Whats The Lifespan Of Shock Absorbers

[mistaken_ID]

is there a time limit to change shocks? The last i changed shock absorbers was in 2005! Replaced all four with brand new KYB. Just wanted to know whether is there a time line for it!

Tanx in advance!

[harshansenadhir]

is there a time limit to change shocks? The last i changed shock absorbers was in 2005! Replaced all four with brand new KYB. Just wanted to know whether is there a time line for it!

Tanx in advance!

in my experience with vehicles there's no such life of shock absorbers or any spare part for that matter. There were times shocks last for many years and failed within 3 months after the replace. It's not time you should be looking at but the condition of the shocks. Get it checked by an expert to see a replacement is needed

[Sylvi]

is there a time limit to change shocks? The last i changed shock absorbers was in 2005! Replaced all four with brand new KYB. Just wanted to know whether is there a time line for it!

Tanx in advance!

Sir,

I remember the shock absorbers in early 1960s were reconditioned there is still one establishment oldest still existing in out of Colombo on Negambo road and they have branch in Colombo allso used to do repairs I too had got their services which was to my satisfaction. At present the second generation of the founder is doing the said business in a very satisfactory way as I know most used car dealers get their services.

At present there are number of shock absorber testing units are available for entire Vehicle in the city of Colombo and other major towns as far as I know the lifespan of a shock absorber is 20000 km to 25000Km. I do my all four shock absorbers in my Vehicle get tested every three months after 10000 km as mine is new Chinese build duel purpose Vehicle. First I got them tested at just after 10000 Km the were good 60% ok according to Computerized report. At 25000Km when I tested i found one in front was bad and replaced same. other three was 50% OK I did not want to spend money on changing others there after I had tested twice and other three was still in 50% efficient.

To my experience KYB which is freely available for all Vehicles i Srilanka and reasonably coasted are the best in the market.

Wjesinghe.

[Sylvi]

is there a time limit to change shocks? The last i changed shock absorbers was in 2005! Replaced all four with brand new KYB. Just wanted to know whether is there a time line for it!

Tanx in advance!

Sir,

I remember the shock absorbers in early 1960s were reconditioned there is still one establishment oldest still existing in out of Colombo on Negambo road and they have branch in Colombo allso used to do repairs I too had got their services which was to my satisfaction. At present the second generation of the founder is doing the said business in a very satisfactory way as I know most used car dealers get their services.

At present there are number of shock absorber testing units are available for entire Vehicle in the city of Colombo and other major towns as far as I know the lifespan of a shock absorber is 20000 km to 25000Km. I do my all four shock absorbers in my Vehicle get tested every three months after 10000 km as mine is new Chinese build duel purpose Vehicle. First I got them tested at just after 10000 Km they were 60% ok according to Computerized report. At 25000Km when I tested i found one in front was bad and replaced same. other three was 50% OK I did not want to spend money on changing others there after I had tested twice and other three was still in 50% efficient.

To my experience KYB which is freely available for all Vehicles in Srilanka and reasonably coasted are the best in the market.

Wjesinghe.

[rangerover]

I guess it depends on driving styles, roads travelled and quality of shocks used! Getting it checked once or twice a year wouldnt hurt!

[mistaken_ID]

thanx guys! Thought of checking the suspension at ma* cit*! Are they ok or any recommendations?

[Ruslan]

thanx guys! Thought of checking the suspension at ma* cit*! Are they ok or any recommendations?

Just search the forum with Ma* *ity. you'll amazed with the customer satisfaction ..

Edited February 8, 2010 by Ruslan

[mistaken_ID]

Just search the forum with Ma* *ity. you'll amazed with the customer satisfaction ..

hapooo i will never ever step into that place.... just searched the forum and phoned few friends too, really shocked about the negative comments! tanx for the tip

[jaga]

What is the best place to check Shock absorbers please?

[Corolla121]

What is the best place to check Shock absorbers please?

Check with Nalaka @ hide park. But I dont have any experience with them as yet.

[Nilantha]

Check with Nalaka @ hide park. But I dont have any experience with them as yet.

how there charges to check Shock Absorbers?

[Sylvi]

how there charges to check Shock Absorbers?

Re Shock Absorber testing the mentioned work shop is situated at Hyde Park Corner they are Tyre Merchants also.

