How to check shock absorber struts

How to check shock absorbers yourself?

Dear motorists! Before we consider the topic of checking shock absorbers, let's remind ourselves and those who do not yet know: what shock absorbers are and why they are an important part of the suspension of our cars.

What are the consequences of a faulty shock absorber?

Shock absorbers (dampers) are devices that serve to dampen vibrations while a car is moving (damping) by converting mechanical energy into thermal energy. Shock absorbers operate in conjunction with such vehicle suspension elements as springs, springs, torsion shafts, cushions, etc.

Diagnostics of shock absorbers must be carried out systematically by the driver. Why, you ask, because MOT was passed, and everything was fine. Unfortunately, like everything in this world, shock absorbers tend to fail. And the sooner the driver notices a shock absorber malfunction, the less money will then be spent on restoring the consequences.

The most important thing is for you to remember that systematically checking the shock absorbers yourself takes a couple of minutes, and can save you from troubles with other car systems.

A faulty shock absorber in combination with a wheel imbalance (you understand that perfect balance simply cannot exist) leads to intense and rapid tire wear. Add here broken wheel bearings, check the cost of tires and bearings - your budget will not like the figure.
A faulty shock absorber causes other suspension parts to fail. After all, the suspension is designed to work with all the elements together. For example, after several thousand km. The support bearing of the strut may fail.
The health of the shock absorber directly affects the service life of the brake system, in particular brake discs and pads. If you are not interested in repairing brake discs, then timely diagnostics of shock absorbers will help postpone this procedure.
A faulty shock absorber increases the braking distance, which means a few extra meters can lead to an accident. And here you can’t count, you can’t count – your body repairs and... you don’t even need to think about it. And you just need to check the shock absorbers in time.

How to check shock absorbers without a diagnostic stand?

Many motorists with a “smart” and thoughtful look swing their car by the fender. Other motorists, observing this picture, understand that shock absorbers are being diagnosed. But both of them have little idea that such diagnostics do not give any results.

The fact is that the body will only swing if the shock absorber is dead forever, and if it still “breathes” a little, then the shock absorber will pass such a diagnosis. But you don't need this.

The most proven way to diagnose shock absorbers is through the driver's eyes and ears. By visual inspection we determine oil leaks (although the dryness of the shock absorber is not always an indicator of its serviceability). By ear you can detect a knock in the suspension. If you are confident in the suspension, then only the shock absorber can make a knock.

There is a subjective test that answers the question of how to check shock absorbers - these are tests in motion when passing the same turn at the same speed. To do this, you need to have some experience driving this particular car. If the car drifts in a turn, it’s time to go to the car market for shock absorbers.

A couple of practical recommendations for diagnosing shock absorbers on a vibration stand

Testing at a stand naturally costs some money. Your money. Therefore, before you drive your car to the stand, find out for yourself:

The stand's computer can be adjusted to the model of your car or a similar suspension.
How is the life expectancy of a car calculated? Over time, the rigidity of the body changes, so a 10-year-old car will in no way meet factory depreciation standards. And the stand will show it.
Before checking, it is necessary to check the wheel alignment and tire pressure.

Diagnostics of shock absorbers is not an easy task, but it is worth it, since it turns out that a lot depends on a working shock absorber. First of all, the serviceability of the car and traffic safety.

Results of the influence of a shock absorber on car performance

Braking distance at a speed of 100 km/h: before replacement 51.5 m, after – 47.5 m.

The maximum speed for passing the “reference” turn before the replacement is 84 km/h, after it is 105 km/h.

So draw your conclusions. Good luck, car lovers.

Source: https://carnovato.ru/kak-proverit-amortizatory/

How to check shock absorber struts?

Shock absorbers, otherwise called dampers, are special devices that help smooth out vibrations during driving by converting mechanical energy into thermal energy. Shock absorber struts are closely connected and work in tandem with springs, springs, torsion shafts, cushions and several other elements of the vehicle's chassis.

Checking shock absorber struts

Shock absorber struts

It is very important to monitor the condition of the vehicle and know how to check the shock absorbers, since they are the ones that keep the car in the correct position on the road.

If this important suspension element fails, and the car owner postpones testing the shock absorbers until later, the accompanying chassis parts will also be susceptible to failure:

Failed shock absorbers, coupled with wheel imbalance, will lead to accelerated tire wear and destruction of wheel bearings;
After traveling several thousand kilometers with faulty struts, the support bearing will break down;
If the shock absorber is in good working order, the service life of the brake pads increases, but when there are problems, the braking system is no longer reliable, since the braking distance increases and the likelihood of an accident increases.

