I was checking my shocks the other day when I noticed that I can move the front of my car a great deal more than the rear. Its like jumping on the back of your grandma's car and it drops 3 inches. Ok not that bad on mine but its a huge difference that surprised me. The rear of the car feels solid; I can hardly rock it around. Sure theres a lot more weight in front to make it do this but what do you guys think?

I think you need new struts.

JamesC

Springs hold the weight of the car. Shocks control how much the springs move.

Springs can wear out and even break. All springs have a spring rate. How much they'll compress when a specific amount of weight is applied to them. After countless oscillations over the life of a spring, the spring rate will decrease. Normally this is noticed as sagging or riding too low.

Some factory springs such in an RS model have a soft spring rate to give a soft ride. Springs in a Z28 have a high spring rate to give a more firmer, aggressive ride.

Providing the spring rate is not too high, you can do a bounce test to check the shocks. Pushing down on the car, it should bounce back up then down to it's rest position. If it continually bounces, the shocks/struts are worn out and are not controlling the spring oscillations.

What they said.....

Sounds more like a strut problem than a spring problem. Springs only or blown struts/shocks & the car can bounce up & down like a basketball (with the tires staying on the road, just the body bouncing).

I replaced the shocks and struts about 30,000 miles ago and they still seem to be fine; like they say, you push it down and it comes up then down to rest. And like I said it isn't really that bad it just seems soft compared to what a performance car ought to feel like. Yeah these things are NEVER done.

What brand shocks/struts?

If the car only comes up & down once, then settles....That is pretty normal.

Worse I've seen was a car that either had BAD shocks, or none at all. Pulled up to a red light...bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce.....Until the traffic clears & he took a right on red turn. And it wasn't no lowrider!

Monroe Sense-a-trac. Shocks and struts were blown when I got the car, and that was one of the first things I fixed mechanically. Can't say how they compare to others but I'm very satisfied with them. No problems whatsoever.

I just broke two front springs in my DD 98 Altima(over the winter).Then again it's not made to toss into a corner to blow away a mini van.