Shocks - struts or tires?

[Dee67]

When driving around a curve, if there is broken pavement, expansion strips or whatever that provides some kind of 'bump' it creates a sensation like the tires leave the ground for a second - didn't used to feel this way when the car was new.

If my hand is at 12 going around the curve, at each bump, the hand position will jump over to 10 (if it's a left turn) or 2 of it's to the right for a split second, where before it would just be a bump and my hand would stay roughly in the same place. Plus it seems there's more bang on a good sized bump then there used to be..

So before I start saving my pennies and doing my research.. is it shocks, struts, tires or some combination that would provide results like that?

Thanks

 

[Zenmervolt]

Make/Model/Mileage?

ZV

 

[exdeath]

Checked the tire pressure lately? Just a small thing to consider. Also a lot of bushings and rubber in the steering and suspension that may need replacing.

Bad struts/shocks usually just cause the car to lack any kind of dampening and the ride is really loose and bouncy and it's easier to bottom out on speed bumps and stuff like that.

 

[Dee67]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Make/Model/Mileage?

ZV

Duh, whoops, sorry about that..

2003 Ford Explorer, 30,000 miles..

Now I know some would say, "it's an suv, what would you expect" but it didn't used to do this when it was new.

Actually replaced the tires last night becuase they were at the wear indicators so I can say, "that wasn't it"...

Have played with tire pressure, only difference it seemed to make was the hardness or softness it would take smaller, less significant cracks in the road.

 

[boomerang]

I'm truly amazed the car needed tires at 30,000 miles.

As far as your observations go, you live in snow country. I would chalk it up to pavement changes due to weather. Is this over roadway you travel regularly?

I can't believe that car would need struts or shocks through normal wear at that mileage unless one was defective or the car was subject to abuse. Is there more that one driver? Teenage drivers?

 

[Dee67]

Originally posted by: boomerang
I'm truly amazed the car needed tires at 30,000 miles.

As far as your observations go, you live in snow country. I would chalk it up to pavement changes due to weather. Is this over roadway you travel regularly?

I can't believe that car would need struts or shocks through normal wear at that mileage unless one was defective or the car was subject to abuse. Is there more that one driver? Teenage drivers?

Our state and area is infamous for construction, potholes and poor quality roads in general.. I am the sole driver of the car, never taken off road or anything else that would be considered abnormal driving. Plus it's maintained religiously, if not fanaticly.. 3k synthetic oil changes, tires rotated every 5k, pressures checked regularly.. The car drove/rode/handled great from the showroom until around maybe 25k when I started to notice the car losing the tight, new car feel, taking bumps harder and the feeling of the tires leaving the road as initially described. I don't see any fluid or anything weird visually on the shocks, struts or springs..

 

[boomerang]

Well, I'm out of ideas.

 

[Wolfie]

30K on a set of tires? Something got a miss. When I worked a ford dealer a few years back, we saw a large amount of trucks come in with ball joint issues. Even with 20K on them. Sealed joints. If there was premature wear on the tires, plus a large increase in control problems on rough pavement, I would start in the front end.

But I also live in one of those natorias states that have poor roads, and with the heat and cold changes, the roads change almost daily here. So feeling a little bump one day and just about loosing control the next day isn't rare around here. Beats the snot out of your car too.

 

[thomsbrain]

Very few sets of OEM tires make it much over 30K.