I was in an auto parts store today and they had a sign up stating that experts recommend replacing OEM shocks/struts at 50,000 miles for safety--something like "it will help you brake 10 feet sooner." Isn't shock life dependent on the quality of the roads driven on? Or is it just a good idea to do a preemptive swap at 5 years/50,000 miles?

 

I have over 50,000 mi. and have no reason to think it's time for a change.

Maybe the experts will chime in otherwise...

mb

 

Maybe they can last longer since BMW OEM quality is higher than, say, Ford OEM quality.

 

The auto parts store just wants to sell you struts or shocks. For any typical modern car, 50k is premature to replace dampers. I would say that for myself, I've been autocrossing forever and had several cars with nice dampers - so I've grown a bit picky and really like the feel of a car with "good" damping. So I often replace dampers on my cars sooner rather than later.

Just keep telling yourself that :impatient