What are the symptoms of a bad rear shock absorber?
2 Answers
The symptoms of a faulty shock absorber are as follows: 1. Shock absorber oil leakage. A normal shock absorber has a dry and clean outer surface. If there is oil leakage, it indicates that the hydraulic oil inside the shock absorber has escaped from the upper part of the piston rod, meaning the shock absorber is basically ineffective. 2. When the car passes over bumpy roads or speed bumps, a certain wheel makes a "clunking" sound, indicating that the shock absorber on that wheel has poor damping or is ineffective. 3. When the car is cornering, there is a noticeable increase in body roll, and in severe cases, even skidding may occur. This is mainly because the damping force of the shock absorber is too small to effectively suppress the compression of the spring. 4. After driving on rough roads for a while, touch the outer shell of each shock absorber to feel its temperature. Normally, the outer shell of the shock absorber should be warm. If a shock absorber's outer shell is cold, it indicates that the shock absorber is damaged. 5. When the car is stationary, press down on one corner of the car body and then release it. The body will rebound under the force of the spring. If it stabilizes quickly after rebounding, the shock absorber is intact. If it oscillates several times before stopping, it indicates poor damping performance of the shock absorber.
When the rear shock absorbers of my car failed, the first thing I noticed was that the ride became particularly bumpy, especially when encountering potholes or speed bumps on the road. The car bounced up and down violently, making rear passengers complain about discomfort. When taking turns at higher speeds, the rear of the car would sway severely, feeling unstable like skating on ice, which made my palms sweat. Driving over uneven surfaces also produced loud "clunking" or metallic scraping noises from the rear. Additionally, the tires showed uneven wear, with the outer edges wearing out faster upon inspection. On highways, the bumpiness became more pronounced, affecting steering control and requiring me to slow down to maintain stability. Driving like this for extended periods was both exhausting and unsafe, so I promptly took the car to a repair shop to replace the parts to avoid accidents.
