what are the visible symptoms. i hear a knocking noise coming from 1 of my shocks and i think it might be fucked.

 

well, you can have a buddy ride along side you, as you hit a couple bumps. Obviously, if the tire bounces a bunch after the bump, your shock is bad.

Also, if you have no friends then try cornering hard on that shock, if it pushes pretty bad, it's most likely fawked.

 

look under to see if oil is leaking from the shock

 

If your car is very bouncy from the norm then that is a sign.

 

Put your weight on the corner in question. When you let up it should do no more than 1 complete bounce, up down then back up to normal position. If it bounces more its certainly worn if not blown.

 

this is what i did....go to the side of the car where you hear the sound is coming from and the press down on the fender and if it bounces up that means your shocks are bad......they should be still with shocks....thats the way that i do it.....

 

What kind of shocks do you have? I know that when I blew my two rear KYB AGX shocks. I sent them back to where I bought them and they replaced them with new ones. KYB I beleive has a lifetime warranty.

 

The method I have always used and have read about entails a little more than pushing down on the corner in question. Putting 40lbs of downward force and then expecting it to bounce isn't going to reveal **** unless the shock is completely and utterly fubared.

You have to get it bouncing by pushing it up and down a bunch of times and then stop. I let it go on a down push and it should go up->down->up and settle. Anything more than that and it's probably time for a new one.

Cheers,
Sean