ATV shock absorbers work crazy-hard, especially if you drive your rig crazy-hard. They gradually lose effectiveness and eventually need to be rebuilt or replaced. Here’s how to tell if your shock absorbers are no longer doing their job.
If the time has come, we have your new shock absorbers at Honda Parts Direct in Palestine, Texas. We ship Honda parts worldwide, plus we offer free pickup to customers who live nearby in places like Dallas and Houston.
There are two basic ways to evaluate your shock absorbers: By how they feel and by how they look.
How Do Worn Shocks Feel? Sensory Indications Your ATV Shocks Are Bad
One challenge about noticing that your shocks have gone bad: it takes place gradually, so it’s easy to not notice. If you hop on another ATV with fresh new shocks, it might make it easier for you to notice the contrast when you hop back on your own quad.
Here are indications that your ATV shocks are bad:
- Give the front or back of your ATV a hard downward shove. It should stop bouncing after a single rebound.
- Excessive bouncing on bumpy, rough terrain indicates a problem. If impacts tend to jolt you off your seat, you need new shocks, especially if this happens when the trail isn’t too rough.
- Handlebar shaking while driving indicates problems. When this happens, also check: wheel alignment, tie rod, and tire pressure. If these check out and the handlebars shake while driving on a smooth road, you’ve probably got bad shocks.
- Slow braking or nose-diving while braking. Drive your ATV on a smooth road and hit the brakes. If you feel the chassis of your quad fall forward, nosedive, or bounce right before stopping, your front shocks are bad.
- If you accelerate in reverse on a smooth road and the weight of your four-wheeler shifts backward, nosedives backward, or bounces, your rear shocks are bad. Likewise, drive your rig in reverse and hit the brakes, noticing whether you experience the bounce or dive.
- If your ATV delivers excessive body rolls around a turn on either side or if the quad’s body rolls towards one side while driving on a windy day, you have bad shocks on one side.
How Do Worn Shocks Look? Visual Indications Your ATV Shocks Are Bad
Here are visual indications that your ATV shocks are bad:
- Look for oil leaking from the shock absorber
- Is there rust or a dent on the shock absorber body? This may inhibit the movement of the piston inside, in which case your shock is bad.
- Check for leaking nitrogen gas from the shock. Spray soapy water on the seals. If you see bubbles, you need to mend the seals or replace the shock absorber.
- Are your tires deteriorating quickly? Bad shocks wear out tires faster.
- Are your springs broken or damaged? This is probably due to bad shocks.
As you can see from these last few points, it’s important that your shock absorbers do their job, both for your comfort and safety, and to prevent premature wear of tires and springs.
Reach out to Honda Parts Direct for all your shock absorber needs! We’re in Palestine, Texas, and we ship everywhere.