So it turns out that timely intervention can protect not only from various breakdowns and traffic accidents, but will also significantly save the car owner’s budget - after all, it is cheaper to replace struts at the stage when the first signs of a malfunction appear than to repair the chassis or brake system later.

Diagnostics of shock absorber struts

If there is even the slightest suspicion of a malfunction, it is necessary to urgently carry out diagnostics. How are shock absorbers checked? There are a number of activities that the car owner can carry out independently, which will become the initial testing of the rack.

Some car enthusiasts prefer to do without testing at the stand and begin to rock their car themselves to determine the wear of the shock absorbers. However, such a check is not very informative, because if the racks are already weakened but functional, rocking will show that everything is in order, but this is not the case.

Checking the shock absorber struts yourself

Types of shock absorbers

If you decide to do your own diagnostics, then use these tips on how to check shock absorbers at home:

Drive the car into the pit and carefully inspect the shock absorbers for oil leaks, body deformation or contamination.
Pay special attention to the piston rod; if it is damaged, the system may depressurize.
While driving, listen to see if there is a knocking sound in the car’s suspension.
Inspect the tire tread; if it wears unevenly, it may be time to replace the shock absorbers.
Go through the same turn several times at the same speed and pay attention to whether the car skids; if so, it means the shock absorber is faulty (only for experienced drivers who have studied their car!).

Consequences of shock absorbers failure

It is very important to monitor the condition of shock absorbers, because their failure can lead to the following consequences:

You may lose control of the vehicle;
When braking sharply, the car may travel a longer distance and crash;
Exchange rate stability will decrease;
Load capacity will decrease;
Other suspension parts will begin to break;
While driving, the driver will feel every bump or hole.

Testing at the stand

If you cannot be completely sure of the correctness of your conclusions about the proper operation of the shock absorber struts, contact specialists who will perform diagnostics on a vibration stand.

Of course, you will have to pay some money for this, but thanks to the test at the stand, you will be able to get an expert opinion and precise instructions for action.

If, of course, you contacted a trusted car service center.

To avoid wasting your money, follow these simple guidelines:

Check whether the technicians have configured the computer to diagnose exactly your make and model of car (the settings are individual for each car);
It is necessary to take into account the age of the car, since the weight of the body changes over time, so the settings and standards will have certain deviations;
Before bench testing, check your wheel alignment and tire pressure;
Go only to a reputable service.

Checking shock absorber struts is not at all as simple as it seems; it is a troublesome and time-consuming process, where you need to take into account every detail, every little thing.

Checking new parts

It becomes clear how to check shock absorber struts for wear and malfunction, but how to test new ones? Why check, the car owner will be surprised, because I buy new ones from a car dealership? But you need to check.

You need to check new shock absorber struts without leaving the cash register, without specialized equipment, and this can be done using a proven method.

Algorithm for checking new shock absorbers:

Visually inspect the racks, check the markings for compliance with the manufacturer’s catalogue, examine the surface, assess for mechanical defects and damage, pay special attention to the rod and seals.
Check geometric compliance using a ruler and caliper. We look at the length of the shock absorber in the shifted state and the diameter of the rod.
Examine the performance of the shock absorber. For a single-pipe, no preliminary preparation is required; you can immediately begin testing using the compression method: we compress and stretch the stand 3-5 times. In this case, the rod should move smoothly, without creaking, jamming or sudden shocks. Twin-tube shock absorbers are checked after certain actions - pumping the strut 3 to 5 times, and then placing them in a vertical position with the rod up.

Shock absorbers: are they working or not?

1. Inspect!

Cheap, reliable and practical. A visual inspection when diagnosing shock absorbers is a mandatory procedure. If you find a way to look at the shock absorbers, then at least traces of oil on the shock absorber body can be noticed immediately.

To make sure the diagnosis is correct, just wipe the shock absorber with a rag and repeat the inspection after a few days.

If the car is on a lift, then at the same time try to assess the condition of the shock absorber rods: they should sparkle! Traces of rust or other unsightliness are a sign of malfunction.

Tires can also tell you about problems with shock absorbers. Uneven wear patterns hint at a problem. It is also worth assessing the condition of the protective kits (anthers) and springs, then the upper supports. Well, ideally, and all other suspension elements. But here you need an experienced eye.

