Is the shock absorber an underestimated spare part? Uneven road surfaces, fully laden vehicles, cornering and potholes. Everyday occurrences which demand top performance from shock absorbers. Which is why shock absorbers, like brake components, are classed as safety-related spare parts. Shock absorber wear does however tend to be a gradual process, depending on driving style and road conditions. They usually wear out slowly and a shock absorber replacement is usually unavoidable.
The problem:
The average driver becomes accustomed to the steadilydeteriorating car handling behaviour and only really notices it in emergency situations, when braking sharply for example – and even then no-one tends to think of the shock absorbers. This makes it all the more important to check the shock absorbers regularly. Make a shock absorber replacement accordingly, as they are among the chassis components that are subjected to the highest stresses for good reason.
With over 18,500 vehicle-specific parts in our Jakoparts product range, we supply a comprehensive portfolio of products for Japanese and Korean vehicle models. Thanks to exact parts assignment, the shock absorbers available from the Jakoparts range are a precise fit and a perfect match for each particular vehicle. Important: worn or defective shock absorbers should always bereplaced for all wheels on the respective axle. The shock absorber replacement will exacerbate the difference in performance and, in turn, lead to unstable handling.
Shock absorber replacement - how it's done
Step 1
Loosen the nuts from the top strut mounting on the suspension-strut dome to enable these to be unscrewed by hand at a later point in time. Tip: treat rusty connections in advance with an appropriate contact spray.
Step 2
Raise the vehicle and remove the wheel.
Step 3
Now loosen all bolts on the shock absorber and remove the full sensor system and the brake line. Depending on the age of the vehicle, it may also be advisable to use a contact spray in this case.
Step 4
Once you have removed all the nuts and bolts from the top strut mounting, the exposed suspension strut can be removed in its entirety. Tip: depending on the design of the vehicle, the stub axle may need to be propped up in order to prevent it from falling.
Step 5
On the removed suspension strut, mark the position of the individual strut components with a continuous line to ensure smooth re-installation.
Step 6
In the next step, compress the suspension strut using a spring compressor. Once the spring is sufficiently compressed by the spring compressor, the nut can be loosened from the top strut mounting, and the top strut mounting can be removed together with the spring cap.
Step 7
Remove the exposed shock absorber from the spring.
Step 8
Ideally replace all rubber components and install these on the new shock absorber from Herth+Buss. Important: when mounting the spring cap on the suspension strut, ensure that the guide mount sits on top of the one on the shock absorber.
Step 9
Then screw the top strut mounting and the spring cap to the shock absorber and after that relax the spring. Tip: on older vehicles, it is also recommended to replace the top strut mounting at the same time, as this will avoid any additional work at a later point.
Step 10
The assembled suspension strut with the replaced shock absorber can now be installed on the stub axle again. The same applies for the previously removed sensor system and brake line.
Step 11
Finally, tighten the nuts on the top strut mounting and shock absorber fully once more. Important: it is imperative to perform an axle alignment after replacing a shock absorber, a coil spring or a top strut mounting like the ones that are also available in the Jakoparts range!
