The roads we use aren’t always perfect. Daily abuse, exposure to the sun, and weather causes ruts, cracks, and potholes. Car manufacturers deal with the challenge posed by such road conditions by equipping vehicles with a suspension system that uses springs to allow the wheels to ride over bumps and through dips and holes, insulating the vehicle body from sudden movement and noise.
But springs alone won’t do the job. Without some kind of damping mechanism at each corner of the vehicle, the body would simply bounce until the spring oscillations faded after one or more wheels passed over a dip or through a pothole.
Thus, shock absorbers are a key part of the suspension system.
And when your shock absorbers go bad, you’re definitely bound to notice. But just in case you don’t know what to look for, we’ll discuss some of the most common signs of faulty or failing shock absorbers.
Pro Tips are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.
Pro Tip: Earlier suspension systems totally depended on the springs to hold the car at the proper height and only used the shock absorbers as dampers, but newer gas-charged shock absorbers actually help the springs maintain proper curb height.
Bad Shock Absorber Symptoms
Your shock absorbers are subject to abuse, especially over extremely beaten terrain. Although developments have made them better than the options decades ago, shocks can still face wearing and issues.
Here are some common signs of bad shock absorbers:
Bouncy ride
Worn out shocks can make your car’s springs bounce up and down more than what is considered normal. The result is a rougher-than-usual ride when driving over bumps and an extremely uncomfortable car. Take ten seconds to watch this video:
Unusual noises
Shocks that are loose or have worn mounting bushings can create a clunking or banging noise while going over bumps.
Fluid leaks
One reason why the fluid depletes from inside your shocks is due to a leak. A hydraulic fluid leak can happen to any shock absorber and should never go ignored. Fluid can easily be seen running down the sides of the shock absorber’s shell casing.
Irregular tire wear
You might be wondering what bad shocks have to do with your tires. Your car has shocks to control your wheels from bouncing due to the springs’ reaction from bumps. Faulty dampers cause the tire to bounce off of the ground harder. On the drive wheels particularly, when a tire almost bounces free of the pavement, it “skins” just a bit of tread off with each bounce. As a result, the tire often develops high and low spots in the tread, known as cupping.
Reduced handling and braking ability
Bad shocks may cause your car to tip more to one side or the other when turning. Sway bars tend to mitigate this, but shocks, springs, and suspension design in general also work to prevent body roll. One of the benefits of strut suspension is that the vehicle’s center of gravity is lowered, making it more difficult to roll over during aggressive evasive maneuvers. Electronic stability systems help by applying the brakes on a single wheel to prevent the driver from losing control.
One of the benefits of strut suspension is that the vehicle’s center of gravity is lowered, making it more difficult to roll over during aggressive evasive maneuvers.
–Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
What is a Shock Absorber?
Springs alone can’t handle bumps and potholes because they’ll compress and expand uncontrollably due to the laws of physics. The vehicle, depending on design, tends to “bottom out” going over hard bumps, and shock absorbers mitigate (but don’t eliminate) this issue. That’s why there are soft rubber bumper points as part of the suspension to help deal with it when it happens.
Shock absorbers keep the spring from bouncing excessively through the dampening process, which transforms the spring’s kinetic energy into thermal energy. To dissipate this heat, dampers are typically filled with hydraulic fluid.
Without shocks, your car will continue to bounce until it dissipates the energy from the impact of hitting a bump. Excessive spring movement will cause you to lose control of the vehicle. Damage to your tire’s sidewall and tread can happen when you hit a deep pothole and your faulty shocks cause the tire to scrape your car’s fender liner.
In short, shock absorbers keep your car maneuverable despite irregularities on the surface of the road.
2 Types of Shock Absorbers
Different suspension system designs, and varying vehicle applications, resulted in the invention of two different shock absorber types. There are two main types of shocks: mono-tube and twin-tube.
Both have different variations to choose from.
1. Mono-tube
A mono-tube shock absorber has all of its components confined inside a single tube. It consists of a piston valve, a shell that acts like a cylinder, and hydraulic oil.
Mono-tube shock absorbers have a floating piston that compresses the oil and lets it pass through the piston valves. This setup allows the shock absorber to compress slower over tiny bumps and faster with bigger ones.
2. Twin-tube
The twin-tube damper is the most common type of shock absorber and is relatively inexpensive compared to the mono-tube. It features two cylinders; one acting as the shell and the other as the inner tube.
The inner tube houses the piston valve and oil reservoir, while the outer shell holds the oil being pushed by the piston valve and the low-pressure gas. The tiny holes in the piston, as well as the presence of a base valve, restricts the flow of oil entering the outer tube to better control the wheels.
Twin-tubes tend to overheat due to the rapid movement of the piston over very bumpy terrains. The heat causes the oil to foam, which then lessens its effectiveness in dampening the springs.
Can I Drive with a Bad Shock Absorber?
Driving when there are issues with your car is never the smartest idea, but if you can put up with all the issues described above, there’s no real danger other than the increased tendency for the vehicle to roll over. So technically, you can still drive with worn of faulty shocks.
Shock absorber replacements roughly cost around $200 to $800, while performance shocks typically cost upwards of $1,500. Still, these prices are relatively less expensive than having to deal with multiple problems that could arise after failing to address the issue.
Where to Get a Replacement Shock Absorber
A bad shock absorber has the potential to cause a lot of trouble, from uneven tire wear and bumpy rides to poor handling and braking. On the bright side, you can prevent these issues by getting a shock absorber replacement from CarParts.com.
You don’t need to leave your house to get a replacement shock absorber. Just visit CarParts.com and enter your ride’s year, make, and model into the vehicle selector to view compatible parts. Our parts are sourced from the best manufacturers in the industry to guarantee their quality. And to ensure fast shipping, our warehouses are strategically located all across the US. If you have questions, our round-the-clock customer service team is always ready to help.
Shock absorbers are crucial to your vehicle’s performance, so it’s best to replace them immediately when they’re faulty. Take a look at our high-quality collection of shock absorbers at CarParts.com.
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