Unfortunately, a faulty shock absorber itself may not show external signs of wear. Its ineffective operation may be caused by wear of internal components and materials: this is impossible to calculate visually. In such cases, you should use other diagnostic methods, and also remember the actual period of its operation.

2. Rock it!

Not the most accurate, but the most popular and visual diagnostic method. You need to vigorously swing the front/rear part of the car, then remove the load and observe how quickly the body stops swaying.

If, after removing the load, it performs more than one swing stroke, it means that the swing was not done in vain: the shock absorber, alas, is crappy... The only trouble is that in this way you can only determine a completely “dead” product, and even then with the proper experience.

It’s another matter if the shock absorber is tightly jammed: this will be determined instantly, since it simply won’t be possible to rock the car.

Try not to overdo it when rocking, so as not to damage the body parts - this happens...

3. Manage!

If, while driving, the car suddenly gains some independence - it yaws on uneven surfaces, sways in all directions, and reluctantly responds to the steering wheel, then most likely the shock absorbers are to blame.

Contrary to popular belief, this manifests itself not only at high speeds, but even if the speedometer shows quite “urban” numbers.

At the same time, there is no need to write a pretzel on the road - in a quiet place, exercises such as acceleration, braking, snaking are quite enough... In any case, if the car’s handling has deteriorated over time, you should contact competent specialists for diagnostics.

For example, you can see in this video how cars with working shock absorbers behave and those without.

4. Try it on!

The simplest, fairly quick and not so expensive way to get general information about the effectiveness of the suspension is to stop by a diagnostic stand, take measurements and listen to the verdict.

Another question is how precisely the verdict will apply directly to shock absorbers.

The fact is that in the case of various kinds of “shaking” (of which there are more and more recently), the presence of at least one faulty element (not necessarily a shock absorber) will significantly affect the final results of the efficiency indicator.

In addition, the algorithms by which the performance of the suspension are assessed differ, and diagnostics of one car on different stands can lead to the fact that the data obtained on the condition of the suspension may differ.

There are known cases when, when diagnosing a car on a “shaky ride” with a working suspension and recently replaced shock absorbers, the data obtained indicated low residual effectiveness of the suspension.

But during the “test drive” the car behaved perfectly.

The reason is that the stand was not designed for more “hard” settings of the tuning series shock absorbers compared to the characteristics of the original products, as a result - a wrong verdict. Well, that happens.

A very important point! The final indicators may be influenced by such parameters as tire pressure, vehicle loading during diagnostics, small deviations from a straight line when driving to the stand (appearance of a deviation angle from the longitudinal axis), accidental installation of the vehicle on the handbrake, uneven loading of the vehicle during diagnostics, etc. .d. It will be a real pleasure for a careless repairman to “cheat” a client out of the cost of new shock absorbers, so that in the meantime, as if by accident, pump up his flat tire...

5. Conclusions?

There is no single known correct method for diagnosing shock absorbers. Each case has its own specifics. Bon Voyage!

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Source: https://www.zr.ru/content/articles/522844-amortizatory_ispravny_ili_net/

How to check your shock absorbers or struts in your car yourself

Today we’ll talk about shock absorbers and struts. But let's immediately clarify the concepts. What is the difference between shock absorbers and struts? It's simple. A shock absorber is a shock-absorbing element of the suspension, a strut is an assembled shock absorber, a spring and a housing to which the brakes, levers, supports, etc. are attached. To put it even more simply, shock absorbers are part of the struts.

I don’t know what is installed on your machine. That’s why I write both shock absorbers and struts in the text.

What are shock absorbers and struts needed for? They make our car stable. This means that they allow us to brake, turn or make any other maneuver at the right moment and with exactly the same effort and precision that we need.

You can independently determine the condition of your shock absorbers or struts. Below I have presented you with warning signs that will tell you that you need to replace your old shock absorbers or struts with new ones.

5 main signs of dead shock absorbers and struts

Deviation from the course of movement. Has it ever happened to you that when braking, your car deviates slightly from its course? For example, to the left. If this happens, you need to check the shock absorbers and struts of the car. In this situation, your control over the movement and actions of the car is reduced, which is especially dangerous in rainy weather.

Vibrations. Do you feel vibrations passing through the steering wheel while driving? When the shock absorbers and struts are working properly, there is optimal contact and contact of the tires with the road, and there should be no vibration. You need to be very careful with vibrations as they can be strong at high speeds, reducing your control of the vehicle.

