GMC Acadia Shocks and Struts
A vehicle needs a way to smooth out the ride and improve control for the driver. Shocks and struts on an Acadia can do just that. They are components that may need to be replaced as they take a lot of impact over time.
What does a shock absorber do for an Acadia?A shock absorber can keep your Acadia from bouncing, giving you a smoother ride and better handling. This can be felt during acceleration when turning and when you put on the brakes. The shock has either a coil spring, leaf spring, air spring, or torsion bar that allows it to absorb the impact from the up and down motion created while driving.
- Monotube: This has an area for fluid, where the piston and shaft are located, and a gas chamber. The floating piston can move depending on the internal pressure.
- Twin tube: These have two cylinders. The inner one is where the piston and shaft travel up and down, and the outer one is the reservoir where the hydraulic fluid sits. There are gas shocks with this design that use nitrogen instead of oxygen in the cylinders.
Struts are structural parts of the suspension system on a vehicle, and theyre mounted directly to the chassis. There are different types of struts, all of which dampen the vertical bouncing and provide side-to-side stability.
- MacPherson-style strut assembly: The strut has a coil spring and dampening element, and its part of the vehicles steering system.
- Gas struts: These parts use both oil and gas to improve performance and reduce foaming.
- Pneumatic assembly: These parts use oil to create pressure internally, which can dampen the shock.
It can be difficult to set a time frame for when you need to replace shocks or struts on a GMC Acadia. It could depend on mileage, road conditions, driving style, and other factors related to your suspension. Below are some signs that could indicate that your vehicle could use a new suspension.
- Bottoming out on rough roads or when backing up
- Experiencing a bouncy ride
- Uneven handling and rocking of the vehicle when taking tight corners or driving in strong crosswinds
- Noticing that your tires are cupped or scalloped instead of having an even tread pattern
- Shaking of tires after going over bumps
- Leaking hydraulic fluid
- Remember that each wheel on a vehicle will either have a shock or a strut. Near your Acadias front tires, youll likely find struts, and you may have shocks on the rear wheels. One individual wheel will never have both a shock and a strut even though it seems as if the two terms are used interchangeably.
- Its recommended that your shocks or struts be replaced in pairs. This is because the wear rates should be similar between left and right components, and youll need similar-performing suspension parts for enhanced control.