They have a full package for Wheel balancing Wheel Alignment and Shock absorber testing will cost you with weights for five Wheels around 3000.00 to 4000.00 Rupees as Lead weights for Wheels will be the extra cost.

I got my Shock Absorbers test done they charged me Rupees 1000.00 two months ago.

Mine is a Duel purpose Van so cost may be high I do not Know the charges for a car. Will be all most same they have a computerized machine and give printed report of all four Shock Absorbers do a good job.

Wijesinghe.

[Elvis_Pil]

Nalaka messed up my alignment the one time I tried them out. - that was a few years back.

[Bugatti]

Nalaka messed up my alignment the one time I tried them out. - that was a few years back.

Yeah and they fitted my front shock mounts wrong..! never went there again!!

[Sylvi]

Yeah and they fitted my front shock mounts wrong..! never went there again!!

Re messed up Shock mounts and mistakes done in most of Automobile Service centers is a common thing in the Automobile after market service industry. As Mechanics are inexperienced not trained.

I came across a person had got his Vehicle normal service done in a leading auto detailing station and after few Kilometers one of his rear wheel came out and he was on the road at 7 PM had to spend few hundred rupees and three hours on the road to get that re done as the threads of hub bolts of the rear wheel was damaged could not tighten with the same Wheel nuts.

The reputed auto detailing service station attendants had not tighten all nuts of the four wheels when complain was brought to the owner of the service station next day found even the oil filter too was not changed by the staff but the vehicle owner was billed the service foreman had cleaned the old filer and refitted taken the new filter and sold to a nearby auto parts shop for half the cost shared with other two attendants.

Most service stations owners expand with personal supervention and build a name later they employ supervisors and relax in their office.

Completed jobs the owners of Service centers do not have proper final check ups.

Automobile service center owners are inside Air conditioned cubicles and when the business expand they forget their past.

I found on this Auto lanka Forum number of comments on reputed service centers not keeping to agreed times to deliver Vehicles after Accident repairs and unsatisfactory paint jobs.

Thereby they gets comments like mentioned early even the service centers have equipped with all modern equipments for Automobile after market services.

Due to not employing dedicated supervises and Mechanics for their Bread and Butter.

Today almost all workers in the Automobile service industry work only for Rupees and Cents.

Some Automobile owners also want cheap repairs done.

Wijesinghe.

[shanX]

I came across a person had got his Vehicle normal service done in a leading auto detailing station and after few Kilometers one of his rear wheel came out and he was on the road at 7 PM had to spend few hundred rupees and three hours on the road to get that re done as the threads of hub bolts of the rear wheel was damaged could not tighten with the same Wheel nuts.

The reputed auto detailing service station attendants had not tighten all nuts of the four wheels when complain was brought to the owner of the service station next day found even the oil filter too was not changed by the staff but the vehicle owner was billed the service foreman had cleaned the old filer and refitted taken the new filter and sold to a nearby auto parts shop for half the cost shared with other two attendants.

why not, share names

[Elvis_Pil]

Well IMO its unfair to generalize, to such a degree- needless to say there are places that do, do very good jobs. its best you share the names of these places where you have encounted these 'experiences'- maybe that info will be more hopeful.

Re messed up Shock mounts and mistakes done in most of Automobile Service centers is a common thing in the Automobile after market service industry. As Mechanics are inexperienced not trained.

I came across a person had got his Vehicle normal service done in a leading auto detailing station and after few Kilometers one of his rear wheel came out and he was on the road at 7 PM had to spend few hundred rupees and three hours on the road to get that re done as the threads of hub bolts of the rear wheel was damaged could not tighten with the same Wheel nuts.

The reputed auto detailing service station attendants had not tighten all nuts of the four wheels when complain was brought to the owner of the service station next day found even the oil filter too was not changed by the staff but the vehicle owner was billed the service foreman had cleaned the old filer and refitted taken the new filter and sold to a nearby auto parts shop for half the cost shared with other two attendants.

Most service stations owners expand with personal supervention and build a name later they employ supervisors and relax in their office.

Completed jobs the owners of Service centers do not have proper final check ups.

Automobile service center owners are inside Air conditioned cubicles and when the business expand they forget their past.

I found on this Auto lanka Forum number of comments on reputed service centers not keeping to agreed times to deliver Vehicles after Accident repairs and unsatisfactory paint jobs.

