Things You'll Need:
- Shock Absorbers
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Step 1
Consider how your car rides. If you have worn-out shocks, your car will experience the following: excessive rebound or float, wander or poor tracking, wander due to sidewinds, poor steering response, too much body wallow or lean during lane changes or while cornering, corner to corner pitch (corkscrewing motion) during cornering, excessive dive while braking, instability during braking, excessive brake lock, poor adhesion on rough surfaces such as railroad tracks, and frequent bottoming or a harsh ride.
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Step 2
Decide what you want your vehicle to do. Do you want the vehicle to have a race car appearance, or do you wish to lower it? Such a decision will effect other elements of the suspension system, such as springs, linkage, bushings, shock absorber and antiroll (sway) bars. Or do you want to keep the same ride that your stock equipment offered you?
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Step 3
Decide what variety of shock absorber you want. The choice of shock absorbers include: MacPherson Struts, which combine the shock absorber in a part that also replaces the upper control arm and ball joint; strut cartridges, which are used as replacements in rebuildable strut housings (this type of shock has been disappearing in favor of welded or sealed struts); coilover or spring-perch shock absorbers, which are more expensive than the shock varieties mentioned; and adjustable shock absorbers, which allow the damping to be changed by some mechanism inside the shock absorber or electronically. The type of car you have may influence your choice. Consult with the salesperson.
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Step 4
Consider what other modifications you wish to make to the suspension system of the car. If you decide to add larger tires and wheels, premium shock absorbers can provide the necessary damping to compensate for the demands of the new equipment. If you change springs, then some kind of performance shock absorber or strut is necessary. If you wish to do performance driving or an auto cross competition, adjustable shock absorbers offer definite advantages. If you plan to lower your car to an excessive degree or slam the car, putting on any new shock is a waste of time. In fact, many shock absorber manufacturers void the warranties on shocks used on excessively lowered vehicles.
