Shock absorbers are an integral part of your vehicle's suspension. Shock absorbers are used to absorb or dampen the compression and rebound of your springs and suspension. They control unwanted and excess spring movement. Shock absorbers allow your tires to remain in contact with the road at all times. Before we go further, let's discuss some key terms that will help us understand how shock absorbers work. In elementary school, we learned about energy, more specifically, we learned about potential energy and kinetic energy. We also learned about the law of conservation of energy. The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form. Potential energy is stored energy and kinetic energy is energy in motion. Now, let's get back to shock absorbers. When you encounter any bumps or dips in the road, your vehicle's suspension and springs move so that the tires can remain in contact with the road and absorb the energy. Shock absorbers dampen the movement of the springs by converting their kinetic energy into heat energy. This heat energy then breaks down in the hydraulic fluid. A shock absorber is a cylinder filled with oil. When your vehicle's suspension moves, a piston moves up and down in the oil-filled cylinder. The up and down movement of the piston forces a small amount of fluid through the orifice (small hole) in the piston head. Since only a small amount of fluid is forced out, this slows down the movement of the suspension and dampens the compression and rebound of the spring. Shock absorbers are also speed sensitive. This means that the faster the spring moves, the more resistance the shock absorber provides.
Why do you need to replace your shock absorbers?
Shock absorbers keep the tires in contact with the road at all times. Without shock absorbers, the vehicle would continue to bump up and down until the springs' kinetic energy is exhausted. Worn shock absorbers can affect the way your vehicle drives and brakes. Worn shock absorbers increase the distance it takes for the vehicle to stop because the tires can't fully contact the road. It can also cause the front end of the car to "dive" when braking. Worn shock absorbers also increase wear on the tires and suspension system. Without shock absorbers, driving, cornering, and braking would be very dangerous.
When do you need to replace your shock absorbers?
Oil leaks are a clear sign of worn shock absorbers. However, detecting worn shock absorbers may not be that easy. If your vehicle bumps or sways excessively, you should have your vehicle's suspension checked by a professional. The best way to check if your vehicle is bouncing too much is to drive on familiar roads and see if the bumps are more violent than usual. You can also do a bump test. All you have to do is bump each corner of the vehicle a few times, and once you let go, the vehicle should only bump once and then settle. If your vehicle settles after one bump, then the shock absorbers are intact. If the vehicle continues to bump, then the shock absorbers are probably worn and should be checked. Experts recommend that you check your shock absorbers once a year or every 12,000 miles.