{"id":95206,"date":"2023-10-23T21:45:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T04:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=95206"},"modified":"2026-02-11T17:45:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T01:45:42","slug":"how-to-test-shocks-by-hand-safely-and-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-to-test-shocks-by-hand-safely-and-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Test Shocks by Hand Safely and Effectively"},"content":{"rendered":"\nReading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n

Shock absorbers or shocks absorb the force from the springs. Without them, your vehicle would bounce and bob more, making driving more difficult, especially when turning, braking, or accelerating. To avoid that, you must ensure your shocks are always in great shape, and one of the best ways to do that is to test them by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Test Shock Absorbers by Hand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you feel that your vehicle is becoming less stable while driving, there might be something wrong with your shocks. Here’s how to test your car shock absorbers by hand to determine whether it’s time to replace them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Park Your Vehicle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before testing your shock absorbers, park on a flat and even surface far from other vehicles. Your garage is perfect, but if you have to test your shock absorbers while you’re out on, some distance from the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Vehicle’s Balance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After parking, go to your vehicle’s front and check its overall balance. You can tell something’s wrong with your shock absorbers if your vehicle bends or tilts to one side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More often than not, the side of the vehicle that’s lower has a faulty shock absorber<\/a>. If you don’t trust your ability to eyeball it, you use a tape measure to check and compare the two sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test the Shock Absorbers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve confirmed that your vehicle is unbalanced, place your hands on top of the hood’s sides and press your weight down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your vehicle will bounce only once before returning to its former position if its shocks are fully functional. If it bounces several times (thrice or more), your shock absorbers might be faulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This video shows exactly what this looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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