Signs Your Suspension Needs Repair: Bouncing, Pulling & Knocking

The springs in your suspension support the vehicle weight, while the shock absorbers (struts) dampen and stop the bouncing motion. When shock absorber hydraulic oil seals fail, the car continues to bounce multiple times after hitting a speed hump or road dip.

Try the bounce test: Firmly push down on the front or rear corner of the parked vehicle and release. If it bounces more than once or twice before settling, your shocks are worn and require replacement.

When you apply the brakes firmly, does the front of your car lurch downwards ("nose dive")? When you accelerate, does the rear squat heavily?

Worn front shocks fail to control forward inertia under braking, which can lengthen your emergency stopping distance by several metres. It also unweights the rear tyres, increasing the risk of oversteer or skidding in wet conditions.

Metallic knocking or rattling sounds when driving over rough road surfaces or turning into driveways usually point to worn sway bar links (stabiliser links) or degraded lower control arm rubber bushes.

Rubber bushes act as shock absorbers between metal suspension arms and the vehicle chassis. Over 80,000 to 120,000 kilometres of driving, road grit and heat dry out the rubber, causing it to crack, split, and allow metal-on-metal contact.

Inspect your shock absorbers or struts behind the road wheels. If the outer shock body appears wet, oily, or coated with a thick layer of grime sticking to hydraulic oil, the internal piston shaft seal has blown.

Once the hydraulic damping fluid leaks out, the shock absorber has lost its ability to dampen spring oscillations and must be replaced in axle pairs.