How do shocks wear out

Leakage reduces the effectiveness of your shocks as it diminishes their ability to absorb impact. You can absolutely extend the life of your shock absorbers by avoiding these conditions as well as regularly checking them and cleaning the wheel hubs of your car.

Your shocks should be checked once a year at the very least or alternatively every 20,kms. Franchise Information Contact Us. Find out about our latest deals: Newsletter Subscription Find your next tyre: search by tyre size. If ride control parts like shocks and struts are worn, they may not properly respond. Stopping distance increases and brakes and tires wear more quickly. It all depends on the amount of wear and tear they get, and that depends on the quality of roads you drive, if you haul loads and how aggressive you are behind the wheel.

Have a technician check every 12, miles, if you get an alignment, when you get new tires, at least once a year and whenever you notice the symptoms above. Les Schwab Tires typically does visual inspections each time tires get rotated and during pre-trip safety checks. You may not notice your ride control has been compromised when these parts are wearing out, because it happens gradually. Bad shocks and struts are diagnosed through other methods.

Suspension bushings problems — cracking, peeling, off-center. Active leaking of oil on parts. A rougher ride. Damaged or worn bushings are not always obvious, so be sure to have your service provider examine the bushings on your steering and suspension system on a regular basis. Having properly working bushings makes a big difference in the ride and handling of your vehicle. Shocks and struts are filled with oil to control unwanted spring motion in a process called damping.

As the piston in the shock or strut moves up and down, the oil heats up, damping the motion. The oil in your shock or strut goes through this heat cycle countless times as you drive down the road.

Over time, the oil in your shocks and struts can lose its viscosity due to the heat cycling. Notice in the image the comparison of new oil on the left and oil after 50, miles on the right. As this break down occurs, the oil will lose its ability to properly lubricate internal components, and can adversely affect the ability of your shocks and struts to mitigate the impacts of the road. If the oil level is significantly reduced, or overheated, it can allow the oil to coat the internal moving parts with a varnish-like film, which prevents smooth operation of the unit and leads to a harsher ride.

With repeated use, internal components of your shocks or struts can fatigue. This failure, which can happen with age or as a result of an impact or accident, limits control of excessive body and tire movement.