Sliding and skidding of the car Have you noticed a slight skidding of the car and its deviation from straight motion even in light winds? This can be an important signal that the shock absorbers and struts are worn out, which can only be corrected by replacing them.

Galloping of the car, rattling and knocking while the car is running. On bumps, railroad tracks, and other uneven surfaces on the road, the vehicle may rattle and sway. With a probability of more than 65%, this indicates wear on the shock absorbers and struts. Along with an unpleasant and uncomfortable ride, these moments can put unwanted pressure and damage other parts of the car. Therefore, this problem should be eliminated.

Uneven tire wear. Walk up to your vehicle and inspect the tires from all angles. Are you seeing worn areas on your tires or uneven wear? This is usually a sign that the tires are not making proper and optimal contact with the road. This may also be due to wear on the shock absorbers. Accordingly, this problem may affect your control of the vehicle and will require investigation and resolution.

Is there another old-fashioned way to check shock absorbers and struts - rock the car?

Source: https://khv-signal.ru/blog/kak-samostoyatelno-proverit-svoi-amortizatory/

How to check shock absorbers on a car?

There are several fairly simple ways to independently check the shock absorbers on a car without dismantling them. To check, you can rock the car, conduct a visual inspection of the struts, or determine by touch the degree of their heating - each of these methods allows you to more or less accurately check the performance of the shock absorbers in the car.

An experienced driver can determine whether shock absorbers are faulty even by the car’s behavior on the road. For example, large rolls in corners, longitudinal and lateral sway of the body clearly indicate problems with the suspension and the need for repairs.

We would also like to draw your attention to our material on the repair of shock absorber struts, which also contains quite detailed video instructions.

4 ways to check shock absorbers on a car

There are several ways to check shock absorbers for serviceability. Here are just a few of them:

Visual inspection of shock absorbers;
Vertical rocking of the car;
Analysis of suspension behavior in motion;
Bench diagnostics of the vehicle chassis.

The most accurate result of checking shock absorbers can be obtained by combining all these methods. That is, it is first advisable to inspect the shock absorbers, then perform a vertical swing of the car, analyze the behavior of the car on the road, and, if in doubt, carry out bench diagnostics of the chassis.

Now let's take a closer look at each of these methods.

How to Check Shock Absorbers Using a Visual Inspection

To check the shock absorbers on a car visually, you must first of all carefully inspect each of them. Indirect signs that can be used to check the performance of a shock absorber include traces of corrosion on the rod and oil leaks.

After a long break in the operation of the car, pockets of corrosion may appear on the visible part of the rods, and this is a direct threat of rapid wear of the seals.
Found traces of oil on the body most often indicate a loss of tightness and the need to repair or replace the shock absorber.

If oil traces are detected, the shock absorber body should be wiped with a dry cloth and inspected again after a couple of days.

If the shock absorber is leaking, then you can still ride on it for some time, although it is undesirable (read about the consequences of such driving below). However, very soon it will still become unusable.

It is also worth keeping in mind that even if, when examining the shock absorber, no traces of corrosion or oil leaks are found on its body, this does not mean that it is working efficiently. Some malfunctions may be caused, for example, by wear and tear of internal parts and their components.

How to check shock absorbers by rocking the car

To check the shock absorbers on a car using rocking, you need to carefully (so as not to leave dents!), but with force, press on the front (rear) part of the car in the area of the wheel, trying to rock the car up and down. In this case, after the swaying stops, the body should smoothly return to its original position without sudden vibrations.

You can rock the car harder and observe the nature of the vibrations. If the shock absorber is in good working order, the vibrations should die out already during the first or second free swing.

It is also worth noting that in most cases, only completely damaged shock absorbers can be checked by rocking, and not every car enthusiast will be able to independently determine the malfunction.

How to check shock absorbers based on how the car behaves on the road

The condition of the shock absorbers can be determined by the car’s behavior on the road only by indirect signs, for example, such as:

The car noticeably wanders over uneven surfaces;
The body sways violently from side to side;
The car reacts unclearly to steering wheel turns;
A rattling knock appears on uneven roads.

To check the shock absorbers this way, it is not at all necessary to accelerate strongly and take sharp turns. You just need to alternately perform several exercises such as snake, acceleration and braking in a quiet place.

