Post: How do shock absorbers work?

Shock absorbers provide a comfortable ride. Without shock absorbers, every stone and every pothole would hit the car hard and hurt you. Every time the car loses grip in a sharp turn, the shock absorbers make sure your vehicle stays grounded and sticks to the road.
Shock absorbers make sure the wheels can bounce up and down within certain limits without the car following. Stabilizer bars transfer power to the wheels when turning to compensate for over- or under-steering.
Shock absorbers do not have a specific mileage limit as it depends on the quality of the road you drive on. The bumpier the road, the more wear and tear it will cause.
If your vehicle flies across the road when turning or it vibrates every time it goes over a small bump, you need to replace your shock absorbers or at least have them checked by a mechanic.
How to tell if your shock absorbers are faulty
There are some obvious signs that your shock absorbers are faulty. You can test most of them yourself and find out if they need repair. Simply sit in the front or back of the car and then stand up again. The car should move down gently and then smoothly return to the starting position. The action should not be uneven and not too fast. Another way to have the same effect is to push the car down from all four corners a few times. Again, it should move up and down smoothly and return to the same position.
If the car “wobbles” when you gently turn the steering wheel, and it feels like the car is shaking from side to side, even when you are driving with a smooth turning motion, you should check it out. When you drive over a pothole or bump, the car has no suspension and is bouncing violently up and down or vice versa. If the suspension is defective, you will usually hear a knocking sound when the car hits the pothole or bump. If the vehicle drives over a pothole or bump, the vehicle will shake for a few seconds instead of settling immediately. If you look under the wing, or crawl under the car, you will see rusty parts on the piston. The piston is usually wrapped in rubber, which makes it harder to see.