How to replace a shock absorber

Replacing a shock absorber may require some work, as it requires you to raise the car and make sure you align the new shock properly.

Shock absorbers play a vital role in the ride and comfort of your vehicle. Along with oil filling, most premium shock absorbers are also filled with nitrogen gas. This will prevent foaming of the oil during the many up and down strokes and help maintain better handling by keeping the tires in better contact with the road. Also, shock absorbers play a bigger role in ride comfort than springs. Springs are responsible for the height and load capacity of your vehicle. Shock absorbers control ride comfort.

Your ride becomes soft and bouncy over time due to worn shock absorbers. As a rule, they wear out slowly, so ride comfort deteriorates with time and mileage. If your car bounces over bumps and dips more than once or twice, it's time to replace your shock absorbers.

Part 1 of 2: Lifting and Supporting the Vehicle

Necessary materials

• Jack
• Jack stands
• Replacing the shock absorber
• Ceiling rosette
• ratchet
• Wheel chocks
• wheel blocks
• Wrenches (ring/open end)

Step 1: Block the wheels. Place wheel chocks and blocks in front of and behind at least one tire at the opposite end of the vehicle from where you are working.

Step 2: Raise the car. Jack up the vehicle using the appropriate jacking points or a secure location on the frame/solid body.

• Attention: Make sure the floor jack and jack stands have enough capacity for your vehicle. If you're unsure, check your vehicle's VIN tag for the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).

Step 3: Install Jacks. As with jacking up a car, place the jack stands in a secure place on the chassis to support the car. Once installed, slowly lower the vehicle onto the stands.

Move the floor jack to support the suspension at each angle as you change the shocks because the suspension will drop a little when you remove the shock.

Part 2 of 2: Removal and installation of shock absorbers

• Attention: Replacing front and rear shock absorbers is pretty much the same process, with a few exceptions. The lower shock absorber bolts are usually accessed from under the vehicle. The top bolts of the front shock absorbers are usually located under the hood. On some vehicles, the rear shock absorbers can be accessed from under the vehicle. In other cases, the top mounts are sometimes accessed from inside the vehicle at locations such as the rear shelf or trunk. Before starting, check the mounting locations of the shock absorbers.

Step 1: Remove shock absorber top bolt. Removing the shock absorber top bolt first makes it easier to slide the shock absorber out of the bottom.

Step 2: Remove shock absorber bottom bolt. After removing the shock absorber top bolt first, you can now lower the shock absorber from the bottom of the car. Otherwise, it will fall out if you unscrew the bottom bolt before the top one.

Step 3: Install the new shock absorber. From under the car, insert the upper part of the shock absorber into its upper mount. Have a friend help you secure the shock to the top mount while you lift it up.

• Functions: Shock absorbers are usually packed compressed and held in place with plastic tape. The gas charge in the shock absorbers can make it difficult to manually compress them. Leaving this strap in place until you have secured the top mount usually makes installation easier. Cut it off once you've secured the upper shock bolt.

Step 4: Install the shock absorber lower bolt. Once you have aligned the shock to the suspension mount, secure the lower shock bolt.

• AttentionA: If you are replacing all four shock absorbers, you do not need to follow the order. Change front or rear first if you like. Jacking and car support are the same front and rear. But always replace them in pairs!

If the driving performance of your car has deteriorated and you need help replacing shock absorbers, call an AvtoTachki field specialist to your home or office today.