Your struts work with your shocks to help stabilize the movements of your car. They give you extra control when you apply the brakes, accelerate, or drive on uneven roads. The strut includes the shocks and other features in one unit, and they help to keep your car stable and keep the tires on the ground. If you didn’t have any struts, your car would bounce around on the road.
If you spend a lot of time driving on uneven or bumpy roads, your struts will not last as long. They can last anywhere from 40,000 to 90,000 miles, depending on what kind of driving you do. It is important to be able to determine if it is time to replace them, so read on to learn how to tell if your struts are bad.
Pay Attention to How Bouncy Your Car Feels
One way to know that your struts are bad is to pay attention to how your car drives. If you notice that your car feels bouncy on the highway, your struts might need to be replaced. When you go over a bump, you might notice that your tires continue to bounce. It will feel bouncier than normal, as if the wheels don’t want to stay on the ground. You might hear a clunking noise as the wheels bounce.
If you take a look at your tires, you might notice unusual wear and tear. When the struts go bad, your tires are no longer being kept on the road firmly, and the tread can start to wear in a different way. Take a look at your tires to make sure they are wearing evenly, and if you notice this in conjunction with the car bouncing a lot when you drive, you likely need to replace your struts.
Pay Attention to How Your Car Drives
Another thing that you might notice is your car diving and squatting while you drive. For instance, you might feel the car tip to the outside when you go around a turn. When you apply the brakes, you might feel the front end of the car dive down. When you accelerate, you will notice the opposite: the rear end of the car will squat and the front end will rise upon acceleration. These are all certain signs that your struts are no longer working effectively, and you will want to get them replaced.
Look at the Struts
If you know where the struts are, you can take a look at them. They come down from the chassis of the car to the wheels. When they go bad, you might see fluid leaking. It will appear on the outside of them, which shows that the seals have broken and the internal fluids are dripping out. This is a terrible problem, and you will want to get it fixed right away.
You should also listen for strange noises when you drive, as these noises always mean something. Bad struts will make clunking, squeaking, or groaning noises when you go over a bump or a dip in the road. If you need to replace your struts, you will want to replace them in pairs. You can go to a garage to get this done, or you can do it yourself. It is important to remember to realign the wheels after you do this work.
The most common indicator of your struts being bad is your car bouncing all over the road. You may feel out of control, and you may feel your car diving and squatting when you drive. This can be very dangerous, so it is important to get your car looked at right away. There are many parts that ensure that your car operates safely and securely on the road, so you will want to get your struts replaced as soon as possible.