Cadillac Shock Absorber and Strut Assembly

Without the suspension system, the ride in your Cadillac would be very rough. Integral to the functioning of the system are the Cadillac shocks. They help the springs to absorb the initial shock as an uneven spot is hit in the road, and they help to slow the motion of the suspension down. These actions help to make the ride comfortable, but another job of the Cadillac shocks is to make the ride safe as well. They help to keep the tires in contact with the ground at all times. With the correct amount of pressure on the ground, the tires will be less likely to slip out of control when accelerating, braking, or turning a corner. The Cadillac shocks also ensure that the wheels can always transfer the power to the ground, which helps in the overall fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Using two chambers in each filled with hydraulic oil, the Cadillac shocks alternately compress each of the chambers until they are back in balance, and that is when the motion of the suspension stops. After many years, you may notice that your vehicle seems to bounce more as it goes over bumps. This could indicate that the Cadillac shocks are nearing failure, and that they should be replaced. We carry the standard Cadillac shocks, for almost any vehicle, in our large online catalog, usually at a much lower price than what the dealership would charge for the similar parts. They are manufactured to the same quality standards, and will provide excellent service for years. Our Cadillac shocks can easily be ordered through our secure web site at any time or by phone, toll-free.

Whenever your beloved Cadillac runs smoothly on pothole-marked or cracked roads with no asphalt on them, you have your strut assembly and shock absorbers to thank for that convenience. These components absorb the bumps and shocks from holes and lumps on the road, even when you're dealing with dirt roads and whatnot. What's the difference between the two? Struts are shock absorbers that are part of your suspension's structure. Shocks are standalone impact dampeners. With that said, here's how you go about troubleshooting issues with your shocks and struts:

Do a car park test or strut and shock test drive.

Once your car starts making strange noises or lurching in ways that it's not supposed to, then you need to check vehicular mileage. There might be wear and tear on your vehicle's struts and shocks when it has reached 20,000 kilometers or more in terms of mileage. Afterwards, check your shock absorbers for their ability to provide resistance to acceleration squat, brake dive, roll or sway, and bounce with a requisite test drive. Take your Caddie for a short parking lot drive as a mini-test of sorts, checking how the car reacts whenever you brake, turn, swerve, and do maneuvers. Does it sway, roll, squat, bounce, or dive? If it did, there might be an issue with your dampeners.

Check for tire wear down.

Among the symptoms that your suspension's shocks and struts aren't up to par are worn-down wheels or tires that have gone "bald" faster than they should. If there are unusual wear patterns on your front and rear tires, particularly uneven tread wear (like cupping), then this is an indication that your shocks and struts have been damaged or compromised. There are also other problems that could happen to your tires indicating dysfunctional shocks and struts such as the presence of nails, dry rot, and ply separation. Check the size and construction type of each tire as well. They should be the same size from side to side plus they should feature the same tread pattern.

Inspect the upper strut mount and shocks.

It's not enough that you check for symptoms of bad strut and shock. You need to take a look at the struts and mounts themselves for good measure. A defective mount for the upper strut tends to make noise, binds steering, or change the position of the upper end of the strut in question, which in turn affects the alignment angles of your wheel. Do a test drive on the road to confirm the symptoms and whether or not a mechanical check is in order. Meanwhile, in terms of shock absorber inspection, it's all about getting your Cadillac to shop and putting the weight on the wheels.

Have a professional take a look at everything.

Have a mechanic take a look at your car to confirm your suspicions of shock and/or strut destruction. It's only at an auto repair shop can you hoist your vehicle up so that you can rotate your steering wheel from stop to stop while listening for binding or noise, which indicates a defective bearing. It's also at the mechanic's garage that you two could inspect the strut mount's rubber portions for separation of the rubber from the steel or the presence of cracks. The repairman will also take note of the strut piston rod's position and notice any change in the mount assembly (prior to making a quote on the repair bill).