at 300+K miles I still have the original Struts. The rear shocks I wasted money replacing because the originals that came off pushed and pulled the same as the new ones I put in.

The roads aren't bad here and I try not to do too much 4 Wheel'n on my 200. : )
Probably new Struts would feel tighter but I don't have any bouncy bounce down the road so, they're still doing their job.
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'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html http://cleanflametrap.com/tony/

It's your car so replace them when you think they need replacing.

It's definitely time to replace your struts when you have severe front end dive under hard braking. Or when your tires show unusual wear due to damaged strut components. The rear shocks aren't as crucial and tend to last longer - IMO.

It really depends on the quality of parts you put on, and your driving.

If you drive rough dirt roads, they ain't gonna last as long. If you drive nothing but smooth freeways, well... they're gonna last a lot longer.

also, if you put lots of heavy stuff in the trunk, that's gonna cut short the life span of the rear shocks significantly.

For average driving, with average loads... I'd say 80-100k or more can be expected. I'd also expect struts up front to last longer than than the shocks in the back.

That said... your friend is correct in that they wear slowly, and you get used to them as they get worse. Simple enough to push on the bumper and see what happens. If the car bounces, they are shot. If the car just returns to normal level and stops.. well, you're probably fine for now.

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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

I installed Bilstein HDs back in 2006, and 80,000 miles later they still feel the same as new. Great stuff, worth the higher price if you are planning on keeping the car for awhile.


Mike

All I would advise is to make sure the Strut cartridge is a gas strut that will extend itself out of the tube. Makes for a much easier install while trying to get that top nut back on. I put some on my wagon that didn't and it was a pain. Plus I swear the struts just don't feel all that good either. They are a $50 each Boge brand.

I recently put some HD rear springs on my wagon since I load it down a lot with work. I replaced the shocks with a used pair of basic KYB shocks that I put on my sedan a number of years ago. Maybe had 30,000 miles on them and they are feeling good still. For economic reasons I would go with the KYB gas adjust shocks on the rear. They are bigger than the one's I just swapped over.

If you do for some reason swap out rear springs I have my mixed feelings on the Heavy duty ones. I have them on both my wagons and with the recent addition of them on my 90 the exhaust now rattles like my 83. They are a little too stiff and cause vibration issues while accelerating is my belief.