Shocks / Struts

[ValveTronic]

How do I know if my front struts on my 2003 4.6i are bad? What should I look for?

[admranger]

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...

[ValveTronic]

The suspension on the 4.6 is fairly stiff to begin with but I noticed the front is especially hard. The added complexity is that that 4.6 uses an air suspension as well. I did notice that I hear a "psst" frrom the front when I go over a speed bump slowly. I dont hear this from the rear. Thanks for the info.

[SMOKEY53]

Usually you can tell shocks are gone if they can't dampen a number of consecutive bumps. The job of a shock absorber is to let the wheel comply with a bump and then get the rubber back down on the road as quickly and smoothly as possible. Kind if what admranger is saying but at a much more streetable application.....basically it you hit a bump, the car should absorb it and compose itself straight away. If you're steel feeling the up and down after you're well past the bump, that's when you know they're shot.

Or, in Oz at least, we have shops that do a free suspension check. They put the car on a suspension dyno, basically four plates under the tyres that shake the wheels up and down rapidly - they map the response of the shocks, and give you a printout of acceptable vs your cars performance - that's a more scientific approach.

[bcredliner]

While the shocks and struts may still have some life left, at 85,000 you will certainly notice a significant improvement.

I tried Bilstein Shocks struts but went back to OE. The Bilstein setup was very skittish and too stiff. Required constant steering input just to stay in one lane.

FYI-with the mileage you have I would consider a complete front and rear rebuild. It's OK to start with struts but I would certainly have the front suspension checked before doing so to eliminate having to tear it down a second time.

[kevinkay]

I changed my shocks and struts at 150K. Thought they had to be worn out and I would give myself a "treat" but noticed very little to no change.
I put on Sachs, either they are not great or original were still perfect.......