Struts Weeping but not Leaking: Replace?
 

91 300D at indie to get ball joints replaced. He says, "I'd also love to sell you a pair of struts....they're weeping but not leaking." He didn't seem to think it was imperative to replace. Is weeping struts something I can let go for a while and keep an eye on?

Thanks.

Sure they will continue to work until the fluid gets too low.Or internally they wear out. Also have peek yourself to make sure they are really weeping.

The reason I mention this is is seems strange two would be seeping at one time. Non functional or weak shocks now just part of a strut assembly in many cases. On mercedes cars seeems to result in bottoming easily when hitting a bump. More so than other brands of cars in the past. Yet they would still pass the pushing the fender down test and coming to rest right away well.

This may not apply to your model though as I have no experience with them.When and if the time comes when you want to deal with them do not buy brands like gabriel. Mercedes needs decent german brand names on their shocks.

He may not have said clearly that both are weeping...so perhaps just one. But if I replaced one I'd replace both.

I just replaced all 4 shocks this weekend (190d).

The difference in the ride is remarkable.

The shocks looked fine but when I took them out and compared the action with the new shocks, they were clearly shot. I was basically riding on springs with the old shocks.

Changing lanes is now a breeze!

Answer
 

They are gas charged; When visibly leaking fluid they qualify as JUNK due to loss of gas support, the damaged struts may also reduce tire durability.

It is a personal/economic decision, If the ride quality does not bother you it's not a safety issue.

I will "note" that when you replace them, the change in ride quality is amazing.

Note: This repair is a simple DIY.
PeachPartsWiki: Front Strut Replacement



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According to Bilstein, weeping shocks are a normal occurance and not an indication of a defect.

Without sounding completely ignorant, since the action happens on the top how do they weep as there's no place for the fluid to fall except back into the strut?

Are the flexable plastic covers that keep dirt away from the strut shaft still in place around the top of the strut? If those are broken or missing, should they be replaced or would this indicate the entire strut is shot?

Which replacement struts did you purchase? How much?

Hmm
 

If you have a link, I need to review that shock absorber documentation.

It can not apply to GAS charged STRUTS.


How gas springs work: Explain that Stuff!

HowStuffWorks "How Car Suspensions Work"

Video: What Are Shocks and Struts, and How Do They Work? | eHow.com

http://catalog.lesjoforsab.com/pdf/en/chapters/157-160_EN.pdf

I forgot about the aspect of tire wear. Assumed if the current shock action was really comprimsed already the mechanic might have mentioned it.
Assumptions are always questionable..

So Hunter is right it may cost you tire wear as well. A quick test is to feel if there is already any scalloping effect on the edges of the front tires. Once a wear pattern sets in the tire will usually continue it even if the underlying situation is corrected. This is not an absolute though as many things are. Just a reasonably certainty.

Also as you mentioned and Hunter alluded to it replacement involves a financial consideration as well. Depending on time and money or situation it may always be a consideration.

For example if I lived in an area with many salvage cars to view. I would still take a walk to see if any newish struts where present on a wreck. Time and money availability plus situation of course enters into this. In my case habit I suppose.

When I was young and never really had enough money all the time to service all the various commitments of raising a family. That is without learning how to scrounge and manipulate things to fill financial gaps in. So I taught myself the methods.

There where just important things we needed that may have not been possible otherwise. What irks me today is that yesteryears habits became so entrenched. I still tend to practice them.

At the same time fully cognizant That if the other party needs the money more I will bend in their direction. So I tend to use the methologies against primarily against what I percieve as greed now.

That learning curve of so long ago is hard to even partially implant into some of my son in laws heads. So some carry abnormal for my times and in my mind debt loads. Or I source what they need.

Basically it is not how much income you have it is how you spend it or utilise it in my opinion. The world is ass backwards anyways. You really needed the money when younger.

Unfortunatly it tends to come later in life when the needs are not so great or important for the majority. Or rather from my limited experience is what most my generation experienced. Of course there are other people on site that have and do practice the same things. Even though not truly universal I have always thought they were on board on our site. Or present in a greater percentage than many other places.

I directly blame the educational system for not teaching fundemental ways to deal with the financial aspects of our lives. In my day if you did not learn them around the family kitchen table. You had to start learning from scratch. In this area things probably have not changed.

[QUOTE=whunter;2827863]If you have a link, I need to review that shock absorber documentation.

It can not apply to GAS charged STRUTS.


How gas springs work: Explain that Stuff!

HowStuffWorks "How Car Suspensions Work"

Video: What Are Shocks and Struts, and How Do They Work? | eHow.com

Again It looks like Hunter is right. If the gas component pressure retention is lost. The shock manufacturer may have meant a very small weepage does not mean the gas charge is lost. Shaft seal has to get a small amount of lubrication or be a self lubricating type of plastic perhaps.

With no gas charge left in a shock I again suspect the car would bottom out the front end too easily. Even back in the early sixties these cars where sensitive to shocks more so than the average car. My fintails probably had gas blistein shocks even back then. I knew they were blisteins for sure but if gas or not I cannot say absolutly for sure. Other than knowing when they were bad they were really bad.