If you identify the above symptoms (even if they are not caused by a breakdown of the shock absorbers), you should definitely contact a car service center.

There is also a less popular way to check shock absorbers - by the degree of their heating during movement. This testing method is based on the fact that hydraulic shock absorbers emit a large amount of thermal energy during operation.

To do this, having driven the car onto an overpass or inspection hole immediately after driving, you need to evaluate the temperature of each shock absorber and compare it with the temperature of the others. If one of them turns out to be much colder than the others, then we can conclude that it has lost its ability to work.

How to check shock absorbers on a diagnostic stand

It is believed that bench diagnostics of a car chassis allows you to quickly, not very expensively, and quite effectively check the shock absorbers on a car and identify their faults. But is this really so?

The fact is that most diagnostic stands take into account many parameters in their testing algorithms. Therefore, the presence of at least one faulty element in the chassis of the car (which may not be a shock absorber at all) has a fairly strong impact on the accuracy of the final diagnostic results.

In addition, different diagnostic stands use different algorithms for assessing the performance of the suspension, so the results of testing on stands of different manufacturers may have significant differences.

Also, the following parameters can have a noticeable impact on the accuracy of shock absorber testing results during bench diagnostics:

Car tire pressure (table of tire pressure by car brand);
Excessive or uneven loading of the machine during diagnostics;
Minor deviations from a straight line when arriving at the stand;
Setting the car to the manual parking brake (“handbrake”).

Dishonest craftsmen can take advantage of the car enthusiast’s ignorance of these nuances in order to “cheat” him into buying new shock absorbers and replacing them. So you need to know about this and not forget when checking shock absorbers at the chassis diagnostic stand.

Is it possible to drive if the shock absorber is leaking?

The question is actively discussed on automobile forums: “A shock absorber has leaked - is it safe to drive?” We already wrote above that you can still drive a car with a leaking shock absorber for some time, but soon it will “die” anyway.

Many would-be drivers drive with damaged shock absorbers until the car's chassis completely falls apart. Such driving is dangerous and ruinous due to a number of possible consequences.

A wheel bouncing randomly on bumps constantly loses contact with the road. If you find yourself on an uneven section of the roadway with faulty shock absorbers, you can easily fly off the road into a ditch.
The lack of damping significantly increases the braking distance. When braking, a car with inoperative shock absorbers sharply shifts the center of gravity to the front wheels, dangerously unloading the rear - this can lead to loss of stability when turning.
Unusable shock absorbers have an extremely negative impact on the operation of the anti-lock braking system: the brake pedal crushes under your foot, and the car does not want to slow down on the road. The result is sometimes very disastrous.
The wear and tear of all the joints and components of the chassis also looks depressing. Due to severe suspension breakdowns, the rubber compression buffer very often falls apart and the shock absorber rod bends. Silent blocks, ball joints, and levers all suffer - if the shock absorber does not withstand the impact, then they are subject to exorbitant loads.

Judge for yourself: either the entire suspension structure will absorb the shock at one time, evenly distributing the impact energy, or the bunch of parts will convulse several times as the car passes over each bump.

Therefore, if the stability of the car deteriorates, if the suspension frequently engages all the way, and even more so when knocking appears on uneven surfaces, immediately check the chassis and replace worn shock absorbers.

Video: how to quickly check shock absorbers

Source: https://unit-car.com/diagnostika-i-remont/37-kak-proverit-amortizatory.html

Main malfunctions of shock absorbers

Car shock absorbers are designed to absorb reciprocating loads that occur during acceleration, braking, turning, and when driving over various types of road irregularities.

On most modern cars, depending on the vehicle and the tasks it will perform, the following types of shock absorbers are installed: two-pipe hydraulic, two-pipe gas-hydraulic with low-pressure gas, single-pipe gas-hydraulic with high-pressure gas.

Shock absorbers are made fundamentally the same and consist of: a cylinder, a piston with a rod, forward and reverse valves, rubber seals, and may differ in size, materials, liquid filling and other parts.

With prolonged use and without proper care, and even in the conditions of “our” roads, the car often presents unpleasant surprises.

One of these is wear and malfunction of the shock absorber, which threatens to result in such troubles as an increase in braking distance, wear of chassis parts and a decrease in vehicle controllability.

