Have a couple of questions regarding my 1993 Civic DX Sedan. It have about 159,500 miles right now and the suspension feels and sounds clunky when I go up a driveway even at moderate speeds.

Generally how long do shocks/struts last before losing life on a daily driver? I do not race or punch it so I'm just looking for a general guideline. I assume if the shocks/struts have never been replaced (I'm not the original owner) it's definitely time.

The other question has to do with bushings. Last year, I ran over the center divider (curb) head on while I was distracted. I was on the left most lane and I drifted a bit to the center while in the intersection.

Anyways, the left side of my car definitely hopped onto the divider and I'm not too sure if the right wheels were on the divider or still on the road when it hit. I've had some vibration issues during braking since then and replacing the rotors and brake pads has not solved it.

I suspect it's either balancing weights that fell off the wheel during the collision or torn bushings allowing the suspension components to shake.

Which bushings are most likely to have been ripped/torn from such a collision? I'm not too experienced with this so I'd like to guidance before looking under the car.

Thanks!
jbum

 

really depends on road conditions in ur area and whatnot. they can go out at 100k or can last to like 170k. when the car becomes too bouncy for comfort, thats a good indication u need new shocks.

did u have any other work done or parts replaced after the accident other than brakes? it could many things.slightly bent arm, bent wheel, bad ball joint, bad bushings, etc. something to get checked out for sure before it causes more damage.

 

The wheel was bent but I put that in the back. Since then I've ordered a new rim which I have yet to install.

I did take it to a mechanic but he didn't have enough time to do a thorough check up. He said he didn't see anything major but thought it would be a good idea to resurface the rotors or replace them.

 

If the vibration occurs ONLY when braking, I would say that the rotors need to be turned down and you need to get a new set of pads.
The general shock/strut test is to push down on one corner of the car and then release it. If it bounces up and down more than once, you need new shocks/struts. Clunky? I would suggest replacingyour struts withTokico HP (blue) struts to get better-than-OEM stiffness.