How long do shocks last?

AfricaJeep · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 3:42 am

A couple of days ago I had to replace two tires due to the inside edge wearing off unevenly i.e if you run your hand around the thread you can feel sections where it is lower than the surrounding thread. These tires were Goodyear SR/A and were 19 months old and had covered about 17 000 miles.

I was told to have my shocks tested as they could be the reason why the tires were worn like that. My Jeep has covered 57 000 miles. So how long have you guys driven on the standard shocks? Are there any other faults that might cause the same type of damage to tires? There is als a small chance that both Goodyears were faulty to start with. They were both fitted at the same time after I trashed two tires on a trail

P.S. I replaced all the Goodyears with Cooper Discover ATR and must say that they are far quieter and give a smoother ride than the SR/As. The Jeeps handling has also improved quite a bit. For the past two months I have not enjoyed driving the Jeep as it felt like delivery truck. With the new tires it comes close to my Audi for smoothness on the road.

USPLibby · **Joined:** Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am **Posts:** 377

I think most shocks are rated for something like 50-60k minimum. But I don't think it's the shocks. All the shocks do is buffer the bumps to dampen bouncing, the springs hold up the suspension.

If you haven't seen the many other posts, Goodyear SR/A's suck. They are not the right tire for a 4100 lbs SUV. The sidewalls are thin and the rubber compound too hard. When I had my stock SR/A's, I had to rotate them constantly to prevent "feathering" and extra wear. They used to make a lot of noise too.

When it rained, I was really scared anytime I had to stop on a hill. The SR/A's used to slide like they were slicks. My new Bridgestone Revos have never let me down whether on ice, snow or rain slick streets. After I got new tires like you did, the steering got better, it's didn't pull anymore, and stopping/cornering improved a lot.

MoladoGuy · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:17 am

I agree that its not going to be your suspension components for the problem wear. The tires are just plain suck. When I bought my Jeep I ran the same stock tires for about 3 months until I realized I couldn't drive safely in Michigan winters. I immediately changed them up for BridgeStone Revo's and I could not believe the difference.

It's most likely the tire wear rather than your suspension setup. If your still curious about your shocks, I never had a problem with mine. However I did change them out at 20K when I lifted the Jeep.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:09 am

weve got a 94 Grand Cherokee with 160k miles.. Original shocks.. :lol:

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:49 am

I dont see how anyone could put a specific mileage limit on shocks. It is totally dependent on what conditions your driving consists of. If you are on nice smooth highways all the time your shocks are gonna last longer than if you are driving on potholed, washboarded gravel roads.

If the tires you replaced were fronts, you might need to have an alignment, or it could be that you havnt been rotating them properly?

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:35 pm

Alignment would be the number one thing to look at, esp. the toe in/out. OEM shocks are generally good for about 30 to 50000 miles depending like Jeger said the type of roads, how much you haul around etc. As far as running 160000 miles on shocks sure it can be done but I would bet that if you put on a decent set of new ones that GC would ride like new almost. Plua as we all know the tires are junk also for use on a Liberty. But then the dealerships have been doing it for years using cheaper tires/ shocks etc to save a few bucks

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:04 pm

from the wear pattern it is 2 things combined
1 is bad alignment the other is shocks/struts

bad alignment will cause the weare on the inside only , good tread on the outside worn on the inside
bad shocks/struts will cause it to weare in waves or hills and vallys or high and low spots if that is what you are talking about

USPLibby · **Joined:** Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am **Posts:** 377

http://www.procarcare.com/includes/content/resourcecenter/encyclopedia/ch25/25readtirewear.html

Feathering = The most common cause of feathering is incorrect toe-in setting.

one side wear = There is excessive camber in the front suspension

cupping = Worn suspension components. Occasionally, wheels that are out of balance will wear like this.

RFCRD · **Posted:** Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:20 am

AfricaJeep wrote:

A couple of days ago I had to replace two tires due to the inside edge wearing off unevenly i.e if you run your hand around the thread you can feel sections where it is lower than the surrounding thread. These tires were Goodyear SR/A and were 19 months old and had covered about 17 000 miles.

Inside edge wear, I would be looking for worn-out components (LBJ's about to pop???) causing allignment issues. It would be rare to need struts st this mileage.

AfricaJeep · **Posted:** Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:09 am

Thanks for the replies.

The feathering is what I had on the Goodyears (first pic in USPLibby's post), but only on the inside tread pattern. I normally rotate, balance and align my wheels after about 6000 miles. The Cooper dealer advised me to do it at 3000 miles. I will also use his shop to do it as he seems to know how to use his alignment machine. He is also an avid off-roader, and specialises in 4x4 alignment, suspensions etc.

jason thompson wrote:

bad shocks/struts will cause it to weare in waves or hills and vallys or high and low spots if that is what you are talking about

This about sums up how the wear was on the tires. One thing that makes me lean to shocks as well is that on my way to work I drive down a road which has speed bumps. On one particular speed bump if I don't brake hard, the Libby bottoms out i.e I can hear my skid plate knocking the top of the bump. With my father's early 90's E class Merc I can take this speed bump without having to brake - it just glides over. I phoned Chrysler and a set of 4 OEM shocks cost nearly the same as a full Ironman suspension kit

The South African recall for ball joints is only starting in Jan 2007. Will have to check them as I am about to go on a 400 mile trip for our annual holiday. Would not want them to fail while I am doing 75 mph.

I have to agree that the Goodyears are crap in rainy weather. During winter down here in Cape Town, we sometimes have weeks of heavy non-stop rain. The past winter I was involved in two accidents in rainy weather and quite a few near misses. It got to a point where I was scared to drive the Libby. I felt I was putting my family in danger and was seriously thinking of trading it in. With the Coopers on I am willing to give it a another chance

How long do shocks last?

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