coilover life

[kaaos]

hey i just traded my unused megans for some used silkroads with about 5k miles and a few track events. awesome huh. the question after i traded them is how long do coilovers usually last?

[The ROMAN]

I took my old Tein HEs off my car after about 4 years of hard use. They are still fine and I'm putting them on another 240. Decent coilovers should last years and not blow out. Suspension arms with heim joints are another story.

[Silverbullet]

whats your def of hard use? Driving on the track or going on dirt roads?

Going through a city daily is much more abuse for a damper than driving on the track once in a while

[The ROMAN]

The car was daily and track for about 2 years before becoming a trailered track car, but I still take it out for cruising and weekend stuff.

Obviously I don't go offroading with my drift car that's a stupid question.

[aznpoopy]

depends. not to scare you but...

i had silkroads. i drove on them for about two years in new jersey, but it was weekend driving only. they might've lasted 9000 miles or so. the shocks didn't blow. the fronts developed some kind of play. thought i had bad wheel bearings for the longest time... changed em out twice and went over the front end about a billion times trying to figure it out.

a local guy guessed it was piston shaft play because it happened to his silkroads as well. and he was right. finally solved when the coilovers were replaced.

[DMaxUSA]

There is no real way to estimate how long coilovers will last. Naturally, driving over potholes, bumps, and dips at full speed will seriously shorten the life of your dampers. Even if you take it easy on bumps/dips, incorrectly setting the damper for the wrong road conditions will also shorten the life.

The most common reason why coilovers wear out prematurely are due to driver negligence. Coilovers are designed for track use only, so keep that in mind when driving around town.

Also, one of the first components to wear out on a damper is the shock piston seal. Every time the shock piston oscillates, you run the risk of dirt/contaminants rubbing the seal down. So if you drive through a lot of dust/dirt, make sure your dust boots are intact, and that your coilovers are free from dirt.