I suspect my next upgrade for my car, whenever that comes, will be to replace the shocks and struts.

Today, while riding my dad to lunch, I went over some train tracks. I was traveling a little fast, but not fast enough to make him complain about my speediness--he does have a pretty low threshold. As sometimes happens when I go over uneven pavement, the glovebox door fell open and the CD player skipped. He exclaimed "Ouch!" which I thought was from the glovebox hitting his knees, but he said that he was saying that because of my shocks. I asked if it felt like they were worn out, and he said it seemed like I didn't have any.

I have the impression that shocks (in the front, right?) and struts (in the rear?) begin wearing out somewhere between 100K and 150K miles. When that happens, what do the shocks and struts feel like?

As my car is in the middle of that mileage range, it seems like there's a good chance that the shocks and struts are wearing out. I wasn't exactly sure what they would feel like when they did need replacing, but I hadn't thought they were deteriorating until my dad said something today.

If my shocks and struts are worn out, do I try to push this "repair" off onto my parents as normal maintenance and avoid paying for them, or do I take the expense entirely onto myself and buy the Bilstein heavy duty shocks? (I'd buy them from Shox.com for $369; anyone seen the set for cheaper?)

The reason I'm suddenly second-guessing the HD shocks and considering hanging onto some cash is because I'm wondering about what suspension modifications can really improve the handling. I've already got the ipd 25/22 mm sway bars, so we're working from there.

In my "research" into suspension matters (okay, just playing the videogames Gran Turismo 3 and 4), it seems to me that it is the springs of the car, not the shocks or sway bars that have the biggest effect on the car's handling--stiff springs keep the car flat and decrease body roll, increasing traction. However, every time suspension upgrade advice has been solicited, the Bilsteins always come up very quickly, and little mention is made of springs.

For those of you who have installed them or know about shocks and struts, do the Bilsteins decrease "brake dive" and other movement of the car fore and aft? Do they keep the car flatter in turns? Do they help handling on regular pavement, or do they only have an effect when the ground is uneven?

What options *are there* for springs? The major types for 240s of which I've heard are stock, overload, diesel front, wagon rear, and lowering/sport/progressive. I would guess that, to increase spring rate, I would want to purchase something from the last group. So far, I can only find general lowering springs (at ipd, EurosportTuning, and Shox.com), but I seem to remember seeing some truly "progressive" springs mentioned at some point. Does anyone have any recommendations as to where I should be looking?

Really, I don't care to lower the car. That would be neat to do, but if the shocks and struts need replacing, then I need to get that issue addressed first. If the Bilsteins will improve handling in all regards, then I'll simply tackle both the need for replacement issue and my better handling desire at the same time. But, if it's really the springs that matter and have the biggest impact (as it seems in those aforementioned games), then that's what I'd be tempted to do first.

Do my shocks and struts probably need replacing? If I could make only one "performance" suspension purchase, should I get the Bilstein HD kit or a spring kit?
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'89 244 GL -- 109,670 miles (see profile for info on car)