how to tell if it's broken?
 

how can you tell if a strut has gone bad? it's an aftermarket strut. any ideas or ways to test it?

easiest way is to look at it. if its really greasy/dirty most likely its blown. and if you hear weird soft popping sounds while you drive when you go over bumps. or sometimes if its real bad you can hear like a werid low tone screech.

You can also compress it (put the spring cap back on if it makes it easier) and check to make sure it's smooth throughout the stroke.

Strut or shock is a bad name for them, damper is beter suited. The spring acutally absorbs the shock of going over something, the strut/damper's job is to control the springs as it bounces back to it's orignal size. A blown or worn strut will give you a bouncy ride because it's failed and can't control the spring. If you go over a moderate sized bump in the road, the car should bounce and then settle quickly. If it's bounces more than once and rolls back and forth, it's shot.

another quick easy way to do it is push donw on the front or rear of the car, and like Andy said if it bounces up and settle then that are good but if it keeps going or doesn't settle quick the that are blown. And u can check for grim that feels like oil.

sweet... thanks for all the updates... now i gotta go check on my friend's suspension.. cuz he think it's blown.. but had them only for 6 months.

With the dampers on the car, jump on each corner of the car. If the corner bounces more than 2 or 3 times, you dampers are blown. Also check for drips of oil by the seals. If it is just a film of oil, it's fine.