Delphi recommends replacing shock absorbers in pairs
As part of its technician-focused “around the wheel” communications campaign for a quality repair, Delphi is advising technicians to help ensure a quality shock-absorber repair by replacing shocks in pairs rather than replacing only the failed part.
This advice is part of Delphi’s six training courses for beginners-to-advanced technicians. The courses demonstrate the importance of diagnosis and repair for complete steering and suspension systems, including shock absorbers and braking components.
The campaign specifically focuses on the importance of replacing safety-critical parts, such as shock absorbers, in pairs to help eliminate the risk of future failure, as it’s likely that if one shock fails due to wear and tear, the sister component may also fail soon. Delphi shocks-specific training courses include Essential Chassis Technology and Advanced Chassis Control.
“With more than 60 years of steering and suspension experience, Delphi’s ‘replace in pairs’ best practices can also help reduce service time and increase garage turnover efficiencies,” said Gaël Escribe, vice president, independent aftermarket, Delphi Product & Service Solutions, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “This campaign is an ongoing initiative to deliver relevant content and service solutions to our customers to help make their jobs easier, as well as communicate we have a complete integrated chassis control system.”
By changing shock absorbers individually, vehicle handling and security could be compromised. An unstable axle can reduce contact between the tyre and the road, leading to uneven tyre wear, “pitching” of the car and making turns more difficult to control. The damping force of a shock absorber also affects the weight transfer in roll and pitch rates when braking or cornering, confirming the importance of having two shock absorbers with the same damping force.
The vehicle’s braking distance can also be increased with an unstable axle. As a consequence, the vehicle may have difficulty stopping once braking is activated. Travelling at a speed of 80km/h with one new and one worn shock absorber in the same axle, braking distance is likely to be increased by 2.6 metres. With two newly fitted shock absorbers, the car’s stopping distance is about 37.80 meters vs. 43.60 meters for a vehicle where only one shock absorber has been replaced.
Additionally, to help ensure a quality repair, Delphi engineers recommend replacing not only shock absorbers, but all related components in pairs, including the top mount kit, protection and coil springs. Delphi also helps make the repair process easier for technicians by allowing these parts to be purchased in pairs. Delphi shock absorbers are developed to OE standards for performance and quality undergoing endurance testing to two million cycles. Features include Teflon technology and other high-quality materials which ensure the product meets the exact OE specifications.
With more than 95 percent carparc coverage, Delphi offers two series of shock absorbers:
Delphi Comfort Series: Twintube technology, used by most OEMs for more than 90 percent car parc, has a reservoir tube which protects the cylinder from external damages and improves control of lateral movement.
Delphi Performance Series: Available with twintube and monotube technologies, the performance series use pressurized gas to deliver more precise valving and setting, as well as superior heat resistance for off-road, medium-size and premium cars. The monotube technology, designed specifically for off-road and luxury car applications, offers superior reaction time under all road conditions.