2013 KA: is it best to replace both shock absorbers when only one has failed MOT?

[nitten_traveller]

Mrs nitten's 2013 KA (46000 miles) had its MOT yesterday and failed on:

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush

Offside Front Upper Shock absorber has an excessively worn bush

and also a tyre and an advisory on a missing exhaust silencer clamp.Thanks, Council MOT!   I'd not noticed any more noise than usual when I last drove the KA but as I'm used to a Focus the KA always seems noisy to me.  When I checked the car at the weekend the only thing I was unsure about was the tyre.

I know enough about car maintenance to know that I don't know enough.  My question is that since these are on different "axles" will it also be wise to replace the non-failed shock absorbers as well?  It could get expensive quite quickly if so but if it's best to do that then the money shall be spent.

All advice will be much appreciated.

 

[stef123]

It’s entirely your choice, I would always advise to do both but most people I deal with don’t and just opt for the bare minimum to keep costs down.

 

[doggsbody]

Personally if it's a part that support/depends on each other than definitely but as it's a separate working part it could come down to a slight fault during it being made that's allowed only 1 side to go before the other or how/what the road surface is like, this is judging it's having a same spec shocker replacement.

[eddie eastwood]

If the shocks themselves are in good condition, no leaks, not bent, is it possible to just replace the bushes.

[nitten_traveller]

1 hour ago, doggsbody said:

 or how/what the road surface is like,

Edinburgh, where the roads are generally abysmal!

1 hour ago, stef123 said:

It’s entirely your choice, I would always advise to do both but most people I deal with don’t and just opt for the bare minimum to keep costs down.

This is what I thought too, though it's not my money I'm spending,  Have you any idea of a ball park cost? I don't know how much time an experienced mechanic would need to change all four (plus the tyre, plus the exhaust).  Labour rates vary £40-60/ hour round here.  The car will also be due a 5 year service and I think the timing belt is replaced as part of that.  So it could be an expensive visit to the garage.

[nitten_traveller]

1 minute ago, eddie eastwood said:

If the shocks themselves are in good condition, no leaks, not bent, is it possible to just replace the bushes.

I assume they are as there's no mention of them on the MoT failure/advisory at all, except for the bushes.  I didn't pick the car up so I didn't get to quiz the tester.  I was under the impression that bush replacement is such a pig of a job that the labour cost to replace them will add up to a similar charge for simple replacement of the whole shock.  Happy to be corrected, of course!

[stef123]

I’ll do it for you if you cross the bridge lol I can do the tyre too  

[doggsbody]

3 hours ago, nitten_traveller said:

Edinburgh, where the roads are generally abysmal!

This is what I thought too, though it's not my money I'm spending,  Have you any idea of a ball park cost? I don't know how much time an experienced mechanic would need to change all four (plus the tyre, plus the exhaust).  Labour rates vary £40-60/ hour round here.  The car will also be due a 5 year service and I think the timing belt is replaced as part of that.  So it could be an expensive visit to the garage.

Your road's sound like our do 😂, gotta pay road tax to drive over potholes it's a proper scam n only getting more expensive every year. I'm East Yorkshire but the rough bit 😂

[stef123]

Just now, doggsbody said:

Your road's sound like our do 😂, gotta pay road tax to drive over potholes it's a proper scam n only getting more expensive every year. I'm East Yorkshire but the rough bit 😂

Unfortunately it’s not road tax though lol. Hasn’t been for a long time. 

[doggsbody]

Not road tax ? Thought that's what is meant to pay for road repairs ?

[stef123]

39 minutes ago, doggsbody said:

Not road tax ? Thought that's what is meant to pay for road repairs ?

Your council tax pays for that, what you pay is vehicle excise duty VED. Road tax was abolished in like 1937? 

[doggsbody]

1 hour ago, stef123 said:

Your council tax pays for that, what you pay is vehicle excise duty VED. Road tax was abolished in like 1937? 

I always thought car tax was what they used for road repairs 😕 council tax l thought was for the street cleaning n public used areas ( paths/parks n so on ) not the roads 😂

[nitten_traveller]

2 hours ago, doggsbody said:

Your road's sound like our do 😂, gotta pay road tax to drive over potholes it's a proper scam n only getting more expensive every year. I'm East Yorkshire but the rough bit 😂

I imagine it's murder for a motorcyclist, riding through Edinburgh.  

[doggsbody]

34 minutes ago, nitten_traveller said:

I imagine it's murder for a motorcyclist, riding through Edinburgh.  

I can imagine it from the camera footage videos you see on telly how some drive n ride 😂