I have a 1998 VW Jetta with 110,000 miles on it. It needs new shocks, I do know that. The rubber seals crumble in your hand when you touch them. My question is, how do I know if I need new springs as well? The car does sometimes make a boing or spring sound from the front end when backing out of the driveway while turning the wheel. Is this any indication of bad springs? Thanks.
Normally the only time you need springs is if they are ‘sagging’ (the car rides lower than it should) or broken (the car rides a LOT lower than it should). Noises are from other worn suspension parts, not the springs.
Noises are generally from suspension components, but a broken coil is not unknown. And yes, they do make “boing” sounds. But since you already know that your shock mounts are so dried up as to crumble in your hands, I’d sayy the odds are ral good that you only need shocks. The only way to know is under the car.