Shocks And Struts: Often-Overlooked Replacement Opportunities
Counterman Magazine
by Larry Carley
With the average vehicle age at 11.6 years, there are a lot of chassis parts nearing the end of their useful service – and many that have exceeded that life. Yet people keep driving on worn springs, shocks and struts because they don’t realize that these parts wear over time.
Shocks and struts are one of the most overlooked replacement opportunities on the road. They affect ride quality, handling, steering stability, tire wear and even stopping distance. A weak set of dampers can’t control suspension motions on a rough road. If the tires are skipping and bouncing when the brakes are applied, it will increase the distance it takes to stop. Worn shocks and struts that allow excessive wheel bounce also can produce a cupped wear pattern on tires. This will shorten tire life and create a rough, noisy ride.
Shocks and struts can lose their ability to control suspension motions as the miles add up. After 50,000 miles, some shocks and struts won’t offer as much resistance as when they were new because of worn piston seals and weakened internal valving. If the seat around the piston shaft at the top of a shock or strut fails, fluid can leak out and diminish the piston’s ability to dampen suspension motions. Loss of gas pressure from a gas-charged shock or strut also will reduce its ability to minimize fluid foaming, which can lead to “shock fade” (loss of control) under hard use or on rough roads.
A “bounce test” is one way to check a vehicle for weak dampers, but a more accurate method is to note how the body sways and rolls when cornering hard or driving in stiff crosswinds. If the nose dives excessively when braking hard, or the suspension bottoms out when backing out of a sloped driveway, or the steering shudders after hitting a bump, the dampers are probably overdue for replacement.
Struts are an important chassis part because they also are a structural component in the suspension. On many applications, they replace the upper control arm and serve as a steering pivot for the front wheels. A bearing plate on top of a MacPherson strut assembly allows the wheels to swivel and return with minimal effort. But, if the strut plate is worn, corroded or binding, it can increase steering effort and interfere with the wheels returning to the straight-ahead position after turning. Worn strut plates can rattle or clunk when the tires hit a bump or dip in the road. And, depending on the play in the strut plate, it may upset camber and/or caster alignment, which affects tire wear and steering stability.