That’s right, I’m talking to your cars. At Freeman Grapevine I’ve seen cars come in with serious suspension problems and whose owners obviously didn’t listen to their cars. Seriously, they will tell you when you need replacement shocks. Shocks and suspensions are an often overlooked but vital aspect to your car in regards to safety. Make no mistake, recognizing when it is time to replace your shocks is very important.
First, let’s review the shocks and the suspension system:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcafJwewltY
Checking your shocks is actually a very simple thing to do. In fact, it is something you can do yourself fairly easily.
The first thing you can do is pay attention when you are driving. For example, after hitting the bump does your Buick or GMC continue to bounce up and down? If the answer is yes then you will almost certainly need new shocks. Start paying attention now, because this may start gradually and then worsen over time until they are really bad. In fact, if you wait too long you can damage other parts and components of you car.
A second way to check your shock’s life is to physically look under your car or truck. For a truck or van you may not be able to see them. In this case you will need to push on the bumper and follow the steps the same as you are physically looking at them. They will bounce. Two or three bounces they are fine. If they continue to oscillate, then they need replacing.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmLGKWWa1oo
As stated earlier, the reason it is so important to replace worn out shocks is because they are responsible for keeping your tires in contact with the road. If you are driving down a rough road and the wheels are bouncing up and down, worn shocks will actually allow the wheels to completely lose contact with the roadway. Considering that your tires are the only thing separating you from the road, this can be especially dangerous if you hit a dip or a bump during a high speed corner. Good shocks will also help to minimize body roll, also very important during cornering.
If you think that your shocks may be worn and just can’t figure it out on your own, swing by and we’ll take a look at them. Then we can recommend the right ones for your Dallas Buick or GMC.