Your vehicle’s shock absorbers, or struts, are a critical part of the suspension system. Their job is to dampen vibrations and impacts from the road surface, providing a smooth and stable ride. But shocks don’t last forever.
Over many miles, they gradually wear out. When shocks become weak or leak fluid, they’re no longer able to absorb bumps properly. This raises various questions like; Can I still drive with bad shock absorbers? Can I safely drive my car to the repair shop if my car shock absorber goes bad while driving? Let’s read further into this article to discover whether driving with bad shock absorbers is recommended or risky.
The Role of Shock Absorbers in Vehicle Safety
To understand the potential hazards of worn-out shocks, it helps to first review what shocks do for your vehicle when in good working order:
- Absorb impacts from potholes, expansion joints and other road irregularities
- Prevent bouncing and oscillation after suspension encounters bumps
- Keep the tires firmly planted on the road surface
- Reduce body lean and dive during cornering and braking
- Contain vertical wheel movement when traveling over uneven surfaces
In other words, shocks are vital for stability, handling predictability, braking effectiveness, and staying in control. When shocks no longer function optimally, all these safety factors are compromised.
Symptoms That Your Shock Absorbers Are Failing
Deteriorating shocks exhibit certain symptoms that indicate it’s time for replacement. Being aware of these signs of bad shocks will help you identify when risky driving conditions are developing:
- Excessive bouncing after hitting bumps
- Car body roll or rocks side-to-side when cornering
- The front end dips substantially under braking
- Rear end squats down during acceleration
- Tires are cupping or wearing unevenly on the edges
- Vibrations felt through the steering wheel or seats
- Uncomfortable and bouncy ride quality
If you notice these issues starting to occur, your shocks have likely lost their damping ability and need to be replaced.
Driving Risks with Worn Out Shock Absorbers
Can i still drive with bad shock absorbers? Weak or leaking shocks pose some potential hazards if you continue driving in that condition.
1. Reduced Traction and Control
Shocks help keep your tires planted securely on the road. When that’s compromised, traction is reduced, which can cause:
- Fish-tailing, wheel spin or loss of control in wet conditions
- Skidding during emergency braking situations
- Tires losing grip during high-speed cornering or evasive maneuvers
Without the full contact patch of the tire on the pavement, you’re vulnerable to hydroplaning or skidding scenarios.
2. Longer Braking Distances
Worn shocks allow more front-end diving when braking hard. This reduces stability and can increase stopping distances. Having to slam on the brakes with bad shocks could lead to loss of control or rear-impact collisions.
3. Difficulty Steering or Changing Lanes
Bad shocks make the front wheels more likely to bounce and skip over road surfaces. This erratic wheel movement can tug on the steering wheel and potentially prevent making smooth or quick lane changes when needed.
4. Risk of Damage to Other Components
The bouncing and uncontrolled movements caused by worn shocks also add damaging stress to ball joints, bushings, wheel bearings, and wheel alignment settings. This leads to cascading failures of other suspension and steering components.
5. Driver Fatigue
The constant shaking and rattling from driving on bad shocks can accelerate driver exhaustion on longer trips. This compromises mental alertness, increasing the risk of accidents.
Based on these potential safety repercussions, transportation authorities advise against driving with deteriorating shocks whenever possible. They recommend prompt repair or replacement.
Emergency Situations When Driving is Necessary
Under certain emergency circumstances, driving a short distance to a repair shop with worn shocks may be unavoidable. This includes situations where:
- You’re stranded a long distance from home or help.
- The vehicle is urgently needed for work, medical trips, etc.
- Towing or trailer services are immediately unavailable.
In these cases where driving is absolutely essential, experts provide the following cautions and recommendations:
- Inspect the vehicle and verify tire tread depth, air pressure, and wheel lug tightness are all OK. This helps maximize stability.
- Drive only during favorable conditions; avoid heavy rain, snow, or ice at all costs.
- Decelerate early when stopping, brake gently, and leave extra distance between vehicles.
- Keep speeds low, avoid highways, and avoid aggressive acceleration or cornering.
- Signal turns early, move slowly into lanes, and watch for bouncing during steering.
- Pull over immediately if the vehicle becomes unstable or difficult to control.
The risks are still elevated in these situations. But taking vigilant precautions allows you to drive short distances when critically needed, before you can have faulty shocks replaced.
Prioritizing Shock Absorber Replacement
While shocks may seem like a non-critical “wear part”, their importance for control and safety means repairing or replacing them at the first signs of failure should take high priority. Consider the following factors:
1. Gradual Deterioration Leads to Critical Failure Risk
Shocks don’t go from perfect function one day, to complete failure the next. Their performance declines gradually. This may fool you into thinking they’re OK during the early stages of decline. But you’re becoming increasingly unsafe each day as the shocks get progressively worse. Identify symptoms early and replace them before you’re lulled into a false sense of security.
2. Prevents Damage to Other Components
Collapsing suspension and bouncing tires put damaging forces on many other components. Get bad shocks fixed promptly to avoid destroying your tires, bearings, ball joints and wheel alignment.
3. Low Cost Prevention Compared to Accidents
New shocks or struts only cost a few hundred dollars. Compare that to the financial and injury risks of an accident. Prioritize this affordable repair to potentially avoid catastrophic consequences down the road.
