I've been using my Protege5 (40000kms already) on some really bumpy country roads near my cottage lately. How do the P5 shocks and suspension system hold up for others? I try to take the roads slow, but I'm still concerned about long term damage to the car. Is there some way that the shocks/suspension can be tested to make sure they're OK? Are there any other problems with bumpy roads I should be concerned about?

PS I haven't bottomed out the car too much and it looks OK under there.

Thanks for any help

PeterE

 

How bumpy are these roads? Are they dirt, gravel or just really bad pavement?

The suspension itself should hold up fine. If you want durability, you gotta love the rugged simplicity of McPherson struts. The suspension on our cars is very tough and is hard to damage unless you hit an obstacle tall enough to bend a rear TTL link. One of my friends from the old Protege egroup was from the Philippines, and said that Familias (the Asian name of the Pro) were very popular taxis there because they were one of the few FWD compacts that could withstand the punishment that the rough Filipino roads dished out.

However, if I were you, I WOULD be worried about the wheels and tires. 195/50R16 tires have pretty short sidewalls for a car that weighs as much as a P5, and the sidewalls are your first line of defense against big bumps. You might want to consider a "Minus One" wheel and tire package (15" wheels with 195/55R15 or 205/50R15 tires) or even "Minus Two" (14" wheels and 185/65R14 or 195/60R14 tires). The taller sidewalls will look funny and you WILL pay a price in handling response, but your car will ride better over the rough stuff and you will be MUCH less likely to bend wheels or damage your tires.

FWIW,

 

> How bumpy are these roads? Are they
> dirt, gravel or just really bad pavement?

Thanks for the advice Chris. The roads I take are mainly dirt roads.

PeterE