Q&A for How to Check Shock Absorbers

Shocks are pretty straightforward compared to their counterparts, which are struts. They're usually separate from the coil springs, so they don't require much disassembly except for them to be removed from the vehicle and the suspension. So, it's usually the top mount and the lower mount that need to be disconnected. Sometimes, on certain cars (more modern-day vehicles), there's some paneling that needs to be removed to gain access.

That sounds like a bad strut or improperly installed strut. You need to take the car to a mechanic, unless you can do the repair yourself.

A shock absorber works with the suspension springs: The springs let the wheel bounce up and down for a smooth ride. The shock absorber quickly stops the bouncing to return the vehicle to a level and stable position and keep the wheel on the road. The usual way to test a shock absorber is to push down on a corner of the vehicle a few times to get it to bounce and then stop pushing and see how much it continues to bounce before stopping. A good shock absorber should stop the bouncing right away. If it bounces several times then the shock absorber is considerably worn.

Make sure they aren't leaking, and make sure that they have proper bounce. You should be able to compress them by hand, but not all the way unless you press like crazy, and they should bounce back within a couple of seconds.

Any self-respecting parts dealer or shop should be able to tell you which part fits your car if you provide your make, model, body and engine type.