What can I expect from my new shocks and/or struts?
Your new shock or strut will:
Increase driver comfort and control.
- New shocks are better equipped to keep the vehicle’s tires on the road, which increases control of the vehicle
- New shocks help soften the harshness of an uneven road making the drive more pleasant
- New shocks can also help prevent the vehicle from excessive leaning on turns, nose-diving on stops or veering in crosswinds, providing a more controlled and smooth ride
Reduce tire wear.
- New shocks/struts will reduce tire wear and potentially increase your tires’ life. Worn suspension components, such as old shocks and struts, cause your suspension to move excessively, resulting in additional and sometimes uneven wear on your tires.
Decrease stress on – and increase the life of – other key components and systems.
- When tires lift off the road and then fall back down, it generates substantial energy which the rest of the vehicle components must absorb, thereby causing excessive wear and tear on these other parts, pieces and systems
- One of the key functions of shocks and struts is to absorb the energy and harsh road conditions of everyday driving and to isolate it from reaching the rest of the vehicle. If shocks are old and performance is reduced, this function is compromised, causing other components to experience extra wear. Example: when a car with worn shocks or struts nose-dives while braking, this causes extra wear on the front brakes.
- Worn shocks may also cause the vehicle to move excessively, which causes additional wear on pivot points of the vehicle, such as when a car leans or sways excessively in turns, or veers in side winds
Your new shock or strut will not:
- Determine your ride height.
- With the exception of a few specialty shock products, ride height is determined by your springs, other suspension components, and the vehicle’s original design and construction
- Cause or fix vibrations.
- Vibrations are ongoing and are caused by rotational forces in the drive train, wheels and tires. The only way to reduce/remove vibrations is to repair their cause. A shock or strut works by damping the impact of individual forces as they occur, such as sudden pavement bumps or potholes. It is not designed to correct repetitive, ongoing problems with other systems.
- Increase load carrying capacity of your vehicle.
- The maximum carrying capacity is the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) typically listed on the door jamb. This GVWR number, minus the weight of the vehicle, is the amount of additional weight the vehicle is designed to safely carry, stop with, etc. (For example a vehicle weighing 4,000 lbs. with a GVWR of 6,000 lbs., can carry 2,000 pounds of gear, passengers, etc.).
- Putting in an air shock does not increase you GVWR. This is because the vehicle, its components and systems (tires, brake system, bearings, transmission system) are only designed to handle the listed GVWR.
- There are specialty shocks which help keep your vehicle level under other conditions, such as while towing or when in a temporarily overloaded state, but these will not increase its rated capacity (GVWR).
