Do you ever replace shock absorbers in your truck? The shock absorber plays the role of ensuring that the wheels of your truck are in complete contact with the road. They also control the movement of the springs and suspension to offer you a smooth ride. The shock absorbers never take the entire weight of your truck. Instead, they will take the kinetic energy generated as the suspension moves and changes it into thermal energy. 

When driving under normal conditions, your shock absorbers will serve you for 50,000 miles. It is necessary to replace shock absorbers as soon as they show signs. 

Symptoms of a Bad Shock Absorber

Vibrations

The shock absorbers have valves or seals that usually wear out, and if this happens, the fluids will flow past the valves. On such an occasion, your truck will vibrate when driving.

Truck Swerving When Braking

Your truck will likely develop handling issues as the fluid flows past the seals, leading to monumental movement within the cylinder. The weight of your truck might be challenging to manage when trying to make a turn. In addition, when you apply brakes, your truck might stop further than expected.

Uneven Tire Wear

When your shocks are worn out, keeping your truck on the road becomes hard. Your truck will bounce whenever it comes into contact with an imperfect surface. An area of your tire will have typical wear, but the rest of the tire will not. It is referred to as uneven tire tread, which escalates to further handling issues. Replacing a tire with this problem will not offer a permanent solution, but check and replace shock absorbers. 

Increased Stopping Distance

When your shock absorbers are faulty, your truck will take time to stop when you press the brake pedals. An increased stopping distance of 20% can make a big difference when trying to avoid an accident.

Whenever you realize that your truck takes time to stop when your press the brakes, it is due to faulty shock absorbers.

Cracked Bushings

Sometimes it is necessary to perform a visual inspection on your truck and check the condition of your shock absorbers. Each shock has ends where they bolt to your truck. There are rubber bushings at these ends. The rubber bushings usually crack when the shock absorbers are faulty. When this happens, your truck will produce noise as you run over a bumpy road.

Fluid Leakages

Sometimes the seals around the shock shaft develop leakages. In such a scenario, you will see fluid running on the body of your shock absorber to the pavement. Whenever the fluids leak, the performance of your shock absorbers reduces, and they will never function normally. When this happens, you will experience handling difficulties as you drive your truck. 

Conclusion

The cost needed to replace shock absorbers varies depending on the model of your truck and the labor cost. It is necessary to know the signs of a damaged shock absorber so you can tell when to replace them.