Shocks and struts provide cushioning to the riders from bumps and puddles on the road. So, it is uttermost important to have shocks and struts in your vehicle for getting a hesitation-free ride and smooth ride. But it may happen that due to a lack of technical knowledge, you may not be knowing about their presence. Even I was a “no knowledge about car tools person,” but slowly and gradually, I came to know about everything, and it has become very comfortable for me to deal with my car issues now. This article will tell you, Does my car have shocks or struts? It is tested and checked by me personally.
Does My Car have Shocks or Struts?
Before knowing whether your car has shocks or struts, let us know what shocks and struts are and what do they do.
Struts: A strut is a vital structural element for the steering system. Struts are adjusted with the caster angles and the camber of your steering. Struts majorly affect on the alignment of the functions. Struts act like a pivot point for the system and have integrated coil springs feature. Without struts, your vehicle will fall right down to the ground and won’t be able to maintain the height it has.
Shocks: Shocks are also designed to recover and absorb vehicles from bumps on the road. Shocks contain a piston in a sealed tube that is usually filled with gases or another kind of liquid. This piston works like a safeguard against bumps. As the pressure is applied, shocks release hydraulic fluid or gases through small holes to other parts. The force of the bump gets weak as the hole is very small and allows a tiny amount of material to surpass that leads to a smoother ride.
What do Shocks and Struts do?
As now you know that struts and shocks individually play a vital role in balancing and smoothening the ride, let me tell you more. Both perform the same kind of task and work to dampen the movement of the wheels against bumps or puddles. It prevents the car from bouncing or swinging. You can never replace one with another because of their individual appearance and importance. The wheels are designed to work hand in hand with shocks or struts, and it should remain the same way.
How do I know if I have Shocks or Struts?
Once we know about the importance and necessity of shocks and struts in our vehicle, we often come up with one question. Does my car have shocks or struts? Well, you can answer this question by yourself by just looking at the model and a few general appearances.
The presence of shocks or struts varies from model to model, but let me tell you some appearances first. Shocks are like spring or kind of a pumping mechanism system. Shocks and struts are installed in the upright position of the wheels, whereas struts tend to fit in the horizontal position of the wheels. Struts can be difficult to see as they are horizontal and totally in the inner section, but shocks are still visible.
As per the general rule and information, it is advised to replace the shocks every 12,000 miles and replace the struts every 50,000 miles. But again, at the same time, it depends upon the model of the vehicle also. If you have a manual car/truck, you can check the suspension system section and under the carriage. If you see potholes and the car takes speed bumps very hard them, it is a symptom of changing your shocks and struts.
Conclusion:
Yes, that’s it! Very simple and very easy to make out that Does my car have shocks or struts? There are situations when all you need to do is just look, and you find the answer. Similarly, in this situation too. Just look around a few places, and you will get to know if your car has shocks or struts? I will be back with some more exciting answers to your daily life hassle. Till then, toodles!