Thereby they gets comments like mentioned early even the service centers have equipped with all modern equipments for Automobile after market services.

Due to not employing dedicated supervises and Mechanics for their Bread and Butter.

Today almost all workers in the Automobile service industry work only for Rupees and Cents.

Some Automobile owners also want cheap repairs done.

Wijesinghe.

[Sylvi]

Well IMO its unfair to generalize, to such a degree- needless to say there are places that do, do very good jobs. its best you share the names of these places where you have en counted these 'experiences'- maybe that info will be more hopeful.

Sir,

There is a point what you mention but it is not done in normal practice in forums can mention good service what a establishment does but it is not correct to expose their places and names.

If any one in the forum can give their Email address to contact to find out any personal automobile problem and request what are the recommended places to get the problem sorted out is the best I can suggest for your comment.

I can expose lot of mistakes done in Automobile industry Repair centers and service stations as I have lot of experience for last 50 years in Automobile after market service industry in Srilanka and other first class country's in West and East.

I do not want to hit any one below the belt in last few years of my life.

Today very few find the correct fault of the problem of a Automobile when a Automobile is taken to a repair center. What the repair center do is change a new part or used part from purchasing from a dealer with out testing the part is necessary to change or not.

Today no one can recondition a part as for last 3 decades we have enough new and used part dealers to cater to the Automobile market.

I can mention one incident which happened in 1969 end. We did not have new car imports one Automobile owner had a car with one Cylinder of his car was damaged and their was a compression leak to the engine block he had driven the car after braking the fan belt due to water boiling excessive heat there was a hair line crack on the block of that particular Cylinder the car was old about 20 years at that time.

He had refaced the head and changed gaskets twice but the trouble was existing there was compression leak into the engine block when the engine starts and water from the radiator comes out he told me I very carefully examined the engine block and filled air into each cylinder by blocking bottom end and top with a Tube valve cover with a Steal plate fitted from using same block bolts at about 60 PSI air started cumming out from one Cylinder fault was detected and Engine block was taken to a leading Re boring Establishment at Colombo and new sleeve was fitted only to that Cylinder. Until the car was sold in early 1980's he ran without any problem.

Specially in Automobile after market service industry my advise to any person is to do a repair center or Service station in a small way with few good dedicated Trained Mechanics and do all finished jobs personal final check up do charge little high so Automobile owners will not complain they will speared to other Automobile owners about the good service of that establishment that do to the automobile service industry by word of mouth.

The others who will expand and advertise lot on Media with lot of staff get into Air condition cubicles will have to face Criticism from the Automobile owners due to the owners staff mistakes. Which they are not doing their part correctly.

Small timers will exist for generations if the are honest.

Wijesinghe.

[Elvis_Pil]

Sir,

There is a point what you mention but it is not done in normal practice in forums can mention good service what a establishment does but it is not correct to expose their places and names.

If any one in the forum can give their Email address to contact to find out any personal automobile problem and request what are the recommended places to get the problem sorted out is the best I can suggest for your comment.

I can expose lot of mistakes done in Automobile industry Repair centers and service stations as I have lot of experience for last 50 years in Automobile after market service industry in Srilanka and other first class country's in West and East.

I do not want to hit any one below the belt in last few years of my life.

Today very few find the correct fault of the problem of a Automobile when a Automobile is taken to a repair center. What the repair center do is change a new part or used part from purchasing from a dealer with out testing the part is necessary to change or not.

Today no one can recondition a part as for last 3 decades we have enough new and used part dealers to cater to the Automobile market.

I can mention one incident which happened in 1969 end. We did not have new car imports one Automobile owner had a car with one Cylinder of his car was damaged and their was a compression leak to the engine block he had driven the car after braking the fan belt due to water boiling excessive heat there was a hair line crack on the block of that particular Cylinder the car was old about 20 years at that time.

He had refaced the head and changed gaskets twice but the trouble was existing there was compression leak into the engine block when the engine starts and water from the radiator comes out he told me I very carefully examined the engine block and filled air into each cylinder by blocking bottom end and top with a Tube valve cover with a Steal plate fitted from using same block bolts at about 60 PSI air started cumming out from one Cylinder fault was detected and Engine block was taken to a leading Re boring Establishment at Colombo and new sleeve was fitted only to that Cylinder. Until the car was sold in early 1980's he ran without any problem.

