The term shock is short for shock absorber. As it contains a spring, most people assume that’s what it really is, a large spring attached to each wheel that compresses when you hit a bump and springs back once you’ve passed it. Well, that’s part of it, but not all. If you drop a heavy metal spring on the ground, what does it do? It bounces straight back up. If a shock absorber were only a spring, every time your car hit a bump it would bounce high into the air. The shock absorber actually uses a liquid hydraulic system to absorb the shock rather than just reacting to the energy created by the bump. When your car hits a bump, your spring absorbs the jolt and the shock absorber absorbs the energy so the bounce back doesn’t occur.
A strut is complete suspension assembly and is an adjunct to the frame of your car. Shock absorbers are part of these struts. A good way to think of it is that a shock absorber is part of the suspension assembly of a car and the strut is the suspensions assembly on a car. Not all cars have both, but both provide the function of shock absorption.
How can I tell when I need new shocks or struts?

After a period of miles, the mechanical part of the suspension system will start to wear down, so if you’ve owned your car for any amount of time it’s likely you’ll need to replace your shock and struts. Here are some symptoms of shock wear:
1. The front of the car dives or dips when you brake.
2. The rear dips when you accelerate
3. Your car bottoms out on bumps
4. Bumpy roads cause you to “fight” your steering wheel
5. Your shocks/struts are leaking
6. Cracked bushings
7. Pits and valleys (high and low spots) on your tires.
These are some, but not all of the signs that you may need to replace shocks or struts. Continued driving of your car on worn shocks and struts could very easily lead to an accident as worn suspension systems gradually give you less and less control over your car until it becomes very difficult to drive. Contact your local auto shop Austin and Austin Transmission Repair shop for more information.
Can I fix it myself?

The short answer is possibly, but you probably don’t want to. Replacing shock absorbers is fairly easy, but the difficult part is keeping the alignment straight and adjusting the springs and coils properly for your car. Shock adjustment requires special tools and a lot of know-how on how they should be set. Most Austin automotive repair places will have the proper tools and parts available and will be able to adjust your vehicle to keep you safe and comfortable when driving your car. Finding a good auto mechanic Austin can be a hard process.

About the Author: Brandon Adams is the author of man popular articles on the automotive repair industry.