While spring brings welcoming warmth and new growth, it also uncovers some nasty winter potholes. This inevitably brings the dreaded season of road construction, but I think I’d rather have a safe road than a quick drive. While we wait for road repairs, many drivers experience an unpleasant encounter with one of winter’s potholes and some may even have the unfortunate luck of their cars getting damaged from them.
Damage caused to a car suspension may be apparent right away, but often times it isn’t. If you’re unsure of what to visually look for, there are different tests you can do to check your shocks. To determine whether you need to replace your shocks, you can stand near the corner of your car near the shocks and give a hard, sudden push. If your car pushes down easily or bounces several times, you may need to replace your shocks. Also, pay attention while you drive. Your car will feel less controllable during fast turning and the nose of the car will dip noticeably under hard braking if the shocks are worn.
When visually inspecting your shocks, you want to look for things such dented housing, broken mounts, and leaking (a big indicator that your shocks are blown and need to be replaced). You can inspect your shock assembly by loosening the lug nuts on the wheels, using a jack to raise the vehicle, and taking the lug nuts and tires completely off.
If you are unfamiliar with automobiles, it is a good idea take it to an Auto Service Plus repair facility to fix your suspension. Shocks are relatively easy to replace, but if your vehicle is in need of struts, a certified mechanic is recommended. You should be able to find instructions on how to change your specific make and model relatively easy, but here is a quick general guide to changing front shocks:
1. Loosen lug nuts, raise car with a jack, and complete removal of lug nuts and tires.
2. Remove the lower attachment bolts and nuts of the shock absorber and grasp the shock absorber piston. With a wrench, remove the upper attachment nut from the shock absorber piston rod. Once you have done this, remove the old shock.
3. Install new lower washers and rubber mounts. Slide shocks through the lower A frames and tighten the lower shock bolts.
4. Return tires and lug nuts, tightening them before lowering car. Make sure to give the lug nuts one more quarter turn once the car is lowered.
Though all potholes aren’t avoidable, there are some precautions you can take while driving. Leave enough room between you and the vehicle ahead of you in order to give you time to see what’s in or on the road. You should also be aware of your surroundings, not only to be a safe driver, but also so you aren’t forced to suddenly swerve into a pothole so avoid a collision. Drive at a slower pace when driving on a pothole filled road, as more damage is caused at higher speeds. And last but not least, be sure never to hit your brakes while driving over a pothole, as this will put the greatest amount of stress on the front suspension and begin a mess of problems.
About Carol Leginus
Carol Leginus is responsible for the administration/maintenance of Uni-Select public websites. She supports e-commerce, e-business and data warehouse initiatives.
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