are my shocks worn out?

[fatnold]

I'm thinking my shocks might be had it on my D4. (34 000k's) Seems a bit early for knackered shocks.
Symptoms.
- Tramps across corners with even the slightest bumps, eg, pothole repair patches.
- Lurches all over the road when getting on or off the gas in corners.
- understeers
- nose of vehicle lifts considerable under acceleration. (V8)
- nose dips when off the gas.
- handles like a piece of $hit which it didn't do originally.
- 'tram tracks' on certain stretches of road.

Recently had handling issues which the dealer put down to worn out tyres. (after 3 wheel alignments, replaced bushes, replaced rack and various other bits under warranty) I then replaced tyres and the handling definitely improved. Handling has now somewhat deteriorated to the point that it is becoming dangerous to drive. (in the dangerous manner that I drive. :angel:)

So is it possible/ likely that the shock absorbers need replacing already?

[TerryO]

What brand and model of tyres did you replace the originals with and what pressure are you running in them?

cheers,
Terry

[Plane Fixer]

I drove a Mitsubishi Pajero the other day from Roper Bar to Darwin and it had only 10,000km and both back shocks were totally shot and the fronts not much better; downright dangerous. It seems there is no definitive time for the shocks to go.

[~Rich~]

On every Toyota I ever owned ( 2 x Hilux 4wd & 2 Landcruisers) they required shock replacement as the standard ones where rubbish.

On the D3 I think the quality is of high standard for a standard shock. I doubt unless you have done heaps of tough k's that they would be shot by 35,000.
But they could be a dud set!
My D3 I bought at 78,000k and now at 135,000k still is good. I don't know if they where replaced before I bought it which makes it hard to believe that yours are so bad.

As Terry said what tyres did you put on? They can make a world of difference to the way the car feels.

[fatnold]

What brand and model of tyres did you replace the originals with and what pressure are you running in them?

cheers,
Terry

same size and make as OEM. Conti Cross Contact, 20"

[fatnold]

same size and make as OEM. Conti Cross Contact, 20"

38-40psi for around town.

[Graeme]

I removed my D4's shocks at 34K because they hadn't softened from new, yet they get a fair workout on the roads around here.

[CaverD3]

There is a TSB for some handling problems. Replace all bushes and steering rack.

[Graeme]

It would only take 1 totally failed or faulty shock to upset the handling rather drastically. Did 1 tyre wear particularly badly? Is there any corner that tends to be more problematic with handling than the others, eg when turning sharply left, the left rear lifts more than if turning right or the front right dives more than when turning right? Because it has independent suspension, a useless rear shock could cause just as much a problem as a useless front one.

[Beamin]

If all else fails, I'll toss up another idea to see if it helps. It's really just a guess, as I have no knowledge of the mechanics involved.

As I understand it, the air suspension has certain restrictions "unlocked" by selecting low range in the transmission, with the result that the suspension then behaves differently. This different behaviour may not be appropriate for driving at normal speeds, so it is shut down again when you return to high range.

Is it possible for a faulty switch (or a faulty valve) in this process to leave the suspension behaving in a way that is good for low-speed off-road driving but is not intended for normal driving?

Just a thought.

[Graeme]

Hey Beamin, you might be onto something there. A cross-link valve stuck open would do it, allowing air to swap sides at the front or rear when cornering. They're opened at slow speeds on uneven surfaces even in high range. The bad effect would be identical turning left or right. I would expect a driver could tell if the front or the rear was at fault from which end leaned more.

I can't think of a way to prove the idea using diagnostics so perhaps have to get the dealer to try replacing 1 at a time, or just both at once.

It wouldn't cause increased front lift under acceleration though.