What's Stopping You?

In this episode, John discusses the importance of your suspension system in stopping your vehicle. The impact on stopping distances with worn suspension parts. Profound effects of worn out shocks and struts.

Shock absorbers and struts influence the control and handling characteristics of your vehicle. They work together with your springs to dampen the bouncing motion of the vehicle as affected by road conditions. The energy is absorbed as a piston inside the shock pushes against hydraulic fluid. This restricts the rebounding movement of the springs. Your shock absorbers or struts should be replaced every 50,000 miles or immediately if a fluid leak is detected. Driving with old or faulty shocks will lead to premature and uneven tire wear, plus increased wear to other suspension components. This reduces the vehicle’s handling ability and can cause it to become unstable, possibly causing an accident. Replacing shocks and struts on a regular basis and immediately upon indication of a leak will prevent premature tire wear and reduce wear on other vehicle systems. From a safety standpoint, since shocks and struts control vehicle handling, your ride quality will be greatly affected, as well as your stopping distance greatly increased. This could result in an uncomfortable ride and could possibly endanger your life and those of others.