How to check the shock absorber?
Before checking the technical conditionshock absorber, you need to learn simple truism on its use. After a run of 40 thousand km. The shock absorbers are subject to mandatory replacement taking into account the condition of our roads. An exception is if the manufacturer gives a longer warranty for use.
Visual inspection
Wear of various shock absorber parts, whether it's seals or valves during long-term operation, is inevitable. So, how to check the efficiency of the shock absorber?
- First, we test the performanceshock absorber simple swaying body. To do this, you need to push and release the corner of the body, where the checked shock absorber is located. If the body does not oscillate more than twice, the shock absorber is normal.
- Then pay attention to the wheels. If the tread wears out unevenly, it can also indicate a malfunction of the shock absorber. However, you need to remember that this method of verification is not reliable enough. And yet, how to check the operation of shock absorbers for sure? First, the frequency of the oscillations depends on the state of the other numerous suspension assemblies, so in this way it is possible to detect a "dead" shock absorber. Secondly, the fluctuations that the car experiences on the road do not correspond to the amplitude and frequency of our test. Therefore, if the check does not show any deviations in the shock absorber's operation, then for a more accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to make sure that the shock absorber is working properly at the service station.
- The next step is visual inspection of the shock absorber. This operation does not take a lot of time and money. A simple external inspection can reveal serious emergency malfunctions, but, unfortunately, it is thus impossible to diagnose the natural wear of the suspension.
Additional inspection
If during inspection the shock absorber body is contaminatedor has a trace of an anticorrosive preparation, this seriously affects its service life, because a large amount of thermal energy is released during the intensive operation of the suspension. A dirty shock absorber prevents the dispersion of high temperatures in the body. Also inspect the shock absorber for deformation in its housing. Unevenness in the body can create increased friction during the piston. Next, we pay attention to the piston rod in the piston, since the curvature of the rod can lead to jamming of the suspension during the movement of the car, which is extremely dangerous for the life and health of the driver and passengers. If you find scratches, corrosion areas, chrome coating irregularities when inspecting the shock absorber, all of this can cause depressurization. Unfortunately, often due to unqualified installation we can observe mechanical damages of the shock absorber. A leaking shock absorber can not perform its functions, so it must be replaced urgently with a new one.
Diagnostics in car-care center
In order to better diagnose the shock absorber,You can use special equipment in the car workshop. How to check the shock absorber on a shaker? Checking for such equipment is worth the money, so first ask the mechanic the following questions. First: are the vibration settings adjusted to your car model or suspension type? Second: is the age of the car taken into account when diagnosing? If you were in a serious accident, be sure to report this. In the event that your suspension consists of non-original parts, this can also affect the test results. It would be superfluous to consider the collapse, convergence and pressure in the wheels. If you ignore one of these questions, you risk getting incorrect diagnostic results, which means you will lose time and money.
How to check the rear shock absorbers? Sometimes during the operation of the car there is a feeling of a strong side wind. And you carry either to the oncoming lane, or to the ditch at a time when the street is full of calm. This is a clear sign that the rear shock absorbers are in an extremely neglected state. In principle, the rear shock absorbers are inspected and diagnosed similarly to the front shock absorbers.
New shock absorbers should also be inspected for leaks and deformation of the hull.
