ACDelco 550-169 - Front Shock Absorber

Signs of Wear & Troubleshooting

• Signs of wear for shock absorbers include but are not limited to:
• Vehicle pulls while braking
• Worn suspension components
• Excessive nose dive while braking
• Vehicle has ‘acceleration squat'
• Vehicle does not sit level
• Vehicle steering pulls

• It could be time to replace your shocks if, when driving on a surface with bumps and/or dips:
• Your ride is harsh, bumpy or shaky
• Your vehicle bounces excessively
• Your vehicle leans or sways while turning
• Your vehicle bottoms out

• Uneven patches of wear on the edges of your tire can be a sign of weak ride control (shocks or struts). This wear, called cupping, appears as scalloped dips around the surface of the tread. Other signs it could be time to replace your shocks or struts include but are not limited to:
• You notice fluid leakage from your vehicle's shocks
• Your vehicle's shocks have dented or heavily scratched housings or mounts

Good Maintenance Practices

• Your vehicle's shocks slowly deteriorate over time, though this wear is normally difficult to detect. Worn shocks can also cause additional wear to other vehicle components, so to maximize your vehicle's ride comfort, it is recommended to inspect your vehicle's shocks every year. Be sure to always refer to your Vehicle Owner's manual for additional vehicle maintenance practices. Potentially affected components include but are not limited to:
• Ball joints and other suspension components
• Brakes
• Tires

• To inspect your shocks to gauge wear, check for:
• Leaking oil or wetness along the body of the shock or strut
• Broken mounts
• Broken, damaged, or missing mounting hardware
• Dented reservoir tube
• Bent or scratched piston rod
• Cupped tire wear
• Damaged spring seat, spring, and spring isolator