Operating a car with faulty front struts is dangerous, since the behavior of the car on the road directly depends on them. For the sake of your own safety and the safety of others, you should replace faulty racks with new ones in time.
You can determine the exact technical condition of the racks in a car service at the stand. Specialists will fix the car on a special site and begin to swing intensively in all directions. At the same time, the sensors will measure the performance characteristics of the racks and give a decision on their further use or on the need for replacement.
This test cannot be performed on your own. You can only shake the car by the wing and look at the damped oscillations. In this case, the car should swing once and stop. If it sways more than 2 times, then the racks are completely defective. The problem is that even in poor condition, the shock absorbers pass this test.
Therefore, self-diagnosis of racks begins with an examination of their appearance. All signs of oil leakage from the shock absorber indicate their malfunction and the need for replacement. Then listen to the suspension: a fully functional suspension with fully functional struts should not knock. Evaluate the quality of the suspension. Of course, this assessment will be very subjective and depends on the driving experience.
The need for good A-pillars is especially important for front-wheel drive vehicles. Any faults in the shock absorbers of the front wheels impair the grip of the wheels with the road, increase the braking distance, and make the car unstable when cornering and braking. When cornering, for example, the car may suddenly turn or be thrown into the oncoming lane or ditch. In addition, faulty shock absorbers cause tires and wheel bearings to wear out ten times faster.
Shock absorbers should also be replaced at the end of their service life. Its duration depends not only on the quality of manufacture, type and model of shock absorbers, but also on operating conditions. For example, in the winter season, at the beginning of the movement, it is recommended to drive the first 1-2 kilometers at a moderate speed. This will warm up the racks. If this is not done, they can quickly fail.
The average lifespan of the racks is 30-50 thousand kilometers. In rare cases, they can serve up to 70-80 thousand. At the same time, they can pass all tests as serviceable, but unexpectedly fail in a critical situation. Therefore, even shock absorbers that are serviceable in all respects should be changed on time, without waiting for an emergency.
