I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on the car- how essential is it that I get new shocks and struts for my vehicle?
Whenever driving over a bump in the road, especially a bad one, the car %26quot;bottoms out%26quot; very badly. It appears to need new shocks and struts. But Firestone wants to charge me about $950 for shocks and struts! Isn't that too expensive? Shouldn't it be less expensive than that?
If I DON'T have the shocks and struts changed/replaced, then what sort of problems might it cause?I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
The answers already given are by and large correct. OEM shocks seldom last more than 30,000 miles, struts are a bit more longer lived. You must be careful if you choose to change your own struts. Yes, you can rent a spring compressor but people have been badly hurt doing this job so unless you have had some experience I would not recommend it. I also agree that $900 is exorbitant. Shop around. You should be able to have this work performed at an independant garage for about 1/2 that amount. Good luck.I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
well, i dont know the going rate for labor where you live but in GA. that is expensive. if you dont fix the problem and keep bottoming out the car, you will damage your exhaust, oil pan, transmission pan, and the front end of the car. bottoming out too much will cause the frame to bend and if that happens, the car is trash. that is the reason insurance companies total out cars because once the frame bends, the only way to fix it is to rebuild the car from the ground up with a new frame and you will have lots of body work to do. no matter the price, Get The Shocks and Struts Replaced.I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
Yes, you need to replace the shocks and struts unless you want to continue bottoming out the suspension. That causes excessive wear on those components. Also whenever you go somewhere and get an estimate on repairs, it is up to you whether it's too expensive or not. There are special tools and knowledge required to replace the struts and that price also should include an alignment. Keep getting estimates until you find the one you can afford%26gt;I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
YES. OE shocks and struts maybe last about 50k miles.
The problems are ride control and comfort.
And as far as a highway tire shop goes, they charge maximum prices (retail+) for everything. Find a good, reputable independent garage. I bet you can get it done for half the cost.I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
Maybe you are too fat, dude.....Kidding..
Yeah $950 is real high.... Advance auto has the front struts for 70 bucks each and the rear shocks for 18 each....thats under $200 in parts.
If you are even minimally mechanically inclined...you can do the rears yourself.
Go somewhere else and price the front only.
If the car is bottoming out tho...You might need springs..which is a different story. Good luckI own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
I'm not a mechanic or anything, but if you haven't replaced he shocks %26amp; struts since you've owned it , the car is over 10 yrs old, it's time to bite the bullet and pony up the dough.
- take the car to a smaller mechanic instead of one the chains, get a few estimates before you get it done. see if they'll install them if you can pick up the parts yourself from an auto parts store - you'll save on the parts markup that the mechanics will charge - that's what I do.I own a 1996 Pontiac Firebird- there are approximately 136K miles on it- do I need new shocks and struts?
Here's some simple tests for shocks. Push down hard on one corner of the vehicle and release quickly. If that area of the vehicle 'bounces more than Up, down and settled, then you probably need to replace the shock/strut on that corner.
The stuts may need to be replaced with this many miles depending upon the road condition that the car spent most of it's life one. I think Firestone is overpricing.. but then again I do my own mechanic work. Replacing the rear shocks is easy and only requires about 3 wrenchs at the most. That's one job just about anyone can do and what you pay for shocks can range from $25 a pair to a hundred based on YOUR preference.
The stuts are a different story. However, they are not that difficult to do either if you have the right 'spring compression tool' which you can rent for cheap (or free) from local parts store. Struts can run about $120 to $300 each again depending on YOUR preference.
I suggest you contact Autozone, Oriely, Napa, etc. and get a quote on the cost of the parts so you can see what firestone is charging for labor. Then you can decide if it's a good deal or not.
Good luck and I hope this helps!
