15th July 2024
Over time, the shocks on your vehicle will succumb to wear and tear. It means they won’t absorb the bumps from driving over speed humps or rough road surfaces. Regular maintenance of your shocks ensures your car continues to have a safe and smooth ride.
Merityre’s helpful step-by-step guide takes you through changing your car’s shock absorbers.
Before changing your shock absorbers, you will need the following equipment:
Many vehicles with struts and shocks are integrated with springs that can pop off and injure you if not removed properly. Place the spring compressor on all four shocks and clamp them into position. Once secured, tighten the compressor so they’re resting against all coil springs.
After attaching the spring compressors to your car’s shocks, you can raise it on a hydraulic jack. Ensure your vehicle is secure before accessing or loosening any part you want to access.
To access the shocks, use a socket spanner and remove each tyre from your vehicle. On most vehicles, the shocks are easy to find. Typically, a shock will have a vertical bolt attached to it, which needs loosening and knocking out to remove it.
The next stage in changing your shock absorbers involves removing the worn shocks. Using a wrench, carefully remove the bolts holding the shocks in place. The shock may drop out once all the bolts are removed.
Once all four shocks have been removed, install the replacement shocks on all four sides of your vehicle. Using a torque wrench, securely tighten all bolts on all four struts so the strut doesn’t pop out.
Once you’ve installed the replacement shocks, reattach all tyres using a socket spanner and lower your car carefully off the hydraulic jack. Remove the spring compressors from the shocks. To ensure your wheels are aligned and balanced, take your vehicle for a test drive around where you live. This will determine whether your car’s shocks and wheels are correctly aligned.
No, we recommend changing the shocks on your car in pairs. For example, if the right rear strut is worn, you’ll need to replace the front right strut too. Since the new shock has not experienced internal wear, pairing it with an older shock puts it at a higher risk of damaging the replacement shocks.
Knowing how to replace your shocks will ensure your vehicle continues to have a smooth and stable ride. Is your MOT due soon? Reduce the likelihood of your car failing its MOT with our guide. Book a free tyre inspection by visiting your local Merityre branch across South East England today.