I have a 1997 Legacy Wagon with 35000. I have been told I need to replace struts but am not experiencing any problems. When should I replace Struts and how do I know what condition they are in?

someone else may have a more technical way, but if you climb on your front or rear bumper, then hop off, then watch what the car does. if it stabilizes quickly, your struts should be pretty good. If i goes up and down several times before it stops moving, that is indicative of worn struts/shocks. my 2 cents. i wouldn't imagine that they would be done at 35 k miles, but depends on your driving style.

35000 miles sounds WAY too early to replace the struts, IMO. Maybe if every mile were on rutted, washboard gravel, or the struts were somehow faulty.

 

FWIW, my '97 OB needed the front ones replaced around 80K miles, actually should have been sooner since one was almost completely gone for some time before that, leaking fluid. This car saw some pretty harsh roads in those days, backroads in the mountains and southern Utah. I've always heard about the bounce test, but even mine, with one 80K mile worn and one almost dead leaking strut wouldn't bounce more than 1 or 2 times with me jumping up and down then hopping off the bumper. So, I think the struts would almost have to be physically removed for it to bounce "several" times. My $.02.

 

The car now has over 100K miles, and I know the rear ones are quite worn, I can just tell from the way the car handles dips and hard corners, yet it will not continue to bounce when jumping on the bumper, it is still dampened quickly.

 

Steve