Keep Your Tires Grounded with Well-Maintained Shocks

Whether you’re hitting the highway or navigating construction sites, you need to maximize driver comfort and the life of your truck’s suspension components.

Your shock absorbers control excessive vibration by keeping your tires in contact with the road, and are under constant pressure while you’re driving. Under normal conditions, your shock absorbers stroke an average of 1,750 times every mile they’re driven. That’s 21 million times over the course of 12,000 miles. Because you can’t change the oil in shocks, that fluid loses viscosity and elasticity over time, affecting the shock’s functionality. Driving with worn shocks compromises your truck’s stability and steering, and can increase your stopping distance by more than 22 feet at 75 miles per hour.

Without proper preventive maintenance, shock failure can happen unexpectedly. Make a visual shock inspection part of every pre-trip walk-around to save you unnecessary downtime, danger and potential CSA violations. Here are a few signs that your shocks may need to be replaced:

• Cupped or uneven tire wear, a sign of excessive tire movement.
• Excess vibration and ride deterioration.
• Premature failure of additional suspension components – such as tie rod ends and king pins – due to vibration.
• Sagging taper leaf springs / broken or torn air springs.
• Dents or cracks in the shock’s housing.
• Leaking, a sign of worn seals. Slight “misting” is common during compression and extension, but a leaking shock will show clear signs of oil streaming from the upper seal down the shock body.

It’s recommended that your shocks should be professionally inspected every 12 months. Consider Road Choice® shocks when it’s time to replace. Click here to locate a retailer near you, or visit the SELECT™ Part Store 24/7 for exclusive discounts on high-demand parts.