I think I may need new shocks on my honda crv. I'm just not sure of the tell tale signs. The usual sign of course would be if and when one hits a bump the vehicle may rock more than necessary or bounce more than normal. Thanks for any and all help in advance.
2007-03-25 14:21:13 · 5 answers · asked by The Baby 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
There are essentially three ways to quickly check this in the field, with no tools. Try bouncing the suspension at each wheel, fairly hard, and see that it goes down with the force of the push, up once and then settles. Anymore motion than this means that it is weak. Then you want to look for wet fluid on the shiny part of the shocks or struts underneath the dust boot. There can be a very, very thin film, but any more than this and it's an early indication of failure, or it may be weak already even though it passes the bounce test. Next, and this may only work if you have been inflating the tires correctly and rotating them at good intervals, you can run your hand around the circumference of the tire and see if you feel bumps at regularly spaced intervals. If so, then this is an indication that as the vehicle travels down the road, the shock absorbers do not press the unsprung weight of the suspension with enough downward force to keep the wheel on the road, and it does many little bounces as it travels. If all of these things check out, you can be comfortable with waiting to buy shocks or struts. However, if the vehicle has somewhere in the area of 100,000 miles, then no one would fault you for buying them as preventive maintenance before they can cause any of these problems. Also, you may buy them if it would give you better piece of mind. I strongly recommend getting them installed at an ASE Blue Seal rated facility, which you can find on ASE.com. This is a certification given to only 3-4% of the shops in the nation giving you a better chance of finding the best facility. Hope this information helped you.
2007-03-25 14:33:31 · answer #1 · answered by Mtech 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The way to test the front and rear shocks is by bouncing each corner of the car. Rock the car at each corner and release. If the car bounces more than 1 1/2 times after you have stopped, take a closer look at the shocks.
If the car bounces more than it should, raise the car up on a jack. Run your hand over the tire tread completely around the tire and from inside to outside. Cupping or unusual wear in any area indicates the shocks may not be holding the tires on the road. Look for broken mounts, damaged bushings, and oil on the shock absorber barrel.
2007-03-25 14:29:13 · answer #2 · answered by hondarider400at 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If they bottom out or do not control rebounding of the suspension it may be time for new shocks or strut cartridges. If the vehicle continues to bounce after going through a dip or over a bump longer than usually they made need replacement. How many miles are on your CRV ? Over 50,000? Is it more than 5 years old? These are all telltales that they may need replacing.
2007-03-25 14:27:23 · answer #3 · answered by know da stuff 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can visually check the shocks,too.Look for any signs of leakage,this will appear as damp areas around the shock tubes.Uneven tire wear can also be a clue.
2007-03-25 14:28:12 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
bounce it up and down,and if bounce more then ,ill say 3 or 4 times,then they are bad.
2007-03-25 15:42:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