Their main functions are to keep the chassis “connected” to the road, support the vehicle’s weight, and convey the engine’s power through the wheels. Once we understand how vital their role is in the car’s performance, we should take care of checking them periodically.
Important aspects you might want to consider:
If one of the shock absorbers is degraded by 50%, your vehicle could experience an increase on the braking distance, in some cases up to three meters depending on the driving conditions.
Control-suspension engineers suggest the replacement of shock absorbers every 50,000 miles, and more often if the vehicle is being used heavily, or mostly on dirt roads.
Even if you do not see any warning signs of wear and tear, there is a chance the internal components are wearing out.
The heavy use and harsh conditions of the road, as well as the environment, could harm them prematurely.
In other words, when the shock absorbers are in good shape, not only assure us better control of the vehicle, but more comfort, and less fuel consumption.
Article written by Danny Martínez
