The bounce trick doesn't really work as well as one would like to think (unless the shocks are 100% dead).

Rears are kinda easy as you can unbolt the bottom bolt and compress them (feel resistance) and let them rebound. Should be slow and steady. Surprisingly, my rear shocks weren't that bad.

Fronts are a bitch. You can't tell unless there is an obvious leak. However, at 85k, mine were completely toast. Pressed them all the way down and they stayed that way. Ummm, that's not good.

I knew mine were shot just by driving though. I have a sensitive butt-dyno, due to decades of track activities. On curvy or bumpy (long road oscillations work best) the X5 never felt 'planted'.

I put on Bilstein sports (yellow ones) and the X5 is now glued to the road (with the possible exception of the rear ball joints...more on that later). There's a turn in one of the roundabouts near my house that has a bump right at the apex. My Ohlin equipped E46M3 is glued down tight. The old shocks on the X5 had it move a good 4 to 6 inches when it hit that bump. Now, it just absorbs the bump and doesn't move from the line I have put it on.

If you have 80k+ miles, it's time to put on new struts at a minimum. I prefer to change struts and shocks at the same time so everything is new.

Hope this helps...

__________________
Kirk
Las Vegas
2016 X5 40e Mineral White/Black Dakota Leather, ZLL, ZCW, ZDA, ZDB, ZPP, multi contour seats, rear side window shades, HK stereo
2011 E90M3, 6-speed manual