How to tell if you need to replace your Shocks!

I'm tired of Monroe gas shocks. You can never tell when it's going bad. And it does not last that long either.

 

If you feel like the axles are not being controlled, you have worn shocks. One should not feel secondary vibrations. It is very hard on all suspension components and tires get to bouncing, shortening their life as well.

It is my opinion that most over the counter shocks are too light for tractor trailers.

And, mentioning shock replacement to a fleet manager will certainly ruin his day.

 

For me, hydraulic shocks are the best. You don't need to be driving to figure out that you have bad shock because it leaks when gone bad.

 

A bad shock doesn’t necessarily leak. A leak only means the seal failed, which is why it’s bad. That can actually happen with very few miles. It’s not the sole determining factor.

Oil loses viscosity, over time of use. When that happens, the shock loses damping. A loss of damping results in a loss of control of the movement. That’s the normal scenario of a bad/worn out shock.

The purpose of a gas charge is to minimize aeration of the shock fluid. This allows the shock to better maintain performance. It’s better than a straight hydraulic shock.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I just discovered that gas-charged shocks do leak too.

 

They all can leak; doesn’t matter if they’re gas charged or not. However, if they are a gas shock, they’ll quickly push out oil until the gas pressure is relieved.

 

Where?

 

Do your feet hurt while driving?

 

I get peterbilt shocks and they are around $80 but it’s been a year almost since I bought them. I replace yearly. I may try those couple hundred dollar fox ones.

 

I get mine from mhc in joplin