How do you know if the car shock absorber is broken? Must it be replaced in pairs?

Shock absorbers have damping, requiring a certain amount of pressure during compression and a certain amount of tension during stretching. Their main function is to reduce the vibration of the spring, thereby reducing the vibration of the car. The shock absorption system of a car consists of springs and shock absorbers, which bear the weight of the vehicle and absorb the bumps on the road. When driving on bumpy roads, the body of the car will jump up and down. When pressing down, the spring and shock absorber absorb the downward pressure together, and the spring will inevitably bounce back after being compressed. When bouncing back, the shock absorber will hold the spring and only bounce back. Do not stretch it again due to the inertia of the body, as this will cause repeated bouncing. With the function of shock absorption, the spring will not bounce too many times, and the comfort of the car will improve. So if you drive over speed bumps or bumpy roads, the car bounces up and down many times before returning to stability, and even small bumps can cause it to shake up and down, like riding on a boat, it indicates that the shock absorber is damaged and needs to be replaced.

In actual maintenance, the vast majority of shock absorber damage is caused by oil leakage. There is hydraulic oil in the shock absorber, which generates damping and prevents the spring from moving. If the hydraulic oil leaks, damping cannot be generated and does not work. It also does not have a restraining effect on the spring. When the road is bumpy, the spring will jump many times before stopping. Therefore, to determine whether the shock absorber needs to be replaced, just observe it with the naked eye. If there is oil leakage, replace it, and if there is no oil leakage, there is no need to replace it. Also, it should be noted that oil leakage is different from oil seepage or only oil vapor coming out. Some shock absorbers may appear dirty and have a lot of oil sludge, but they may not necessarily leak oil. Sometimes there may be some oil vapor coming out of the shock absorber, adhering to the vicinity of the shock absorber, or there may be slight oil leakage, which will then attach a lot of dust. Although it may seem very dirty and serious, it is not actually considered oil leakage.

The method to determine oil leakage is to check if there is fresh oil present. If there is fresh oil, it must be a shock absorber oil leakage, and it can be replaced directly. There is no fresh oil, and there isn't much sludge around, so it's usually okay. But if there is a lot of sludge around and there are also malfunctions while driving, it is also possible that the oil has already leaked out and attached dust. It is necessary to check based on the actual situation. When replacing the shock absorber, further inspection should also be carried out when removing the shock absorber. How to check? Press down on the shock absorber core by hand to see if it requires a lot of force to press down. If a lot of force is needed, it indicates that the shock absorber is not damaged. If it is easily pressed down, it indicates that the shock absorber is really damaged. Anything that has already leaked oil can be easily suppressed.

The lifespan of shock absorbers is generally relatively long, and oil leakage only occurs when the car is old. In addition to its own quality, the way it is used also affects it. Frequent bumpy roads and bumpy speed bumps without slowing down can quickly compress and recover, which can also affect its lifespan. After it breaks down, the stability of the vehicle will deteriorate, and driving on flat roads is okay. When encountering sudden braking or sharp turns, it will have a significant impact, and the operating limit will be reduced. At the same time, the comfort is not as good, there are too many bumps on the road, and the car does not have a sense of heaviness, so it should be replaced promptly when oil leakage is found. Some people also ask if it is necessary to replace both shock absorbers at the same time? It's not necessary, just replace the side that is damaged. As long as the other side's shock absorber is not damaged, there won't be too much difference between the old and new shock absorbers, and there won't be more vibration on one side and less vibration on the other side. Of course, if the other side of the shock absorber has already been slightly damaged, although it is not serious, it can also be considered to be replaced at the same time.

From：WONDEE Auto parts

2024-7-9