Do-it-yourself replacement of shock absorbers in a car

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

In order for the car to be convenient and comfortable to move around, proper operation of the suspensions is necessary. In addition to comfort, it is also necessary for traffic safety on the roads. If the suspension system is faulty, then this can lead to accelerated wear of the parts of the entire suspension and steering system. This, in turn, affects the safety of the vehicle. Therefore, such repairs cannot be postponed for a long time, it is better to immediately take care of replacing defective parts.

It is not necessary to go to a car service to change shock absorbers. A motorist can do all the work on their own, even without much experience. This requires, first of all, the desire and basic skills to work with a home repair tool. By the way, independent work will significantly save the family budget, and the experience gained will be useful in life in the future. So how do you replace shock absorbers? First, let's decide on a set of tools.

You will need the following tools: a set of wrenches, a jack, a wheelbrace, a screwdriver, a suspension spring remover and wheel chocks to prevent the car from flying offjack. Bleeding shock absorbers is necessary after installing them.

Replacement of shock absorbers, both rear and front, is needed for such malfunctions:

1. If even a little oil leaks from the shock absorber itself.
2. Significant traces of corrosion on the shock absorber spring supports. There is a very high risk that the spring plate will simply come off, which is especially dangerous while the car is moving.
3. When corrosion is visible on the shock absorber piston rod. If the stem began to rust, then the oil seal may fail - there will be a threat of oil leakage.
4. If the shock body is deformed, it will either block or slow down the movement of the shock piston.

Shock absorber replacement technology

Replacing the rear and front shock absorbers is very similar in many ways. If there are any difficulties, they are related to the type and model of the car. And in terms of the complexity of the work, of course, changing the front shock absorbers is more difficult than the rear ones, because the design of the front suspension is much more complicated than the design of the rear.

Do-it-yourself shock absorber replacement:

1. Remove the wheel from the side we need. Don't rely on one jack as personal safety is the most important thing.

2. Brake hoses should not be disconnected from the calipers unnecessarily in order to

   

   do not bleed the brakes afterwards.

3. Next you needto dismantle the upper mounts of the shock absorber struts.
4. Then unscrew all lower shock mounts.
5. Using a special tool, we compress the spring, but in such a way that it does not warp.
6. Replace the shock absorber with a new one.
7. Assembly in reverse order.

Always consider the characteristics of the individual vehicle and do not neglect the owner's manual. Replacing shock absorbers with your own hands will not take much time, except perhaps for the first time.