Specially in Automobile after market service industry my advise to any person is to do a repair center or Service station in a small way with few good dedicated Trained Mechanics and do all finished jobs personal final check up do charge little high so Automobile owners will not complain they will speared to other Automobile owners about the good service of that establishment that do to the automobile service industry by word of mouth.

The others who will expand and advertise lot on Media with lot of staff get into Air condition cubicles will have to face Criticism from the Automobile owners due to the owners staff mistakes. Which they are not doing their part correctly.

Small timers will exist for generations if the are honest.

Wijesinghe.

Last time I checked I was not Knighted- so no 'Sir' reference is required

Yes its all very nice to be nostalgic about the old times, but it serves very little purpose.. times have changed, with the average number of vehicles increasing on the road and the prices being more affordable- it makes more practical sense to replace parts rather than rough it out and trying to repair them- its a sign of the times, 20 years ago you would buy electronics expecting to use it for 10 or more years, today trends are such that you may have replace them in less than 2 years..

Thats life- get used to it! I personally would prefer to spend and replace parts rather than getting some mechanic baas to try and do a cut & paste job- never works in the long run. Small timers will exist only if they change with the times- imagine taking sophisticated hybrid vehicles to these fellows? There is no harm in a big time mechanic staying inside an AC office as you put it- as long as he manages his work force appropriately.

[Sylvi]

Last time I checked I was not Knighted- so no 'Sir' reference is required

Yes its all very nice to be nostalgic about the old times, but it serves very little purpose.. times have changed, with the average number of vehicles increasing on the road and the prices being more affordable- it makes more practical sense to replace parts rather than rough it out and trying to repair them- its a sign of the times, 20 years ago you would buy electronics expecting to use it for 10 or more years, today trends are such that you may have replace them in less than 2 years..

Thats life- get used to it! I personally would prefer to spend and replace parts rather than getting some mechanic baas to try and do a cut & paste job- never works in the long run. Small timers will exist only if they change with the times- imagine taking sophisticated hybrid vehicles to these fellows? There is no harm in a big time mechanic staying inside an AC office as you put it- as long as he manages his work force appropriately.

Sir,

I my self did what you had mentioned to change with times moving my traditional service to another. Yes to all what you had said I agree with you but to day Mechanics few are trained and supervises charge hands do not have all round working experience of automobiles they change unwanted parts of some serviceable units. If you visit with a electrical problem to Auto Electrical repair service center with Alternator problem low charging current when you drive in the night with Head lights on. difficult starting first thing they will do is change brush set and Ball bearings of the unit without checking the charging system with a Ampere and Volt meters. Starter motor or the wiper motor is also same I don't see any of Auto Electrical service centers have test Bench to test Alternator or the load test of a Automobile starter motor I recently had to visit on my subject to a leading Heavy Automobile work shop who deals with Buses and trucks they did not have any testing equipment of above.

I will like to mention M/s, Walker sons work shop which existed in Kollupitiya for more than 60 years had several departments and they were fully equipped to do and test Automobile parts Lucas Electrical department had a Krypton test bench that to test Dynamos and Alternators Magnetos of 1960 era Motor cycles that same machine could do a load test of a starter motor. M/s, Rowlends at Darmapala Mawatha and M/S, Collets in Borella had smiler machines in their Electrical departments. Brake testing meters Tapply to do a test of brakes after brake system Service.

Above said establishments are not existing any more Even Diesel repair departments of above said Establishments had test benches to calibrate Diesel Fuel pumps to correct parameters of different Vehicle pumps and all test charts were displeased in front of the machine so that operator Mechanic can do a perfect repair of the unit which he handles.

Today plenty of Diesel repair centers are available I have heard they all do good work as I do not use Diesel Automobiles I am unable to comment any adverse reports of those Diesel repair Centers.

Today lot of training centers are there to get Mechanics to get them self trained with theory and practical but still they have to be employed in a good automobile Service station to be a perfect on their Specialty.

Please note I mentioned names of reputed Automobile Establishments as they are not existing any more Few experienced Mechanics who were working on those places are still living.

I believe in getting maximum life of a part than relapsing same with a new or used part which still have life time to go on.

Wijesinghe.

