It is important that you understand the basics about the shocks and struts on your car. There is a good chance that you have been told a time or 2 by an auto technician that the shocks and the struts are blown on your vehicle and will need to be replaced. The price will often be a lot more than you expected and you will find yourself wondering if it is really that necessary to get them replaced. Like all parts on your vehicle, it is a good idea to try to have a basic understanding on what everything does and its importance to your vehicle and its ability to run.
Shocks and Struts in Vehicles
It is important to know that not all vehicles will have shocks and struts. Some vehicles will just have shocks while others will only have struts. Shocks will be the part of the vehicle that has to do with the suspension. The strut will have to do with the suspension assembly. The struts and the shocks in your vehicle will have 2 functions. The spring oscillation will be dampened thanks to them and the help with overall ride control. The springs that are in your vehicle are there to absorb the road shocks. Many people assume that the shock absorbers do this. However, the shock absorber is there to help the bouncing spring. Without the shock absorbers there the ride would suddenly become very bumpy and difficult to handle. Imagine when you hit a very large and deep pothole at a high speed; every small bump would be like this.
Symptoms of Trouble
The symptoms of trouble with your vehicle will include your vehicle swaying or rolling when you turn it. The rear end of your vehicle will squat whenever you accelerate. The front end will dive whenever you attempt to slow down or stop. Also, the vehicle will slide or bounce sideways whenever you are on a rough or winding road. You can also expect your vehicle to completely bottom out on any bump. Bottoming out is when the undercarriage of your vehicle hits the ground.
Additional Problems
If your shocks or struts begin to have problems, then they can cause other problems with your vehicle. The wear and tear of your tires will be done so at an accelerated pace if the shocks and struts are not where they're supposed to be. You can also expect for there to be issues with the CV joints, steering linkage, springs and the ball joints. The longer the struts and shocks go without upkeep the more damage will be done overall to your vehicle. It can end up costing you a lot more money than the original bill.
Prevention
The best way to prevent against any damage to our shocks or struts is to have your ASE certified auto technician check them out regularly. Every time you get your oil changed you should have them looked at. The sooner you get them fixed and working properly the less damage will be done.