When to change shock absorber struts

While driving, the suspension of the car is subjected to very serious loads. Especially this is facilitated by a sharp driving style. And on our bumpy roads, loads often have a shock character.

To reduce loads and dampen the resulting vibrations, suspension struts are installed on vehicles. Not only ride comfort, but also safety depends on the quality of workmanship and the condition of the racks.

Worn shock absorbers can fail at the most inopportune moment, for example, during heavy braking or turning at high speed. This is especially true for the front suspension struts of front-wheel drive vehicles.

Rack and shock absorber. What is the difference

Many drivers do not quite understand what a shock absorber is and how it differs from a shock absorber. Parts sellers often contribute to the confusion by assuring buyers that they are one and the same.

A conventional shock absorber is a cylinder with a piston on a rod. The cylinder is filled with a viscous liquid or gas. With a vertical displacement of the suspension, the piston presses on the liquid and it slowly flows into another compartment of the cylinder through small holes in the piston. In twin-tube shock absorbers, there is another one around the working cylinder.

In this embodiment, the liquid (or gas) is forced through the valve into the second cylinder. This part works only in compression and is capable of taking significant loads in the direction of its axis.

If the shock absorber is worn, braking performance is reduced, tires wear out faster, the car sways and bounces, and driving becomes very tiring for the driver. If the shock absorber is broken, you can continue to ride for a while.

The suspension strut is a more complex unit, the main part of which is an oil or gas-filled telescopic shock absorber. A steel spring dressed on it (may be absent in some racks) acts as a spring. The upper part of the rack is connected to the body through a thrust bearing.

The lower end is attached to the steering knuckle by means of a silent block. This design gives mobility in the horizontal plane. Thus, the shock absorber strut ensures the orientation of the wheels in space, suspension of the body and damping of vibrations - both vertical and lateral.

The rack is the main power unit that takes on heavy loads and is subject to wear. In fact, it should be considered a consumable item. It is hardly possible to continue moving with a broken rack.

Why rack problems can't be ignored. Counting money

Due to a faulty shock absorber or worn out struts, the contact of the wheels with the road surface deteriorates, which negatively affects stability and controllability. This is especially noticeable during sharp maneuvers at speed. Unpredictable vehicle behavior increases the risk of an accident.

For those to whom this sounds unconvincing, it is worth looking at the problem from a financial point of view.

As the struts wear out, all vibrations begin to be transmitted to the body, the load on the undercarriage components, as well as steering parts, increases, contributing to their accelerated wear. Brake pads and discs may be damaged.

A faulty shock absorber, even with a slight imbalance of the wheels, leads to intense and uneven tire wear, greatly reducing their service life.

It is easy to calculate and make sure that the timely replacement of worn racks will avoid more serious expenses in the future.

Diagnostics

During normal operation of the car, the suspension struts usually serve 3-4 years, often even more. But this period can be significantly reduced if you decide to save money and purchase a cheap low-quality part. The resource of the racks also depends on the correct installation, driving style and road conditions.

It makes no sense to try to manually rock the car to determine the health of the shock absorbers. The actual amplitude of the car's buildup in motion is much higher, so this method can only reveal completely dead shock absorbers.

Much more about the state of the racks will tell the behavior of the car in motion. The following symptoms may indicate a problem:

• knocking or creaking while driving;
• significant shaking and long damping of vibrations of the machine body;
• deterioration in traction, especially noticeable when entering a turn at speed;
• increase in stopping distance in the absence of problems with the brakes;
• during acceleration, the rear of the car squats noticeably, and when braking, it nods;
• obvious traces of hydraulic fluid leakage due to a worn shock absorber oil seal;
• uneven tire wear;
• deformation of the shock absorber cylinder, spring corrosion or other obvious damage to the strut elements.

A more accurate diagnosis can be made at a service station that has a special stand. The car is rocked on it, and the sensors record the amplitude of the vibrations. As a result, the system determines the remaining life of the racks as a percentage, and service specialists give a conclusion on the possibility of their further operation.

Repair or replacement

Directly shock absorbers are practically not subject to repair. If we are talking about racks, then some service stations may offer such a service. But it must be borne in mind that for repairs, most likely, used parts will be used, and changes will likely be made to the design that may affect safety. 50 thousand kilometers is the maximum that you can be guaranteed after this repair.

It is wiser to purchase and install new racks. Firstly, you will immediately feel the difference, and secondly, during normal operation you will forget about the problem for several years.

Selection of racks

After replacing the racks, the behavior of the car on the road can change markedly. First of all, it depends on the type of shock absorber.

Oil shock absorbers are usually found on budget models. They are quite suitable for measured driving in urban conditions, but at high speeds due to overheating and foaming of the oil, their efficiency is sharply reduced.

In winter, such shock absorbers require warming up, so before accelerating, you need to drive at low speed for some time.

The best choice can be considered gas-oil shock absorbers. Although they are about 20 percent more expensive, they provide good handling at any speed.

In any case, it is better to purchase an original spare part or an analogue from well-established manufacturers -,,,. Such a purchase will pay off with reliability and a long service life.

And remember: to maintain a balanced stability of the car, it is necessary to change the racks in pairs - 2 rear or 2 front.