Everyone knows that on-time brake repair is essential for safe driving. Most people wouldn’t risk the safety of themselves and their passengers by putting off this crucial repair. Yet auto suspension repair such as shock and strut replacement is a repair that often gets overlooked even though it can affect your vehicle’s ability to brake properly.
Shock absorbers and struts, which are part of your vehicle’s suspension and steering system, are a lesser known vehicle component to many drivers. Unlike brakes, which you apply every time you drive, shocks and struts are support components that generally don’t get noticed until they wear out, start making a sound or until something really goes wrong like a mechanical failure.
What Repairs Related to Shock Absorbers and Struts?
So what is the function of your vehicle’s shocks and struts exactly? Shocks and struts act like hydraulic pumps keeping your four wheels on the ground and your steering and suspension system properly positioned on the carriage or chassis of your vehicle.
As you drive your car, shocks and struts keep your car from bouncing all over the place. They act as a buffer between your wheels and frame to prevent the body of the vehicle from colliding into ground or even the tires themselves. This is why routine suspension repair and maintenance is important.
Though the terms shocks and struts are sometimes used interchangeably when talking about suspension repair, they are actually two different components. Though both absorb and redistribute energy coming from your wheels when driving, they have significant differences. Shock absorbers prevent the car from bouncing and help control driver handling of the vehicle. Struts are mounted components to the vehicle’s suspension system and provide overall structural support.
Struts function as spring-like connectors between the wheel and the steering suspension system. Healthy struts ensure proper vehicle alignment and make sure your car turns the way it is supposed to. Without struts, the body of your car would rest right on the ground. Now you know why front suspension repair is so important.
How to Tell if You Need Shock or Strut Suspension Repair?
With everyday driving, the general guideline is to replace your shock absorbers or struts about every 50,000 miles or so. (This is assuming non- 4-wheel drive vehicle.) If you frequently go off-roading, you may need suspension repair more regularly.
If your car seems bouncy when you’re driving, this is a sign you might require suspension repair or at least a system inspected. As an alternative, you can give your car the bounce test to see how it performs. Press down on the vehicle over the tire well area and release to see how much the car bounces. (Do this for each of the four wheel-well areas.) If the car returns to its original position after you’ve bounced it, then you know your shocks or struts are in good shape. If your car keeps bouncing after you’ve let go, then you may need suspension repair in the form of shock or strut replacement.
Straighten up with Suspension Repair
Poor alignment or steering handling could often be a sign that your shocks or struts need to be replaced. Does your car veer to the left or right when driving? Do you have to turn the steering wheel more than you should to turn a corner? Is one front wheel more worn out than the other? These are all signs that something is amiss with the shocks, struts, or steering and suspension. Repair of this type should not be postponed because it will begin to impact how safely you can handle and maneuver your vehicle.
How Brake Repair Relates to Shocks and Struts
Because shocks and struts are part of the larger steering and suspension system, they can negatively impact the effectiveness or precision of your braking. In other words, worn out shocks or struts can make it so that your vehicle doesn’t stop precisely when it needs to. Though some people might think that worn shocks aren’t a major priority, consider how the bounciness negatively impacts your ability to brake properly.
BMW Shocks & Struts Require Extra Attention
Some BMW models, particularly the Series 3 models, have had some issues with both their front and rear suspension systems related to shocks or struts. This is on the list of common BMW repairs. Rear-sagging of the vehicle has been one commonly reported problem. In this situation, there have been leaks reported in the rear suspension system causing the shock or strut to give out and not properly support the vehicle.
The BMW Series 3 has also had issues with odd vibration or clunking noises coming from both the front and the rear suspension systems. These noises have been widely reported but have proved challenging to diagnose in some situations. If you are hearing strange clunking sounds coming from your BMW’s suspension system, bring it into an experienced BMW auto repair shop for a proper diagnosis. Such sounds shouldn’t be ignored even if it ends up being a minor suspension repair.
