What does a shock absorber do?

Shock absorbers are designed to ease travel over rough ground by dampening the rebound of springs and suspension. They ultimately help to improve vehicle handling and the overall quality of the journey.

What causes shock absorbers to go bad?

Eventually, shock absorbers will degrade due to natural wear and tear. Heat caused by friction while driving can result in the hydraulic oil losing viscosity, which inhibits the shock absorber's ability to mitigate road impacts in the suspension system.

What does a broken shock absorber feel like?

When your shock absorbers aren't working correctly, you'll start to notice bumps on the road and your driving will feel rougher; this is due to the shocks no longer being absorbed to lower the impact.

Do you need an alignment after replacing shock absorbers?

Shock absorbers play a vital role in a vehicle's handling and stability, so it is recommended to have the car re-aligned after replacing them. This ensures that the suspension system is working correctly and doesn't lead to excessive tyre wear.