Our useful tips provide only an overview. The installation instructions and operating instructions provided by the vehicle manufacturer and the warning and safety instructions contained therein must be observed! All work must be performed by a trained professional. The pictures used and the procedure described in our tips are examples and may vary depending on the vehicle manufacturer and axle design.
Spotting defective shock absorbers
Accidents or serious installation errors can cause impact damage to shock absorbers. It is therefore advisable to look for damage to car axles and damper attachments and to carry out professional wheel alignment.
The ramifications of defective shock absorbers include various negative effects on vehicle handling and safety. That is why competent damage evaluation and repair by a mechanic are especially important.
Damper jammed
Possible causes:
Piston rod bent, e.g. due to an accident
Extreme trapped stresses, e.g. from incorrect installation
Consequence:
The piston rod jams in the guide and the damper jams.
Damper jammed
Damper jammed
Stem mount broken off
Possible causes:
Stresses caused during installation
Fastening nut tightened with excessive torque
Assembly using impact wrench
Consequence:
Material overstretched, stem mount breaks off.
Comment:
Never use impact wrenches for assembly!
Stem mount broken off
Stem mount broken off
Rod eye cracked or completely broken off
Possible causes:
Rod eyes crack or break off completely for the following reasons:
The end stop for the spring path is defective or missing (e.g. due to an accident). This means that the damper must perform the end stop's function, which causes excessive strain.
Incorrect adjustment of the air spring level
Excessive strain caused by extreme use on poor roads
Shocks installed with trapped stresses
Consequence:
The defective rod eye restricts or completely prevents the damper performance. The vehicle wanders and makes loud noises.
When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences, your device or used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually identify you directly, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. You can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, you should know that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences, your device or used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually identify you directly, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. You can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, you should know that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on the site and the services we are able to offer.
Technical Mandatory Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.