How to Replace Car Shock Absorbers?

Shock absorbers can improve driving comfort, making them an important part of regular maintenance. If there is a problem with the shock absorbers, it is usually noticeable as the vehicle will vibrate more strongly than usual. Replacing the shock absorbers is not a complex task, but attention must be paid to every detail to avoid errors that may affect their performance. How do you replace car shock absorbers?

Signs that the car shock absorbers are damaged should be heeded

If a car's shock absorbers are damaged, the damping effect will deteriorate, and the shock absorbers will produce abnormal noise when traveling over speed bumps or bumpy roads. In some cases, a leaking of oil occurs when the shock absorbers are damaged.

Shock absorbers are consumable parts, and some cars require replacement after prolonged use.

If a rider's shock absorbers are damaged, it is recommended to replace all four of them.

When purchasing shock absorbers, it is necessary to buy original parts from the manufacturer or those produced by well-known brands.

Many riders feel that after driving a car for several years, it is not as easy to handle as when it was new. In fact, this is a normal phenomenon because many parts of the vehicle's chassis age after a few years of use.

The chassis has many rubber gaskets, which tend to age as time passes

After rubber gaskets age, the gaps between many parts of the vehicle's chassis increase, causing looseness when driving.

If riders want to restore the feel of a new car, all of the aging rubber gaskets on the chassis or all four shock absorbers must be replaced.

When replacing rubber gaskets, original parts or those that can be purchased from well-known brands must be chosen.

Replacing car shock absorbers

Shock absorbers can improve driving comfort, making them an important part of regular maintenance. If there is a problem with the shock absorbers, it is usually noticeable as the vehicle will vibrate more strongly than usual. Replacing the shock absorbers is not a complex task, but attention must be paid to every detail to avoid errors that may affect their performance.

• First, loosen the wheel nuts diagonally, but do not unscrew them.

• Lift the car with a lifting machine. The height should not be too high for easy operation.
  

• Unscrew all the wheel nuts diagonally and remove the wheels.
  

• In some car models, it may be necessary to remove the brake cylinder to facilitate the removal of the shock absorber. Unscrew the fixed bolts of the arm and then loosen the fixed nut of the shock absorber arm.
  

• Fix the shock absorber arm with a caliper jack, open the engine hood, loosen the body fixed nut of the shock absorber at the upper end (not completely unscrewed), rotate the caliper jack to lift the shock absorber arm upward until the lower end of the shock absorber is detached from the front axle fixed point, and then slowly remove the shock absorber. Then slowly lower the shock absorber arm until the shock absorber's elasticity is completely released. Finally, completely loosen the body fixing nut of the shock absorber at the upper end and remove the shock absorber.
  

• After removing the shock absorber, use a shock absorber spring disassembly tool to fix the spring to avoid it moving when removing the top screws.
  

• Disassemble and replace the damaged parts of the shock absorber and rubber cover. If the shock absorber spring is not severely corroded or broken, there is no need to replace it.
  

• When reassembling the shock absorber, apply lubricating grease to improve its wear resistance.
  

• Fix the upper end of the shock absorber to the body to ensure that the shock absorber will not come off.
  

• Fix the shock absorber arm with a caliper jack, lift the shock absorber arm upward, make sure that the lower part of the shock absorber can be placed on the front axle support, fix the lower part of the shock absorber arm and the front axle together with bolts, fix the nut of the shock absorber arm, and then screw the fixed nut of the shock absorber at the upper end. Following the same procedure, replace the remaining three shock absorbers.
  

• After replacing the shock absorbers, the four wheel nuts must be securely tightened diagonally (not over-tightened), and the vehicle must be lowered before using a wrench to tighten them further.
  

• The shock absorbers have been replaced.
  

The steps to replace shock absorbers have been introduced. If you are a novice, it is recommended to have a professional technician replace them.