The purpose of your vehicle's struts is to help absorb the impact from driving on the road and give your vehicle a smooth ride. However, there will come a time when your struts need to be replaced. Here are some things to look out for that will indicate that you need new struts.
Nosediving When Braking
A common sign that your shocks are worn down is when your vehicle starts to nosedive when braking. This may be hard to tell when inside the car, but it can definitely be seen from the outside. As you apply pressure to the brakes to come to a complete stop, the vehicle is going to nosedive toward the ground. This should not happen if the struts are in a good position.
Squatting When Accelerating
The opposite is also going to be true when you are accelerating your vehicle. If the rear struts are not great, you'll notice that the rear end of the vehicle squats downward when accelerating. This could be enough to justify having your rear struts inspected by a mechanic.
Pressure Testing
You can also test your struts with a simple tip while it is in a parked position. Push down with all your weight on the front of the vehicle, and then see how it reacts. If the struts are in good condition, the vehicle should only bounce about one time before going back to the original position. If the struts are bad, then the vehicle is going to bounce a lot before settling back into the original position. Do this on all four corners of the vehicle to test the condition of the struts.
Fluid Leaking
You can check the strut itself to see if there is any type of fluid leak. While it's a bit hard to do without getting under the vehicle, you'll want to look for a sludge-like buildup on the strut itself, which would be due to fluid leaking out of it. This is not good for the struts, since a lack of fluid in them will cause the struts to lose their ability to absorb impacts on the road.
Bouncing While Driving
Of course, you'll likely notice those bad struts the most when you are driving down the road. If you hit a bump in the road and the vehicle is excessively bouncing up and down, the struts are not doing their job of absorbing the impact.
To learn more about fixing your vehicle, contact companies that sell auto parts.
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