How to check Shock Absorbers etc

[tyrone_40]

My friend's Toyota Corolla 1998 bottoms out considerably from behind and even more so when people are sitting in the back seat. It looks as though the wheels are almost touching the car.

How can you tell whether the shock absorbers or the springs have to be replaced. Is there anyway of checking this or any signs to take note of. And what are dampers?

Thanks

[portage1]

but, do you have a rough ride after you install the spacers ?

[g16b]

Same problem with my cousin's 2000 model cultus...but it looks good from the back...seems as if its lowered

[ahmadbila]

oo bhai never install spacers(gutkas).i installed them in my khyber(though it might b different in rolla).i got da required road clearence nd problem of wheels ouching body was solved.but after abt only 2 weeks,it came to its normal position bcuz the springs cud not get da required distance to move up nd down so they got worse frm bad.
secondly,it disturbed da whole balance of da car as it was raised up frm da back,once me nd my dad were coming frm lhr on motorway.i was at 120 suddenly i noticed a dog very near,i braked hard nd at that time,back of my car started to shake like hell(note that da rear seat ws empty wid no luggage in trunk.although this prob. was not faced wen u hav 4 passsengers or enough luggage.
so i suggest not to install spacer rather change da springs.....
thanx

[g16b]

Please don't install spacers..They ruin the suspension, and ride becomes stiff and bumpy..Get new suspension for rear..And if possible, change ur front suspension as well...

[portage1]

I agree 100%............ change the springs

[Racerf1]

You guys have already jumped to a discussion of what is good and what is not.

How do you really know if the shocks or the springs are weak or worn out?

For springs you will notice that the car will start to sag from the rear if it is the rear springs that need to be checked. In the front you will notice bottom out of the suspension and all the bumps would be felt in the steering, ie if you do not have low profile tyres on the front.

For Shocks go to any corner of the vehicle and give it a hard push over the suspension. Then notice how many movements of up and down does it take the suspension to stablise or absorb the shock. if it is more then 1 you have weak or worn out shocks. On the road you will feel a more bouncy ride.

[SER_GTR]

Hello!
get 2.0D Springs....as they are stiffer as compared to petrol ones...or try getting bigger ones having much rolls ...!
Spacers somehow unbalance ride as well as won't last longer than 2~3 months..
Thanxxx

[drmaqeel]

i had installed aluminium/silver spacer before installation of cng kit andcylinder in nissan sunny 2005 these are working fine till date from maxillary line tibbet centre. They will remove your shocks to get a perfect impression on clay and than form a space exactly of the same head as of your shock.

[Racerf1]

I do not recommend using metal spacers at all. I actually do not recommend spacers at all, it is better to change springs to more heavy duty then spacers. The ride will be better handling will be improved too.

[trojan]

@Racer1
I have installed rear spring on my coure cng ..as the height is raised up from the rear , i dont feel the ride smooth ..u can say its just a bumpy ride.

[RANASAHAB]

ahmedbilla is rite

[Racerf1]

@Trojan
Empty car will have rougher ride compared to the factory springs but once loaded you will be thanking your self for the selection and plus hard ride means you have better cornering handling control over the vehicle now then before.

[GtiR]

@Racerf1...Ashfaq bhai iam using spacers in my Baleno as well as Corolla 2D and previously in my Nissan 2D B14, and they work pretty good so far no handling problems faced and other mentioned above i think it also depends on how big the spacers are

[xain]

@RacerF1
You have very beautifully discussed how we can check if the shocks are worn out or not.
My question is that how can we check if the spring are fine or they are also worn out.

[shariq6104]

hmmm go to a good mechanic he will certainly tell u

[xain]

@Shariq
If I have to ask the mechanics I wont be wasting my time on this forum.
This site is a sort of Encyclopedia for all of your car issues.

[Storm]

springs sag over time you can usually tell if they are worn by checking the ride height of the car and the conditino of the coils.

Shocks wear out and that has already been explained by F1.

I'm not a huge fan of spacers but it seems that it is the easiest solution in PK, personally i'd either fit heavy duty springs & shocks or use sprng pads (standard on Land rovers and MB's). My vitz used to bottom out alot when i got it but since i changed the suspension it stays level and the ride has greatly improved.

In anideal world you could get the spring rates checked on a test bench which applies force to the springs but i have never heard of such a toll in PK so i guess there woudl not be a definite method for making sure that the springs in your car are the correct rating for your application, over here it's a matter of finding a set which fit the recesses in your car (but are longer than OEM parts) and just fitting them to the car JUST to get it to ride higher up.

Just rememebr that by raising the cars height you are killing the stability and driving dynamics of the car. Best example is the PK rolla, it is higher than the rest of the world models and subsequently is unstable at high speeds and has a horrible weight transfer under hard braking.