To inspect your shocks and struts to gauge wear, check for:
- Brakes
- Tie rods
- Ball joints
- Tires
- Leaking oil or wetness along the body of the shock or strut.
- Broken mounts, worn or missing bushings.
- Broken, damaged, or missing mounting hardware.
- Severely dented reservoir tube, bent or scratched piston rod.
- Cupped tire wear.
- Damaged strut body springs, seats, and bushings.
- Defective strut bearing or missing plate.
Uneven patches of wear on the edges of your tire can be a sign of weak ride control (shocks or struts). This wear, called cupping, appears as scalloped dips around the surface of the tread. Other signs it could be time to replace your shocks or struts include:
- There is excessive nose dive while braking
- Your vehicle has 'acceleration squat'
- Your vehicle does not return to a neutral position
- Your steering pulls
- There is a strut mount or bearing noise
- Your ride is harsh, bumpy or shaky
- Your vehicle bounces excessively
- Your vehicle veers in side winds
- Your vehicle leans or sways while turning
- Your vehicle bounces excessively after hitting a bump
- Your vehicle bottoms out
- If your vehicle's height seems lower than normal when measured
- If you notice fluid leakage from your vehicle's shocks or struts
- If your vehicle's shocks or struts have dented or heavily scratched housings or mounts

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