[Watchman]

Like elvis says, if you can get a new/used part that works rather than try a slip-shot job why NOT? the day's history lesson is interesting, but times have changed, and things aren't made to last as long as they did in the golden years. Even manufacturer's prefer making thigns in a moduler method so that the replacement job is easier. Most of the time its a simple matter of unclipping the old unit and clipping in the new.

I think it was VVTi (apologies if it was someone else) who was saying that the windsceen cleaning job at your place would have cost 15k when a new glass itself would be 17k... If i was him i'd rather but the new glass than spend 15k on erasing the starches/cracks.. Would you rather spend 350 rupees trying a sew a rip on a shirt or spend 400 and buy an identical new one?

As much as we appreciate the stories, there are better and more convenient ways of fixing problems on cars, and if you CAN get this option, we all will.

[harshansenadhir]

Like elvis says, if you can get a new/used part that works rather than try a slip-shot job why NOT? the day's history lesson is interesting, but times have changed, and things aren't made to last as long as they did in the golden years. Even manufacturer's prefer making thigns in a moduler method so that the replacement job is easier. Most of the time its a simple matter of unclipping the old unit and clipping in the new.

I think it was VVTi (apologies if it was someone else) who was saying that the windsceen cleaning job at your place would have cost 15k when a new glass itself would be 17k... If i was him i'd rather but the new glass than spend 15k on erasing the starches/cracks.. Would you rather spend 350 rupees trying a sew a rip on a shirt or spend 400 and buy an identical new one?

As much as we appreciate the stories, there are better and more convenient ways of fixing problems on cars, and if you CAN get this option, we all will.

amen to that, time has changed, business models have changed, technology has changed. Most of equipments can't be repaired as oppose to golden days. Tried to repair one of auxiliary fans of 406 and found out all you can do is replace brushes nothing beyond that coz all other shafts, bearings were sealed as you can't open it up.

[jaga]

amen to that, time has changed, business models have changed, technology has changed. Most of equipments can't be repaired as oppose to golden days. Tried to repair one of auxiliary fans of 406 and found out all you can do is replace brushes nothing beyond that coz all other shafts, bearings were sealed as you can't open it up.

Not only 406 all most every make after 2000 are same. Now servicable componants are limited . But what Mr. wijesinghe has mentioned is some time un neccesary parts are replaced rather than addressing to the right problem with out checking.

[GTAm]

I am surprised at how soon shocks seem to wear out - 20,00km??. On my last Alfa 156 we replaced the originals only at 80,000kms. The suspension was attended to many times during this mileage to replace bushes, ball joints etc. But not until that mileage did we find the dampers with low pressure.

On my current car the previous owner had replaced them at a similar mileage and now with 125k on the clock they are still perfect!

Also if the rest of your suspension is ok it's not too hard to tell if your dampers are gone when cornering the car a little fast. You'll feel a nervousness or quivering from the end where the dampers are weak.

Another of "my" tests are to drive on speed bumps. If dampers are weak you'll feel the car bouncing and shaking. If they are firm you only feel the vertical moment once up and down.

[Sylvi]

All list members,

I said Shock absorbers are 20000 Km or 25000 Km that is according to Srilankan roads not the west or Developed country's roads.

I have seen in developed country's roads were developed improved much before what srilanka started to do.

If i am writing wrong information I will withdraw my message with a apology to all all list members.

This is purely my experience in the last fifty years of Motor vehicle driving experience in Srilanka.

Opinions differ.

New methods were used to pave roads with new technologys roads for last 25 years had improved lot.

Not like I remember in 1950's roads in Srilanka.

I am a old school person a driver could not drive more than 20 MPH during 1950's without a discomfort who traveled on the vehicle they traveled.

It is left for members on the list to decide I am correct or not.

I remember Galle Road was the first to use Barber Green Machines by Colombo Municipality in early 1950's to carpet Road.

If my memory is correct first to use Asphalt carpet in Srilanka was from starting Galle face hotel to Colombo St Peters College end Wellawatha Canal in Srilanka.

I do not want to blow my trumpet as I have been in Automobile After market service Industry for more than 50 Years can Remember all developments in Automobile industry in Srilanka living in Colombo 00300. for last 67 years.

Can remember first old Crock Rally organized by Tucker's Automobile Ltd in Colombo 00200 In 1950's early part.

Regards,

Wijesinghe.