Sad statistics from service stations say that the service life of a conventional shock absorber is on average 60-80 thousand km (depending on roads and driving style). Shock absorber diagnostics are carried out using several methods:

Visual inspection

You need to pay attention to oil leaks, and if there are any, this indicates a leak in the shock absorber; The shock absorber body and spring must not be deformed; assessment of tread wear - uneven spots on the tire also indicate a malfunction; Corrosion of the spring and spring support.

Car rocking.

Hold the front (rear) part of the car and rock it. If the shock absorber malfunctions, the machine will make more than one or two oscillations before returning to its original position.

If the car immediately stops after rocking, this is a clear sign that the shock absorber is jammed.

The rocking method cannot guarantee that the problem of “incorrect behavior” of the car is precisely a faulty shock absorber, because the same indicators of this diagnosis are also characteristic of other suspension faults.

Diagnostics of the shock absorber while driving.

Pay attention to the deterioration in the quality of operation: smoothness of corner entry, braking distance, vehicle behavior when driving on poor-quality surfaces and the overall controllability of the car. Also, when moving, the shock absorber may make a knocking sound, this indicates its mechanical damage. Bench diagnostics:

A vibration stand or “shock tester” is a device for suspension diagnostics, equipped at a service station.

Allows specialists to obtain a shock absorber operating schedule in a minimum amount of time, compare it with the factory one and evaluate their performance. There are two big disadvantages associated with this method: the performance of the vibration stand is affected by changes in the factory characteristics of the car, for example, replacing the shock absorber, as well as malfunctions of other suspension parts, which manifest themselves identically.

Special stand

To get a complete picture, it is necessary to check the force of full exit and compression of the rod on a special stand, and in this case it is impossible to do without dismantling it. This diagnosis is the most reliable. The disadvantages include high labor intensity and, ultimately, cost. After analysis, a decision is made on repair or replacement.

Now let's take a closer look at the causes of problems and how to troubleshoot shock absorber problems. Fluid is leaking from the shock absorber. There may be several reasons for this:

1. There is an excessive amount of fluid in the shock absorber - in this case, simply provide the required amount;

2. The reservoir nut is loose – tighten the nut;

3. The tank is damaged in the area of the sealing ring - replace or repair the tank;

4. Nicks on the rod, wear of the chrome coating - replacement of the rod and oil seal;

5. Damage to the reservoir sealing ring - replace the ring;

6. Damage or wear of the rod seal - replace the seal;

7. Damage or presence of large corrugations on the tank seal - replace the seal.

When driving, the shock absorber makes a knocking noise.

The first step is to check if fluid is leaking - this is often the most common cause of knocking, and if a leak is found, the easiest way is to replace the shock absorber. If there is no fluid leak, perform the previously described test - “rocking the car”.

The knocking of the shock absorber can also indicate its wear, and if operation without replacement is more than 60 thousand km, repair or replacement must be carried out. Another common cause of knocking is air entering the outer cylinder due to a fluid leak.

You can fix the problem by bleeding the shock absorber, either with your own hands or at a service station.

A decrease in the density of the liquid due to loss of properties during prolonged operation or the use of oil not specified in the instructions.

How to correctly check the serviceability of struts on a VAZ 2109

In order for the operation of your car to be safe and absolutely normal, periodic maintenance, known to all motorists, is necessary.

For example, as a result of faulty shock absorber struts, the safety factor when driving a personal vehicle is significantly reduced, which means checking their condition is a prerequisite.

The procedure for checking the racks for serviceability does not cause any particular difficulties and can be carried out by the car owner himself.

If your car has telescopic racks and a defect in functionality is discovered, then it is only possible to replace them with new racks, since the modern telescopic design is non-removable.

But how to check the racks with your own hands on a VAZ 2109? For the initial check, which is done by ear, you need to drive the car on an uneven road surface, listening for the presence of extraneous knocks at the locations of the shock absorber struts or for “breakdown” of the suspension, which will clearly indicate an existing malfunction. Replacement of faulty racks is carried out only in pairs. In case of strong swaying (popularly “dancing”) of the rear or front part of the car, one can also conclude that the shock absorbers are faulty and there is an urgent need to replace them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSPX-0vdY0o

Further self-checking of the struts assumes that the car will stand still. The check is carried out by pressing firmly on the car body above the location of each pillar. The number of oscillatory movements in the case of serviceable racks should not exceed once.

The next step will be to conduct an external inspection of all shock absorber struts. During the inspection, make sure there are no deformations or damage, as well as liquid leaks. In addition, you need to check the springs for possible breakage or cracks.

