Shocking

To most people, I suppose, the shock absorber is just another part of the car, like all the rest that you don't see. Nobody really gives the poor old shock absorber a second thought, I shouldn't think anyone cares, they never see them, and so they can't do very much and must be working alright as they never seem to fall off or break! As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind'

WELL THINK AGAIN!

The shock absorbers on your car play a vital role in the handling characteristics, comfort and most importantly, the safety of your vehicle. When motorised transport was first on our roads, springs were used on each corner to create a soft ride on the bumpy dirt tracks and later, cobbled streets. This made the vehicle very unstable, bouncing along and was potentially lethal. As years passed and vehicles developed, shock absorbers were invented to 'dampen' the bounce and keep the vehicle level, balanced and stable, meaning safer and more comfortable driving. Today’s shock absorbers have never been more important. The comfort aspect of your car is only a small part of what the "shocker" does.

BREAKING DISTANCES – are greatly increased if your shocks are worn. If you break hard on a rough surface, the wheels will be bouncing, intermittently leaving the ground, making you travel 2.6 metres longer at 50mph. This distance could be the difference between stopping safely, and crashing. A shock absorber that is working correctly forces the wheel down onto the road for maximum grip and stability.

AQUAPLANING - is also increased with worn shocks. This will begin approximately 10% earlier than with perfect shocks.

VISIBILITY - will be affected and reduced as uncontrolled movement of the headlamps, with them bouncing around, will dazzle oncoming traffic and cause momentary loss of vision on dark roads. This will be especially noticeable when the vehicle is loaded with luggage/passengers.

DRIVER FATIGUE - With the car bouncing, pitching, nose diving and rolling, the car will be more difficult for the driver to control, causing an increase in driver fatigue and slower reaction times by up to 25%

TYRE WEAR - Worn tyres are more often than not made worse if your shocks are worn too. Incorrectly working shocks causes uneven tyre wear, which endangers your safety further and costs you money. So, have you checked your shocks lately?

MONROE, who are the market leader recommend having them checked at 18,000 miles and then at every service interval. Shocks do not last forever. Just like brake pads, tyres and exhausts they wear out. Regular checks are essential. A leaking shock is an MOT failure, but it will have been working insufficiently for a long time preceding this.

DO NOT - fit shock absorbers singly. Always fit both sides. If one shock is faulty and needs replacing, the other one will be of the same age. Fitting shocks singly will cause your car to handle adversely, putting your life in danger. Think about it! One side will be bouncing, and one side will be firm. Totally lethal!

THE BOUNCE TEST - As a useful rough guide you can 'bounce test' your car, to see if your shock absorbers are working sufficiently. Push down hard on each corner of your vehicle it should go down, up, and return to still. If it moves any more than this i.e. bounces more than once they really could do with being checked. Your local Monroe dealer is trained to check your shock absorbers, and fit new ones. The Monroe sign is a guarantee of quality service.

These specialists, will give you professional advise on all aspects of shock absorber advice and maintenance and can recommend the best shocks for your car specific needs from the vast product range. It is important to remember, that shock absorbers wear out slowly and gradually so much so, that you will probably not notice the problem, because you get used to the way the car feels. Only when you drive a different car, or have new shocks fitted will you notice the difference of how bad and dangerous it was before. In fact, if you do have new ones fitted your car will feel completely different. A change you will be pleased with, tighter, firmer and more agile and most of all SAFER! So do yourself a favour, have your shock absorbers checked and replaced if necessary for you and your family's safety. They won't cost as much as your thinking, but are more important than you realise. Remember you can't put a price on your safety. 

Your life is priceless!

Author: Matthew Mulvale

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