Hi, can someone tell me the best way to test a shock? Last couple of days my car hasn’t felt right, it’s felt loose & knockes when I go over bumps or accidentally wheel spin. I’ve got a 2005 Focus1.6. I’ve had a look at the bushes on the front, they look fine. No major cracks that I can see. 

 

Thanks! 

Any oil around the shock? My favourite makeshift way is to go over a speed bump at 20mph ish. The car should stop bouncing after the rear end goes up and down once. If the shocks have gone then it will continue bouncing until the spring settles down.

How does one accidentally wheel spin in a 1.6 Focus (other than on sheet ice) lol.

Oo good idea & out of the car park at work, always get one to spin up 😉 

10 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

How does one accidentally wheel spin in a 1.6 Focus (other than on sheet ice) lol.

Cheap tyres with no heat in them on cold, damp roads... 

It's more than likely the rear wishbone bushes tbh.  Get someone else to load up the clutch with the brakes on hard while you watch to see if the wheel moves backwards.

I had a look at both shocks on the front, the passenger side had a lot of oil/grease around the bottom of the shock. The drivers side is clean. So I’d guess the passenger side is shot. Should I replace both sides or is replacing the one fine? Thanks. 

2 hours ago, Jordan99 said:

I had a look at both shocks on the front, the passenger side had a lot of oil/grease around the bottom of the shock. The drivers side is clean. So I’d guess the passenger side is shot. Should I replace both sides or is replacing the one fine? Thanks. 

The "resistance" in the new shock will be vastly more than the remaining shock on the car, it's may not have a positive effect on the handling.  Also the drivers side shock has also been exposed to similar wear and tear i.e. speed bumps etc so probably isn't too far behind the front passenger shock in terms of remaining lifespan.

8 hours ago, 1979Damian said:

The "resistance" in the new shock will be vastly more than the remaining shock on the car, it's may not have a positive effect on the handling.  Also the drivers side shock has also been exposed to similar wear and tear i.e. speed bumps etc so probably isn't too far behind the front passenger shock in terms of remaining lifespan.

Okay so you’re saying is it’s fine to only replace one but worthwhile replacing both? Just to be clear as I don’t want an unsafe car

The passenger side usually takes more abuse tbf, drain covers, pot holes and rough backroad edges put a lot more stress on that side.  Most people will only replace one at a time, it wont make the car unsafe.  The handling and ride should feel better with both replaced though as Damian suggests.

Personally, I would change both and have always done so whenever my cars have needed to have them done. Although I recently needed to change one top mount and bearing, so changed both and both front shocks while it was all apart, and changed both rear shocks too when I did the trailing arm bushes (on a Mondeo with 80k miles).

"the passenger side had a lot of oil/grease around the bottom of the shock"    but is this fluid from the shock or from something like an existing split cv joint gaiter or previous split cv joint gaiter