4. Improves Family Passenger Safety
You may be willing to accept the risks of driving on bad shocks yourself. But consider the danger you’re putting your loved ones or children in as passengers. Their safety makes shock replacement an obvious choice.
With all these compelling reasons to replace failing shocks, it becomes clear that limping along on worn parts is rarely a smart choice. Instead, treating bad shocks as a priority repair for essential safety is well worth the investment.
Confirming Diagnosis with Professional Evaluation
If you suspect your shocks need replacement based on symptoms, it’s advisable to get a professional confirmation of their condition. Technicians have specialized tools to measure shock damping performance quantitatively on a scale of 0-10. They can also perform bounce and rebound testing to observe suspension movement firsthand. This testing either verifies or rules out the need for new shocks based on objective metrics, so you know if replacement is definitely required. Depending on evaluation results and remaining shock life, they may also recommend cost-saving options like shock recharging. With testing data backing up their diagnosis, you can feel confident in the recommendation and priority of suggested repairs.
Best Practices for Optimizing Shock Absorber Lifespan
Shocks wear out as part of the normal operation of your vehicle. But you’re not completely at their mercy. Certain good maintenance habits can maximize the years of reliable service you get from each set:
- Stick to smooth roads when possible, limit harsh terrain.
- Maintain proper tire inflation for stability and smoothing bump forces.
- Load vehicle evenly, avoid overloading cargo capacity.
- Lube shock bushings and mounts to prevent binding.
- Inspect shocks yearly for signs of leakage.
- Have wheel alignment checked regularly to reduce tire wear.
- Clean shock rods and seals to prevent grit damage.
With dedicated preventive maintenance and operating carefully on road surfaces, you’ll add years before those telltale signs of fading shock performance start to appear.
Signs That Your Shock Absorber Needs Replacement
Certain severe symptoms mean your shocks or struts require immediate replacement and absolutely should not be driven any further until corrected:
- Visible fluid leaking from shock cylinder or seals
- Damaged shock rods or bent strut housings
- Knocking or clunking noises from suspension
- One wheel bouncing and losing contact with the road
- Car pulls sharply left or right under braking
- Unusual tire cupping shows loss of motion control
These red flags mean suspension is beyond compromised and you’re at direct risk for a catastrophic failure, parts separation or wheel detachment. Call for towing and replace shocks as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are answers to questions that you might find helpful to you.
Can I Drive Safely With Bad Shock Absorbers?
Driving with bad shock absorbers isn’t safe, as they play a vital role in keeping your car stable on the road. Damaged shocks can lead to reduced control, longer braking distances, and increased chances of accidents, especially in wet or uneven road conditions.
What Happens If I Ignore Bad Shock Absorbers?
Ignoring bad shock absorbers can worsen other car parts, like your tires, suspension, and brakes, leading to costly repairs. It also makes driving uncomfortable and can increase the wear and tear on your car over time.
How Do Bad Shock Absorbers Affect My Braking Distance?
Bad shock absorbers make it harder to stop quickly. Since they can’t keep the tires fully grounded, your car may need a longer distance to stop, which is particularly dangerous in emergency braking situations.
How Do I Know If My Shock Absorbers Are Bad?
Common signs of bad shock absorbers include a bumpy or shaky ride, uneven tire wear, nose-diving when braking, excessive swaying or bouncing after bumps, and strange noises. If you notice these symptoms, it’s a good idea to get your shocks inspected.
Can Bad Shock Absorbers Cause Tire Wear?
Yes, bad shock absorbers can cause uneven tire wear. Since the tires aren’t kept firmly grounded, they can wear out unevenly or more quickly, especially along the edges.
How Long Can I Drive With Bad Shock Absorbers?
While it might be possible to drive for some time with bad shock absorbers, it’s not recommended due to safety concerns. If your shocks are failing, you should prioritize repairs to avoid compromising your vehicle’s control and handling.
Will Driving With Bad Shock Absorbers Affect My Fuel Efficiency?
Yes, driving with bad shock absorbers can impact fuel efficiency. Uneven tire contact increases friction and rolling resistance, making your engine work harder, which in turn can reduce fuel economy.
Are Bad Shock Absorbers Costly To Fix?
The cost to replace shock absorbers varies depending on your vehicle type and the quality of shocks needed. While it may be a significant upfront cost, repairing them early can prevent more expensive repairs down the line.
Can Bad Shock Absorbers Damage My Suspension System?
Yes, bad shock absorbers can strain and damage other parts of your suspension system. As shocks wear out, they can lead to more stress on the springs, joints, and control arms, ultimately requiring more extensive suspension repairs.
Should I Replace All Shock Absorbers at Once?
For balanced handling and stability, it’s often recommended to replace shock absorbers in pairs (both fronts or both rears). However, in some cases, replacing all four may be necessary to restore optimal vehicle control, especially if they’re all worn out.
Wrapping Up
Worn out shocks detrimentally impact braking, stability, handling and passenger comfort. Their gradual failure can go unnoticed over time, allowing unsafe conditions to develop. Once you’re aware of the risks bad shocks pose, identifying symptoms early and making replacement a urgent priority is crucial. Avoid driving with deteriorated shocks whenever possible. But if an emergency trip is unavoidable, exercise extreme caution. With a well-maintained suspension and vigilant monitoring for deterioration, you’ll keep all those bumps comfortably smoothed out and continue driving with security.