Regardless of what type of suspension is installed, shock absorbers are always used in the car. These are damping devices designed to damp vibrations during suspension operation. The principle of operation of the devices is to convert energy from mechanical to thermal. There are gas-filled and oil shock absorbers. Elements work with such suspension components as springs, springs, pillows and torsion shafts. However, like any other part, the suspension mechanisms fail. The shock absorber is no exception. How to check it for performance? You will learn the answer to this question from our article today.
Why is it important to monitor their condition?
The resource of this mechanism is about 60 thousand kilometers. In many respects, this figure depends on the condition of the road surface. The shock absorber does not always take care of this predetermined period. At any time, it may fail. Therefore, one should not be guided by the regulations, but by the state of these damping devices. Why is it important to monitor their condition? A defective shock absorber can cause wheel imbalance. As a result, tire wear will be uneven. The car will be driven at speed. Also, a defective shock absorber reduces the life of the wheel bearings. They are quite expensive. But on many cars this unit is assembled with a hub. Therefore, the repair price can be up to 20 thousand rubles.
But that's not all. A failed shock absorber (how to check it, we will tell below) increases the braking distance of the car. This adversely affects traffic safety. And of course, ride comfort is getting worse. After all, a broken shock absorber is no longer able to cushion the blows. All of them are directly transmitted to the body and suspension parts, which also reduces their resource. That is why it is so important to have a working shock absorber. How to check this item? The methods may be different. Consider the most popular of them.
Visual inspection
How to check the shock absorber for performance without removing it from the car? The cheapest and most practical way is to visually inspect the item. Shock absorbers are located next to the springs (sometimes they are assembled with them, as on MacPherson strut), behind the wheel. Take a look at their condition. The flasks should not have oil marks or drips.
If so, then the shock absorber is broken. Inspect the condition of the rods (checked in the hanging state of the wheel). This is best done on a lift. In the absence of one, jack the right side of the car and pry the boot. The stock should shine. The presence of rust on it indicates a malfunction of the element. The tire itself can tell about the faulty shock absorber. Inspect tread condition. Wear should be uniform.
What are the disadvantages of this diagnostic method? It is possible to determine the malfunction in this way only in half the cases. After all, the malfunction of the shock absorber is caused by the wear of its internal components. But they cannot be visually inspected. Outwardly, we can see only the consequence of the problem - oil leaks (which, incidentally, do not always occur) and the eaten tread.
Check damping properties
This method consists in checking the health of shock absorbers in a calm state. So, the car is placed on a flat platform. Next, one of its parts is energetically rocked by hands and checked, after which period the body will stop swinging.
This method is used in cars. Allowed up to 1-2 cycles of buildup. If the car continues to "play", then the shock absorber is defective.
The disadvantage of this method is that in this way you can only check the finally “dead” shock absorber. However, this is one of the fastest and cheapest (if not free) diagnostic methods. Another point - the shock absorber does not always “walk”. Sometimes the stock simply jams. In this case, the car will not be able to swing.
Determine the malfunction on the go
This is one of the most accurate methods that lets you know if the shock absorber is working. How to check his condition? It is necessary to carefully monitor the nature of the car. If the car is constantly "looking for the way", reluctantly reacts to the steering wheel and sways on the slightest bumps, it means that the damping elements have become unusable. In large pits characteristic deafening blows will be heard. But they do not always arise due to a broken piston. Perhaps the silent block, which holds the shock absorber in the upper or lower part, has worn out. During the diagnosis, check the behavior of the car when cornering.
The car should not roll too much. If one or more of the above symptoms is observed, then the shock absorber has become unusable.
Withdrawal Check
To know exactly which of the four shock absorbers is defective, dismantling will help. The extracted element is installed vertically relative to the ground. How to check the rear shock absorbers? Its lower bracket is fixed with legs. Hands grab the upper stem and pull it, then press down. A good shock absorber has a good resistance force. If the rod moves with the force of one hand and is not tight, then the element is defective. It does not have enough working fluid, or there is air inside (does not apply to gas-filled elements). How to check the front shock absorbers and struts? Diagnostics is done in the same way. These elements are arranged equally, therefore, if the stem moves freely, such a mechanism must be replaced.
Vibration stand
It is not always possible to identify a breakdown without removing an element. However, there is a method that allows you to find out the malfunction on a professional level. How to check shock absorber struts without dismantling them? To do this, the car is driven on a vibrating stand. The cost of the service is from 1 thousand rubles. At the same time, not only shock absorbers are checked, but also other suspension components, as well as the brake system. The vibrostand imitates road irregularities, allowing you to accurately determine the malfunction of a particular mechanism. The lateral rolling of the car is also checked (so it is possible to find out the serviceability of wheel bearings and ball bearings).
The stand is equipped with numerous sensors that transmit information to the computer every second.
What are the benefits?
Plus checks in this way - high accuracy of fault detection in a short period of time. In addition, truck owners cannot do without such a service. After all, it’s unlikely that you can swing such a machine with your hands (as in the second method). The vibration stand allows you to identify the problem in the complex. The only negative is the low prevalence of such stands in the city. And the price is not always acceptable.
So, we found out how to check the shock absorber for serviceability in various ways.