Your automobile might have struts only or a combination of struts and shocks. If you have a combination, the struts are on the front wheels and the shocks are on the back wheels. If your struts and/or shocks are wearing down, they’ll tell you. Willoughby Hills Auto Repair advises you to look for the following six signs to determine whether your struts and shocks need to be replaced.
1. Tire Issues
Your tires can wear down evenly for numerous reasons but if your struts and shocks are failing you’ll notice what we call cupping on your tires. This is uneven tire wear caused by the tires bouncing too much. Your tires might also shake or shimmy after you hit a bump with worn struts and shocks.
2. Suspension Dips
Your vehicle should remain level when you back out of your driveway and when you drive on bumpy roads. If you notice the suspension bottoming out, i.e. your vehicle bounces downward, your shocks and struts are not holding the car, truck, or SUV’s body as they should be or absorbing the shock of the road.
3. Bounce House
Your automobile shouldn’t feel like a bounce house when you drive it. As discussed above, the shocks and struts are designed to absorb road bumps to keep your vehicle’s body level and your ride smooth. You’ll feel some bumps but you shouldn’t bounce up and down excessively unless the road is really bad.
4. Wind Movement
Does your car, truck, or SUV sway when caught in a strong crosswind? This is a sign that your struts and shocks are old and need to be replaced. Your vehicle shouldn’t lean to one side either when you turn a corner. Rocking or swaying means the suspension isn’t strong enough to hold your car body level.
5. Brake Diving
One way to test your struts and shocks, although we don’t recommend it, is to brake hard and see if your vehicle’s body lurches forward. This movement is akin to a nosedive and it happens when the shocks and/or struts cannot hold the body steady when you slam on the brakes.
6. Fluid Leaks
Finally, pull your vehicle out into bright sunlight and get down on the ground to inspect your struts and/or shocks. If they appear greasy or oily, they’re leaking fluid. Leaking shocks and struts cannot do their job, so bring your vehicle in for an inspection as soon as you can.
Willoughby Hills Auto Repair in Willoughby Hills, OH, maintains and repairs vehicle suspensions. Call us today or stop by our shop today.