Really dumb and quick question. How long and how many miles can you get out of a set of high quality shocks before the need a rebuild, how long before they need to have the nitrogen levels reset.
I have a set of 6 year old Penske 8300 4 way adjustable shocks, they have done ~5K on the street and maybe 1.2K on the track. Penske has no rebuild schedule for them expect for extreme track use and honestly I have no idea how often the nitrogen needs to be recharged.
I would think a high quality shock like that, if not leaking/making noise/showing poor damping quality, should be good for 100 hours of hard track use anyway.
z31maniac wrote: I would think a high quality shock like that, if not leaking/making noise/showing poor damping quality, should be good for 100 hours of hard track use anyway.
I have seen 40 hours of on track time as the rebuild a few places online. I am at about 16 or so give or take, its the street driving that I think really taxes them. Our roads are horrible out here. Maybe 200 hours on the street, I don't run the hour meter there.
I have to pull them off the car to replace the springs for a softer spring rate anyway and its only 500$ or so to have them completely gone through if I send them out. Just kind of wondering. Right now they are the best I have ever owned or driven on its just not something I am really familiar with.
If the reservoir/bladder isn't leaking they can go many years between recharges. If they are leaking from anything other than the Schrader valve they need repair. Note: not all use a Schrader valve. Note: be careful, the pressure is likely in the hundreds of PSI, possibly thousands. (The machines that work on professionally sometimes have nitrogen charged accumulators, very similar to shock reservoirs, for the hydraulics. Static nitrogen pressure up to 1800 PSI)
At that age, if one is leaking, or just doesn't feel right, have them all redone.
They all fell fine. Ride height and F/R L/R balance on the scales is the same as when I got the car as well.
Think I will save the money for more tires.
The real reason to have them serviced is the damping oil breaks down to black goo with heat from getting forced thru the valves. The N2 pressure will still be there but the oil can be crap.
Send them somewhere you trust for an honest assessment and rebuild then judge off that for future. Ask for pictures of the oil and a dyno sheet when they are done.
wearymicrobe wrote:z31maniac wrote: I would think a high quality shock like that, if not leaking/making noise/showing poor damping quality, should be good for 100 hours of hard track use anyway.I have seen 40 hours of on track time as the rebuild a few places online. I am at about 16 or so give or take, its the street driving that I think really taxes them. Our roads are horrible out here. Maybe 200 hours on the street, I don't run the hour meter there. I have to pull them off the car to replace the springs for a softer spring rate anyway and its only 500$ or so to have them completely gone through if I send them out. Just kind of wondering. Right now they are the best I have ever owned or driven on its just not something I am really familiar with.
Like dwarf said, it's the heat that cooks the oil.....and that's why track work is so much harder on them.
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