The strut is the housing that makes your drive smoothly on bumpy roads. As the strut is able to integrate the different components all into one assembly, a strut actually serves multiple purposes. With its spring it is able support the weight of the vehicle, while it is moving so that it can adapt to the road irregularities. The internal shock absorber will dampen the movement of the spring as it compresses and rebounds itself whilst the vehicle is traveling.
You need new shocks absorbers(and/or struts) if your original shocks and or struts are worn out, damaged or leaking. Leaking is easy enough to see just look for oil or wetness on the outside of the shock or strut) as is damage (broken mount, badly dented housing, etc. But wear is often more of a subjective thing to judge. There are also instances where the original equipment shocks may not be worn, damaged or leaking, but may not be adequate for the job they're being asked to do. In such cases, upgrading the suspension with stronger, stiffer or some type of special shock (or strut) may be recommended to improve handling, for trailer towing, hauling overloads or other special uses.
Car Struts are used on the front end of nearly every front-wheel-drive vehicle. They are more than shock absorbers and with a different name. A strut integrates numerous different suspension parts into one compact assembly. This includes:
The Coil Spring
The Spring Seats
The Shock Absorbers
The Strut Bearing
The Steering Knuckle
The shock absorber portion of the strut is the most commonly serviced part of the strut assembly.
The Strut Bearing
The Steering Knuckle
The shock absorber portion of the strut is the most commonly serviced part of the strut assembly.
Shocks and struts do not require replacing at specific mileage intervals like filters or spark plugs, but they do wear out and eventually have to be replaced. How long a set of original equipment shocks will last is anybody's guess. Some original equipment shocks may be getting weak after only 30,000 or 40,000 miles. Struts usually last upwards of 50,000 or 60,000 miles.
The strut housing serves as a structural part of the suspension system and it connects the upper strut bearing to the lower ball joint so that the entire assembly can then pivot when the steering wheel is turned.
For a complete check of your vehicle’s suspension system, you should have it thoroughly checked and inspected by a qualified service technician. Do not try and do it yourself if you don’t know what you are doing. A vehicle’s struts should be checked at least once a year, and it should usually be done in conjunction with the wheel alignment. Under any normal conditions, the shock absorber portion, which is the strut carriage, will wear out gradually and you may not even notice incremental losses in ride quality, or even handling and control. However, there are some signs that you vehicle may have worn struts and they might include the following:
Bottoming Out
Excessive Bouncing
Rocking Back and Forth
Drifting or Nose-Diving While Breaking
Swaying
Cupping Wear on the Tires
If your vehicle needs a strut service, it may also be a good time to think about changing the coil springs. The reason for this is because they usually need to be removed when the struts are being changed, and this way you would save on labor costs by doing it all at the same time.