When the suspension is “punched” - constantly activated all the way, you can understand that the springs have completely exhausted their service life and the required replacement of the springs. Continued use of the vehicle in this condition will inevitably lead to body deformation. Now you need to pay attention to the spring cups - whether there are any cracks or deformation on them.

The condition of the compression damper is equally important. It should not have any mechanical damage and be completely intact. Before disassembling the rack, use a special puller to compress the spring. After removing the telescopic racks from the car, they need to be disassembled for a thorough inspection and troubleshooting.

Make sure the strut shock absorbers are clean and dry and have no visible signs of wear. Checking the shock absorber before installing it is mandatory.

Checking the damping system rod for smooth movement should only be done when the strut is installed vertically. To do this, insert a large screwdriver directly under the mounting bolt in the bottom hole, then step on the screwdriver and push the stem down or pull up.

If your car's shock absorber is working properly, the rod will move smoothly without dips or jams. When checking the thrust bearing, make sure it is not damaged or cracked and that it rotates quietly and easily. If the dampers are worn out, they should be replaced with new ones.

In fact, the result of a thoughtless trip in a car with faulty shock absorbers, as a rule, is not only the wear of elements in the form of suspension parts, wheel bearings and car tires, but also a danger to the life of the car owner as a result of a significant increase in braking distance.

Many people know that from the moment the first automobile vehicles were invented, their design has been constantly improved and complicated.

At first, car suspensions were spring and dependent, but as they improved, manufacturers began adding various hydraulic, mechanical, electrical and pneumatic elements.

All these introductions have gradually brought humanity closer to modern comfortable rides in cars with increased safety and controllability, in which shock-absorbing systems play an important role. Their invention took place back in the last century, and the furore produced by shock absorbers in the automotive industry was truly stunning.

These devices made it possible not only to dampen vibrations when the road is uneven, but were also able to provide a better level of adhesion to the road surface. However, the time frame for using shock absorbers, like other automotive mechanisms and parts, is also limited; accordingly, the resource of their normal functioning is exhausted over time.

The recorded average figures, amounting to approximately 30 and no more than 50 thousand vehicle kilometers, indicate that shock absorbers can very rarely serve more than this figure. Also, the maximum service life of shock absorbers is influenced by the quality of their manufacture, manufacturer, and your driving style.

A high-quality check can be entrusted to car service workers, or you can carry it out yourself through a series of not so complicated operations.

Let's supplement the previously outlined points for checking car shock absorbers. As we noted, replacing the struts is necessary if oil leaks are detected on them, as well as knocking noises while driving. Naturally, this is taking into account the normal condition of the remaining suspension parts.

Well, the well-known method of rocking a car to check vibration damping can only determine shock absorbers that have already completely failed.

If you find rear struts on your “nine” that require replacement and decide to replace them yourself, you need to prepare in advance all the tools necessary for such work. You will also need a jack and, of course, new racks.

Replacement of racks is carried out only in pairs for the reason that on the same axis the racks must be identical. In addition, there may be a need for new consumables, such as buffers or internal bushings. First of all, you should remove the cap from the top of the rack, on the trunk side.

Next, using two keys, we begin to unscrew the nut with one, while with the other we hold the rod of the rack being removed to prevent it from turning. After this, you will need to unscrew the nut located at the bottom of the shock absorber where it is attached to the bracket from the rear beam.

The rear beam must be pressed down in order to be able to completely dismantle the shock absorber and pull it out. Then we remove the rubber gasket from the cup on the upper mount of the rack, remove the boot from the spring and pull out the buffer. If the integrity of the rubber parts on the shock absorber is damaged, be sure to replace them.

Having completed all these steps, you can proceed to the process of assembling and installing a new shock absorber on the car. To do this, we need to fully extend the rod on the shock absorber and fix the buffer with a boot and a metal cover on it, screwing it immediately onto the rod and nut. Next, we attach the shock absorber to the rear beam bracket and put a spring on it.

Using any wrench, focusing on the nut, pull the strut rod out to its full length. After the rod comes out, the nut must be unscrewed. To compress the spring, it is necessary to install a jack prepared by us under the rear beam.

As it slowly rises, the spring will tighten and we will only need to direct the shock absorber rod into the appropriate hole for its fastening, and then fix it with a nut. Changing the second rear shock absorber is completely identical.

Source: http://autoremka.ru/advices/kak-gramotno-proverit-ispravnost-stoek-na-vaz-2109.html