Search accesories
Search tires
Brand
Price
Fabricante
Shock Absorbers
Shock absorbers, replacement and performance: over 7,500 Bilstein references with equivalents for the standard size, plus firmer damper rates for sport use.
Filter by make and model to see the shock absorbers for your car, and consider renewing them alongside springs and suspension bushes.
When to change your shock absorbers
The damper does not hold the car up — the spring does that — it controls the spring's movement. As it loses hydraulic capability the tyre stops following the road accurately, and that lengthens braking distances even while the car still feels comfortable.
Signs worth acting on: the car bounces more than once over a speed bump, the body rolls in corners, tyres show flat-spotted uneven wear, or there is oil on the damper body. From around 50,000 to 60,000 miles they are worth checking even with no obvious symptom.
Replacement or performance
- Equivalent replacement. Reproduces the original rate. This is the choice when you want the car back to how it left the factory.
- Firmer rate. Cuts body roll and improves grip while keeping standard ride height. The most common middle step.
- Matched with springs. Damper and spring engineered to work together, with a lower ride height than standard.
Pairing a firm damper with a very soft standard spring, or the reverse, usually gives a worse result than leaving everything original.
Always by axle
Shock absorbers are replaced in pairs: both fronts or both rears. A new one next to a worn one unbalances the axle and makes the car respond differently left to right, which is most obvious under braking and in quick direction changes.
It is also worth inspecting the top mounts and bump stops while the strut is out. They are inexpensive, they age at the same rate, and reaching them again means repeating the whole job.
Frequently asked questions
How long do shock absorbers last?
There is no single figure: it depends on road surface, the load usually carried and how the car is driven. Periodic inspection from around 50,000 miles is more reliable than any theoretical mileage.
Do all four have to be done at once?
Not necessarily, but complete axles do. If all four are the same age, renewing them together is the usual approach.
Should the springs be changed at the same time?
Not always, but if a spring has settled, or you are moving to a different damper rate, the matched set is the coherent choice.
Is alignment needed afterwards?
Yes, whenever a suspension component is removed. The geometry moves, and alignment afterwards prevents uneven tyre wear.