Front shock absorber replacement

What does a front shock absorber do?

Your shock absorbers are part of the suspension system that smoothes out the bumpiness of an uneven road to provide you with a comfortable ride.

A shock absorber is a gas or oil filled tube that is compressed by a piston to dissipate kinetic energy and regulate the rebounding your car will suffer when driving over potholed, bumpy or uneven ground.

What happens when we replace your shock absorbers?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will examine or test-drive your car to establish the cause of the problem.

• Wherever required, a shock absorber will be replaced, and you’ll be advised of any other connected or associated problems arising from its malfunction.

• You will also be advised of any other parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.

• Once the faulty shock absorber has been replaced, our mechanics will test it thoroughly to ensure the correct running of the new part and make any adjustments required for its premium operation.

What causes a shock absorber to stop working correctly?

A shock absorber will fail to operate correctly if the fluid leaks. This can be due to poor or damaged seals.

A shock absorber will also fail to function properly if it becomes damaged, bent or broken due to continual wear, general use or accident damage.

Smaller internal parts are likely to wear out in time and cause the improper operation of the complete component.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning front shock absorber

Excessive bouncing and an uncomfortable ride

If your car is bouncing excessively and providing uncomfortable ride quality, then there’s a good chance your shock absorbers aren’t operating correctly.

The car feels unstable

When driving around corners or over uneven ground and the car feels unstable then your suspension could be damaged.

Driving over humps is difficult

If driving over humps, sleeping policemen or raised road elements causes problems, your shock absorbers could be damaged.

If you spot signs of leaking

If you notice puddles of oil-like fluid on the road around your wheels, your shock absorbers could be leaking.

If your wheels leave the ground

In circumstances when your tyres lose contact with the road going over bumpy surfaces, sharp bridges or raised ground, your suspension isn’t working properly.

How often should shock absorbers need replacing?

You can expect shock absorbers to last at least 50k miles. Your owner’s manual may specify a different mileage or duration, as this figure is only a guideline. You should also have your shock absorbers checked after heavy contact with potholes, curbs or large rocks in the road.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Car suspension is a common reason for MOT failures. Broken or faulty shock absorbers, including oil leaks, will be a definite fail for an MOT.

The cost of replacing your front shock absorber

The typical cost of replacing a condenser varies between £200 and £250.

For example, an Audi A1 S Line would have a dealer price of £255.23, yet Fixter will carry out the same work for only £206—a 19% saving!

Changing the front shock absorber in a Fiat 500l Pop Star will cost you £268.06 with your dealer, but only £216.00 with Fixter—another superb saving of 19%!

When you choose Fixter to find you a great deal and a premium mechanic to carry out your front shock absorber replacement, you can expect to save around £40 from an average dealer price. That’s a typical saving in the region of 15–20%.

Honda

The Honda Motor Company is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate corporation—to give them their full title. Primarily a motorcycle manufacturer (since 1959) and engine producer (producing more than 14million each year), Honda became the 8th largest automobile manufacturer in the world in 2015.

How popular is Honda in the United Kingdom?

With around 800k Honda cars on the roads in the UK, this marque is a popular and trusted household name.

Long lasting sensibly-priced cars

On the surface, Honda cars look fairly traditional, but this is a brand that doesn’t necessarily follow the pack; they often provide something unique to each of their models.

For example, the Jazz pitched against the most popular car in the UK, the Ford Fiesta, is actually a more practical option than most of its rivals. For a small car, it has an abundance of interior space and very flexible and practical boot.

The Civic is brave enough to make a strong style in design statement in a market where other brands are edging towards conservative. And the CR-V was the first of the SUV models to stop pretending it was an off-road vehicle and focused its priorities on its road based driving dynamics despite its off-road styling.

Honda motorsports: A long-standing history in Formula One

Honda’s first appearance in Formula One racing as a constructor came in 1964 at the German Grand Prix.

After a mixed introduction, marred by tragedy with the death of driver Jo Schlesser in the French Grand Prix of 1968 Honda took a back seat until their return in 1983 to power the Williams team, where they won 6 consecutive Constructors Championships.

Following the successes with Williams, they partnered with McLaren in 1988, going on to win titles in 4 different seasons.

Their return in 2013, again providing engines for the McLaren team, was met with much less success. After 3 seasons without a single podium finish, Honda was dropped in favour of a Renault built engine.