Quoted: How would I know if I needed new shock absorbers ? I am getting a strange wear pattern on my tires, even though alignment is good.... could this be the shocks ? Vehicle is a 98 Explorer.
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Tire wear patterns will indicate certain problems, it depends on what kind of pattern you have though. Cupping(described as a series of dips on one side of the wheel) is a common problem that is caused by worn shocks/struts or other suspension parts such as ball joints. On Explorers I would probably bet you need ball joints if they haven't been replaced. Unfortunately, 90% of the Explorers that I see need ball joints, many even at low mileage.
Because the front ball joints are not under sprung tension like many other trucks, you can check them just like you would check a loose wheel bearing, only with a little more force from top to bottom. IIRC the ball joint spec is .6mm of play before they fail a safety inspection. Definitely check them, or have them checked!
If your shocks are bad it is sometimes easier to just take a test drive to find out. There are some physical symptoms you can look for too that may present themselves when shocks go bad. The first thing to look for is oil leaking from the shaft seal. If you look at the spot where the shaft comes out of the shock body, and it appears to be wet or oily your shock is leaking. Normally it looks like dark road grime because the oil attracts everything, but it will be on the top of the shock body. But keep in mind that not all bad shocks will leak. You can also check for worn or broken bushings on the top and bottom.
On a test drive, if your car leans too much in a corner, or sinks down low over dips, or dances around/flutters over a series of bumps, then you probably need new shocks.
Hope this helps.