Shocks and struts, the components on a vehicle responsible for the ride, are difficult to diagnose. While they wear out with age and with use, their service life is also determined by the amount of work they have been required to do. For example: A vehicle driven on heavily rutted and bumpy roads will need new suspension components much sooner than a vehicle driven primarily on smooth highways.
During the test drive, observe how the vehicle rides. Steering inputs should be followed by the vehicle turning, not “wallowing” (floating) as it changes direction. Drive the vehicle over dips in the road. It should not “bottom out” (crash down on the suspension) when it hits the dip. When the vehicle is driven over speed bumps, it should not continue to bounce after the first rebound.
While it is possible to “test” the suspension by pushing down on the corner of a parked car (checking for bounce), this is generally not accepted as a reliable suspension diagnostic method these days.
Suspension: Common Observations and their Possible Causes:
- Car bounces while driving (Worn shocks, worn struts, etc…)
- Creaking noise over bumps (Suspension components worn, bad shocks, bad struts, etc…)
- Car sit lower on one side (Broken springs, worn shocks, worn struts, etc…)
- Car “floats” on the highway (Worn shocks, worn struts, etc…)
Note:
Shocks and struts often leak as they get old and wear out. While peering into the wheel well with a flashlight, it may be possible to observe fluid seepage on a worn shock or strut.
