Inspection (Checking By Hand)

A shock absorber that has been removed from the vehicle can be checked by hand as follows:

• Compress shock absorber by hand. The piston rod must move evenly and smoothly over the entire stroke.
• Release the piston rod. For shock absorbers with sufficient gas pressure, piston rod returns to initial position on its own.

If this is not the case, the shock absorber does not necessarily have to be replaced. As long as a large amount of oil has not escaped, the shock will continue to function same as a conventional shock absorber. The shock absorption function is fully present without gas charge as long as a large amount of oil has not escaped. However noisy operation can worsen.