Shock absorbers are essential for car functionality – they handle shocks and dampen vibrations during travel. When they malfunction, driving over road bumps can feel as uncomfortable as riding on a wooden stool.
If your car is old, or if you buy one of those affordable cars off salvage cars for sale nj websites, inspect its shock absorbers and be prepared to fix them. To save money, you can also repair the broken shock absorber yourself.
What Types of Shock Absorber Malfunctions Are There?
There could be several reasons why shock absorbers fail:
- Worn rod seals – this problem can lead to oil leakage and the element could soon fail.
- Free movement of the rod in the body – the reason can be wearing on the shock absorber valves.
- Backlash during compression and release indicates a broken valve – a knocking and rumble can also be heard in the wheel area. With such a breakdown, driving a car is dangerous.
There are also external damages, such as dents, cracks, and broken shock absorber eyelets.
If a malfunction occurs, it is necessary to inspect the shock absorber. When you see a nut or retaining ring on the pipe when the rod comes out, such an item can be repaired. Shock absorbers with molded glass are not repairable, though.
Required Tools and Materials
For repairs of shock absorbers, you will need a limited set of tools:
- a working table and a yew bench;
- a puller for the retaining ring;
- an assortment of wrenches.
You will also need shock absorber oil and engine cleaning agent. You’ll be better off if you prepare these things in advance.
The Repairing Process
To fix a shock absorber by yourself, follow these steps:
- Initially, you need to disassemble the shock absorber and check the rod, pistons, and valves for wear. Pay double attention to the conditioning of the valves.
- Thoroughly clean the element body and all parts from debris and metal shavings, because their presence inside will quickly damage your repaired shock absorber.
- It is advisable to replace the rubber parts that make up the shock absorber with new ones. They can be easily found in physical stores or online shops and are inexpensive. Metal parts that require replacement can be ordered from a turner at the nearby car service station.
- Installation is carried out in reverse order. You need to fill the element with shock-absorbing oil and let the excess liquid flow out. The last step will be pumping the shock absorber: to do this, you need to press the working part of the element down and lower it to the sleeve by 1 inch.
Nothing too fancy, right? The above steps are easy to follow, don’t require much time, and can be fulfilled even by someone with minimum experience.
Final Advice
The life of a shock absorber and all its elements directly depend on the quality of driving. To make them last longer, you must follow the rules of vehicle operation. In particular, avoid driving on overly bumpy roads for extended periods, and if possible, keep your car’s suspension away from excessive dust and sand.
Surprisingly, too ideal conditions can be equally harmful to the shock absorbers, e.g., driving on smooth roads only can lead to much faster wear of shock absorber elements. The rationale is simple – to function properly, it needs to move and work as intended by the manufacturer, at least occasionally.
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