La cushioning It is one of the most important elements of the car. It is not only involved in the comfort of the occupants despite the irregularities of the terrain, but also directly involved in stability. Hence, our security depends in part on its good condition, along with other elements such as brakes and steer axle truck. That is why it is convenient to be attentive and know the symptoms that indicate that they must be replaced.
A car with bad shock absorbers will lose grip when cornering, capacity of steer axle truck and it will even be more prone to aquaplaning in some cases. Furthermore, they can increase braking distance by 35%. However, that is not all, since other suspension parts will also suffer greater wear due to the large vibrations that occur without adequate damping.
As you can see, the shock absorbers worn greatly affect vehicle dynamics. Therefore, there are a series of signs that a driver can notice to know if they need to be changed. It's just a matter of being attentive and having some notions of how a car works.
Symptoms in driving dynamics
Pitch or excessive lateral tilt
when the car sinks more than necessary with inertia, it is a clear symptom that the shock absorber no longer supports the car with the same firmness. This will be noticeable with excessive pitch under hard braking or excessive lean when going fast through a corner. The first situation causes an increase in stopping distance, while the second can cause a tendency to drift off course.
It can also happen, that sand we accelerate hard, we quickly lose adherence. Although this is more difficult to differentiate from its normal behavior. This will mean that the shock absorbers are not capable of sticking the vehicle to the ground.
Steering wheel vibrations when braking in curves
This symptom could indicate a damping problem. For example a problem with silent blocks or even that the suspension geometry be incorrect. Even so, it is recommended that you take a look at the article Why does my steering wheel vibrate? The seven main reasons, so that you rule out other breakdowns.
Body bounces with potholes
One of the main functions of damping is to remove the natural rebounds that are generated by deforming the springs. Otherwise, the body would bounce around for a while until the swaying gradually disappeared. This, in addition to being uncomfortable, is dangerous since the displacement of mass reduces the grip of the wheels at intervals.
If when going through the potholes, you notice that the car follows oscillating up and down, it means that the shock absorbers are worn. The time has come to change them. To be sure, the best thing you can do is go over a speed bump a little faster of the normal.
Abnormal tire wear with correct pressure
The most common reason for tires irregularly worn is that they don't have the correct pressure. However, when they are swollen to the right extent and there are no problems with their balance and alignment, it means that there may be a problem with the suspension. That's why, these problems need to be ruled out before blaming the shock absorbers.
Visual and auditory symptoms
If we look at the shock absorber, we must pay pay special attention to the stem and if it has oil leaks. If so, the shock absorber is in poor condition and will need to be replaced. The normal thing is that you have to remove the wheel to be able to check it correctly.
Another way to check the condition of the shock absorbers is when going over a pothole or a speed bump. if they are wrong you will hear strange noises and the car will behave in an unusual way. If you want to know what else can fail in a shock absorber, visit the article Faults and maintenance in the shock absorbers.
Picture 4 – Nachos
I want to know if it is a symptom that the shock absorber has been damaged when the bellows is seen with some moisture...
car front shock absorbers
Thank you