How to Check Shock Absorbers

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References

If you feel like your vehicle's ride quality is not what it used to be, it is a good idea to know how to check shock absorbers. It is fairly simple and easy to do. And it can save you from an unnecessary visit to a garage, or inversely, indicate that you need to get the car to a professional.

Steps

1
Observe your car from the front. With the car on a flat surface, it should appear perfectly level, i.e. both sides being the same height off the surface.
- If you actually know the specifications of your car's suspension, you can measure the height. If the height is at or below the minimum specs, then you should take the car to a professional for further evaluation and repair. Being at the "minimum" is just that. It is no longer at the ideal, and something has changed.
2
Push down on the front of the car to test for weak shock absorbers. This is not a scientific test and is somewhat subjective. But it can be helpful when taken in conjunction with other checks made.
- Stand in front of the car and carefully place your foot on the bumper, or your knee on a surface that won't dent or bend; it doesn't have to be center. Shift your weight onto that point, pushing the car down. Then quickly remove your foot, or weight. The car should bounce up and return to its original position rather stiffly, without continuing to bounce. If it bounces more than a couple of times, this is an indication that perhaps the shock absorbers are weak.^{[1]
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3
Visually inspect the struts or shock absorbers. Look for signs of liquid that is or has been running down the shock absorber. If present, then your shock absorbers could be bad. Once the seals begin leaking, the shock absorber becomes ineffective.^{[2]
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- You will need to get the car into a garage to confirm your observations and replace the shock absorbers.^{[3]
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  Research source} Note that you want to get a confirmation that the liquid tracks you observed are indeed emanating from leaking shock absorber seals. It could easily just be something splashed up from the road.

Community Q&A

Question

When I go over a hard bump at about 45 mph, I get a hard bang from the front wheel. What is this?

Community Answer

That sounds like a bad strut or improperly installed strut. You need to take the car to a mechanic, unless you can do the repair yourself.
Question

How does a garage check shock absorbers on a vehicle?

Community Answer

A shock absorber works with the suspension springs: The springs let the wheel bounce up and down for a smooth ride. The shock absorber quickly stops the bouncing to return the vehicle to a level and stable position and keep the wheel on the road. The usual way to test a shock absorber is to push down on a corner of the vehicle a few times to get it to bounce and then stop pushing and see how much it continues to bounce before stopping. A good shock absorber should stop the bouncing right away. If it bounces several times then the shock absorber is considerably worn.
Question

How do I check the shock absorbers when I buy new ones?

Logic Johnson Lafontaine

Top Answerer

Make sure they aren't leaking, and make sure that they have proper bounce. You should be able to compress them by hand, but not all the way unless you press like crazy, and they should bounce back within a couple of seconds.