Shock absorbers and other damping parts are not only there for more driving comfort. They are also there to ensure your safety. The most important task is to absorb shocks and damp vibrations. Without shocks, the sturdy car chassis could even break in the event of a minor shock. Without suitable absorbers and damping parts, driving becomes dangerous and very unpleasant. It´s therefore important that you have proper working shock absorbers.
How shock absorbers work
Commonly used shock absorbers are hydraulic and filled with oil or gas. Basically, shocks consist of a cylinder and a piston. The piston is connected to the wheel suspension via a piston rod. The cylinder housing is connected to the rest of the car. When driving over a bad road or hitting a speed bump, the piston moves in the cylinder and the fluid moves. This process damps the vibration transferred from the wheels to the rest of the car. The shock absorbers also ensure that the wheels of your car stay in contact with the road. They are therefore important for road-holding and manoeuvrability.
Bad shock absorbers symptoms
Does your steering wheel vibrate when taking a corner? This may indicate that the shock absorber needs some attention. A leak can also indicate broken shocks. Other symptoms for shock absorber problems are longer braking distance, more difficulty in handling your car, poor road-holding, decreased comfort, unusual noises while driving and heavy vibration.
Eventually, your shocks will wear out. At normal use, this is after some 3-4 years and in the case of a more aggressive driving style after some 25-35,000 miles. Replacing the shock absorbers not in time can lead to bad working or broken down shocks. How long a shock absorber lasts depends on the driving behaviour and environmental influences. Faults that can occur are:
- Loosening of nuts of eg. Pistons
- Worn pistons or cylinders
- Clogging of valve parts
- Damage to valve parts
- Deformations of the rebound valve disc
- Contamination of fluids
- Reduced fluid levels
Replacing shock absorbers
Shocks must be replaced if they do not longer adequately absorb the shocks, sufficiently damp vibrations and/or leakages occur. If you notice that one of the shock absorbers is wearing out, make sure to replace it. It is important that both shocks per axle are replaced. If you only replace one of the shock absorbers, this will have a negative impact on the stand of the car. As a result, the vehicle will be unsafe, driving comfort will further decrease and increase in wear of other parts.
If you want to replace the shock absorbers yourself, please make sure to follow these steps. First, remove the wheel from the car, and dismantle the brake hoses. Prevent that the brake hoses get disconnected from the brake calipers though. If they do get disconnected, brake fluid may leak away resulting in all kind of other problems. After this, you dismantle the upper strut bars and unscrew the shock absorber fixing points at the bottom of the car. Then replace the shock absorbers and reassemble in reverse order.
Buy shock absorbers
The cost of replacing shocks depend on the make and type of car. At Winparts you have a large choice from brands such as Kayaba, Koni, Gabriel, Sachs and Monroe shock absorbers. We often offer shocks individually. In some come, we offer them as a set of two as well. Pay close attention to this when making your purchasing decision. We recommend that you always replace both shocks per axle. Simply enter your number plate and the correct shock absorbers for your car will appear.