Your car's shock absorbers play an important role in making sure that your car handles well on uneven surfaces. Without them, you'd have a tough time controlling your car on poorly paved roads. Unfortunately, they can wear out over time. If your ride has been bumpier than usual, it may be due to worn shocks. To learn more about why these components in your car are important and how to tell if they need replacement, read on.

What Do Shock Absorbers Do?

The primary purpose of your car's shock absorbers is to slow the rate at which your wheels move up and down. By doing this, it ensures that your tires are in contact with the road at all times.

Your car's wheels are connected to springs. When a wheel hits a bump in the road and moves upward, it pushes on the spring and causes it to coil up. The spring, in turn, is connected to a piston inside the shock absorber. The piston is in a cylinder that's filled with hydraulic fluid, and the hydraulic fluid slows down the rate at which the piston moves.

When the piston is slowed down by the hydraulic fluid, it slows down the movement of the spring it's connected to and provides some tension to it. In return, the upward movement of the wheel connected to the spring is also slowed down.

What Causes Shock Absorbers to Wear Out?

Shock absorbers typically fail when the cylinder inside begins to leak hydraulic fluid. With no hydraulic fluid, there's nothing to slow down the movement of the piston. The springs can move freely, resulting in a very bumpy ride.

In some cases, the piston can lose its seal. This allows the hydraulic fluid to easily flow past it as it moves up and down. As a result, it's not able to slow the movement of the piston as much as it's designed to.

How Can You Tell When You Need to Replace Your Car's Shock Absorbers? 

The most obvious sign is that your ride becomes a lot bumpier. Your car will bounce multiple times whenever you drive over a bump in the road or whenever one of your wheels encounters a small pothole. You'll often be able to feel the vibrations in your steering wheel whenever this happens.

Another symptom is that your car begins to lean into turns. When you turn your car, you'll place more weight on the wheels on the side that you're turning towards. If your shock absorbers can't handle the extra load, your car will noticeably lean in the direction you're turning towards.

Finally, an easy way to test the condition of your shock absorbers is to press down forcefully on your rear bumper. If your car bounces more than once or twice, it's a likely sign that your shock absorbers are wearing out.

Driving with worn shock absorbers is possible, but it's a safety hazard — it can make your car very difficult to control on uneven surfaces. When you notice that your shock absorbers are worn, take your car to an auto repair shop — replacing your shocks doesn't take very long, and it'll make your ride much smoother while also keeping you safe on the road. Look for an auto repair shop near you.