Frequently Asked Questions

Shocks and struts dampen the movement of your vehicle’s springs. Symptoms of worn shocks and struts include:

• Control loss, meaning the units have become weak and will no longer dampen the tire and suspension vibration
• Unusual tire wear including cupping on the inner shoulders
• Unit is coated in and/or leaking oil or fluid
• Front end diving when braking
• Vehicle is unusually “floating” and ill-handling
• Bottoming out (thumping) when driving over bumps

Adjustable dampers have internal valves that can be adjusted to increase or decrease the rebound or compression rate. These also have additional advantages for those customers involved in motorsports. They allow fine-tuning of the suspension for track use and the ability to soften it back up for daily driver use.

A shock and a strut do the same basic job on a vehicle, damping the movement of the spring and stopping oscillation and bounce. The major difference between shocks and struts is that a strut is a structural part of the vehicles suspension system where a shock is not. A strut is also crucial part of the vehicles steering system and greatly affects alignment angles.

It’s a good idea to have your alignment checked annually. You certainly should have it done anytime suspension components or the tires/wheels are replaced, upgraded, or otherwise altered.