Despite the fact that shock absorbers are being used since the beginning of automobiles, the general driving public does not understand them well. Even car aficionados often ignore and neglect car shock absorbers, demeaning its performance, particularly ride and handling. The worn-out dampers can be hazardous, especially amid the extreme maneuvers that may be important to avoid accidents. This device is used for damping vibration and absorbing shocks and impacts of mobile elements (for example, suspension, wheels) and the body of the vehicle. It is made by converting the mechanical energy of oscillation in the heat.
Even though it is named as a shock absorber, it does not absorb shocks. Instead, it is a function of springs in the suspension system. As a wheel come across the bump, the wheel moves upward, which compresses and stores the bump energy in spring. This compression actually absorbs the shock.
As spring compresses, it has energy which must be released. It does so by bouncing back to its original position while pushing the vehicle’s body upward simultaneously. According to the law of gravity, “what goes up must come down”, as gravity pulls it down, compressing the spring again. If shocks are not in good condition, you may feel vehicle’s bouncing after every bump until complete energy is used. This could result in making vehicle uncontrollable.
Importance of Checking your car’s shocks
The importance of shock absorbers cannot be ignored. It drastically affects the performance of your vehicle. The finely working shocks won’t give you trouble while cornering and while going over the bumps. Like every other component, shock absorbers start to lose its performance over the time. This makes drivers to unwittingly adapt their driving to compensate the wear and affected handling. Their signs of wear can be recognized through accentuated load shift while cornering, bad handling on uneven road surfaces with a sloppy suspension. The best way to test if your vehicle’s shocks are worn out is carrying a bounce test. If you realize that the vehicle oscillates more than one time once downward pressure is applied on the bonnet, this simply signifies that shocks have been worn out.
Furthermore, visual checks can be done. Here, one can look for leakage and uneven tire wear. In general, the vehicle’s shocks should be checked at least once a year or 20,000 km by the expert mechanic. This gives enough time for the driver to ensure the safety of himself, passengers and the other motorists on road. In case, they require replacement, the same should be done in pairs, the same as you do with brake pads.
When to buy shock absorbers for cars
Generally, dampers have a long life. And like every other auto component, they tend to degrade but takes a little more time comparatively. Now the question comes is what the best time is to replace them. Let’s find out:
- Sometimes its seal ruptures. The time you see shock is covered with oil indicates that it has failed.
- The bouncing the vehicle on a fender serve as a guide whether your car needs new shocks or not.
- You won’t be able to notice the slow degradation until the performance is affected and handling is changed dramatically.
- It also depends on the type of terrains you drive on. Modern shock lasts around 50-60 thousand kilometers. This may change as per the driving conditions.
It can also be checked through a machine, but for doing this, it has to be pulled off the car. This would increase the labor cost. However, if the guy at the repair shop has already taken them off, it makes sense to get them replaced.
Choosing shock absorbers for a car online in India
Finding the right shock absorber most depends upon the type of vehicle you own and how you drive. There are various shock absorber price range available and you get what you pay for. If you love the way how it used to perform when the vehicle was new, you can get the OEM replacements. In India, if you are looking for high quality spare parts, assembly, kit, covers and any other automotive component, there is no better place than the online market. You can find OEM and aftermarket shock absorber parts with a cost that suits your pocket. You can easily buy online following a few simple steps.
All you need is VIN or Chassis, which you can use to locate the exact part that fits your vehicle. VIN is a vehicle identification number is which is unique with every vehicle, this will let you get the part of your automotive only.
