 100,000kms or 100 kms ?

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

i think the average for aftermarket suspension components is about 100,000km.

[Per10d]

100,000kms i meant mate...

yeh and thats only for as long as i've had the car for, who knows how long ago teh previous owner changed the suspension..

[aozora]

Yer eventually springs will lose their tension... sag and just be plain crappy. Same with dampers, they'll start leaking and just become useless. 100,000 kms sounds about right... as long as they're matched etc, otherwise unmatched spring rates will cause premature damper death :p

[Zdster]

So can the same be said for coilovers where the springs/shocks are matched for each other and made to be lowered?

[SKREMN]

I have noticed now after 20,000 that its not as stiff and doesnt handel as good on ym car

[type one]

So can the same be said for coilovers where the springs/shocks are matched for each other and made to be lowered?

what do you mean??

if i think i understand what you are saying then matched spring shock combos which a coilover provides anyway will last roughly the normal life of a stock shock/spring combo - about 120K (given daily driven, limited track usage).

[Zdster]

what do you mean??

if i think i understand what you are saying then matched spring shock combos which a coilover provides anyway will last roughly the normal life of a stock shock/spring combo - about 120K (given daily driven, limited track usage).

Sorry, that is what I mean (a coilover system). So around 120 thousand KM's is roughly the life span of a coilover system.

[type one]

this is my opinion. But given my own experience and others this seems to be the average.

[Per10d]

hey can coilovers be serviced to bring them back to new-ish condition?? if so at what cost? i'm tossing up between coilovers or koni's...

[aozora]

hey can coilovers be serviced to bring them back to new-ish condition?? if so at what cost? i'm tossing up between coilovers or koni's...

It largely depends on the coil-over brand I think. Some say you can get them reconditioned at specialist suspension places but most of the time sending them back to a dealer of the right brand (ie. TEIN so back to a TEIN dealer) is best. I know TEIN's dealer is in QLD somewhere... but Koni there's no problem that's for sure. Best to do your research, find out what coil-overs are best for your application then ring around for places that can rebuild them.

[DOSHBTEK]

how much are tein's for an EG?

[type one]

It largely depends on the coil-over brand I think. Some say you can get them reconditioned at specialist suspension places but most of the time sending them back to a dealer of the right brand (ie. TEIN so back to a TEIN dealer) is best. I know TEIN's dealer is in QLD somewhere... but Koni there's no problem that's for sure. Best to do your research, find out what coil-overs are best for your application then ring around for places that can rebuild them.

make sure if you are worried about life span and rebuilds you buy your coilovers with a warranty attached (ie locally) traders are cheap, but if sth happens to em then who do you turn to? locals will not touch product which has been parallel imported. If coilovers have been checked and have a valid problem then replacement or fix will be welcomed.

If they are out of warranty period then at least you still have the aftermarket support of the specialist you purchased from.

[revNhevN]

really depends on the roads and if ur suspension suits it. no suspension will last forever. Using suspension suited to the track down parramatta road will not last long.

[aozora]

make sure if you are worried about life span and rebuilds you buy your coilovers with a warranty attached (ie locally) traders are cheap, but if sth happens to em then who do you turn to? locals will not touch product which has been parallel imported. If coilovers have been checked and have a valid problem then replacement or fix will be welcomed.

If they are out of warranty period then at least you still have the aftermarket support of the specialist you purchased from.

?

Rebuilds don't really cost that much (my rear Koni's rebuilt = $140 not including the labour to taking them out etc), it's mainly the inconvenience of the time they're out of your car.
And with locally sold or imported coil-overs, I've never heard of people refusing a rebuild simply because you don't show a receipt or whatever to show you bought them here... that said, importing a set of shot coil-overs then sending them for rebuild imo is a cheaper option PROVIDED you can find somebody who rebuilds that particular type/brand of damper (sagging springs you just replace, easy enough). The reason why some won't touch them is probably because of the difficulty of sourcing specific parts, lack of knowledge of assembly etc. Or if they're still within warranty, simply because the warranty is not valid in this country, but that's expected with imported items.
But if you got alot of money to throw around, buy locally sold ones.... but yer, with a warranty of some sort which goes to say with anything you buy brand new anyway. At the same time though, not all dealers here have a special workshop to send coil-overs for repair/rebuild, so double check that they are available (hell some dealers don't have a clue so be wary of that too... just because they can get them, doesn't mean they know them very well).

[type one]

some of what you say is true and some is not.

Just because you have never heard of sth happening doesn't mean it doesn't happen - workshops will refuse to rebuild a coilover without a valid warranty or receipt to cover their asses... it is simply not worth it and yes they will also refuse to do so because of parts issues etc.

I agree that some "dealers" who distribute do not know the product extremely well - however as distributors they ar emore likely to be able to point you in the direction of someone who does.

I myself have purchased imports and locals... the likelihood a damper will be faulty is quite minor and most of us take the risk when purchasing any part that sth will go wrong... so do whatever is best for your situation.

[aozora]

That's like saying a car service center will refuse cars because you don't have the original receipt or are out of warranty?
I am talking about non-warranty related rebuilds, as if you're claiming it under warranty, of course you'd need that information regardless... but if they're an old pair/set of coil-overs, I don't see why they need that sort of proof? I mean even if it is under warranty and they stuff up the rebuild/repair for whatever reason, what good is it going to do, it's still not going to cover their mistakes? I really don't see HOW this covers their asses should anything go wrong besides them sending it off to the original manufacturer and getting THEM to fix their mistakes which will be at the workshop's expense anyway plus whatever time/money they spent trying to fix it in the first place... and if they sent it off to the original manufacturer at the start, what kind of qualified workshop are they? Unless they're simply being tight.
Agreed though that anything can happen with workshops (heard so many stories with bs, excuses, just plain poor workmanship etc ...) but just in my experience and friend's, they've never been refused because of those reasons. Perhaps the places you've been going to thought you were trying to claim under warranty? Either way, that's why I mentioned before purchasing any second hand coil-overs that you find somebody who is able to repair them should anything go wrong.

Don't mean to start a shit fight, just wondering why they would refuse warranty/receipt-less dampers...

[type one]

nah no shit fight...

IMO they would turn you away cos they CBF'd looking at something which isn't theirs. Only a few stores around which have the expertise to identify the issue and fix the problem. While all coilovers may look the same on the outside...

It covers them because they are also then required to provide a limited warranty after the product has been fixed.

[aozora]

Ah... haha, yer that does make sense with some workshops I know... no names <_<