Magazine for the professional tire industry
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are looking for solutions to how they can save. Tey can't drive less. Tey can't aford a new car. You can help make the one they have last longer and be more efcient to operate." Many shops encourage customer visits via spring car care promotions. Others host free car care clinics to promote seasonal maintenance. Te Car Care Council sponsors National Car Care Month every April to encourage motorists to take an active role in maintaining their vehicles. White says community car care events that feature free vehicle checkups or inspections are central to National Car Care Month. "While consumers don't like mandatory state safety and emissions inspections, they love these free checkups. Tey are educational, promote good will in the community, and are a great way for tire dealerships to identify additional repair opportunities." Preventive versus wearing out Although routine maintenance schedules include inspections of a car's steering and suspension system, shocks and struts are not preventive maintenance items like fuid changes or flters, according to Mac McGovern, director of marketing and training for KYB Americas Corp. "It's important to recognize that shocks and struts, like tires, are "wear" maintenance items, i.e., parts that the motorist can choose to replace if the performance of that part no longer meets their needs." McGovern points out that most vehicles use twin tube shocks or struts with mechanical, disc style, hydraulic valves. A typical valve disc will open or close about 75 million times in 50,000 miles. Tese metal discs fatigue, and the shock or strut gradually loses its damping capabilities. "The motorist will begin to experience this wear even before 50,000 miles as harshness, excessive road feel and overall vehicle noise. Tis occurs because as valve discs wear they allow more tire and suspension movement. Tose extra harsh movements then travel through the body and dash and can be felt by the driver. "Tat same wear and extra movement affects tire performance, stopping www.moderntiredealer.com distance, steering response and driver comfort," says McGovern. "Estimates are that 50% worn shocks can reduce braking ability by as much as 23% and add six to 10 feet of stopping distance at 30 to 50 mph. Shocks and struts continue to work afer 50,000 miles, and in most cases don't completely fail unless they develop a leak. "Suggesting replacements is more an issue of seting performance goals. If your goal is vehicle-designed handling, control and stability, we suggest replacing them afer 50,000 miles." Sell the safety "Yes, there are monetary savings and certainly there are safety issues if the tires and vehicle aren't being controlled within their design," says McGovern. "Te additional, un-resisted movements that worn shocks and struts cause will shake, ratle and roll virtually every part on the vehicle. Tires wear more rapidly, the front brakes have to work harder, the suspension could feel two or three times more impact. "Te vehicle will prematurely feel old and many people then blame the vehicle manufacturer and move on to another one when they could have invested in new shocks and struts and stayed satisfed years longer." According to the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP), many ride control units degrade measurably by 50,000 miles, depending on a variety of factors. "Shocks and struts are hidden behind the wheels, so their condition isn't as easy to see, and drivers tend to miss the gradual loss of steering, stopping and stability that occurs as they wear out," says Carri Irby, brand manager for Monroe shocks and struts manufacturer Tenneco Inc. "So it's important to have the vehicle's ride control system inspected at least once a year and to replace worn shocks and struts at 50,000 miles." Shocks and struts are part of a system of interrelated undercar components known as the "Safety Triangle." Other elements of this system are the tires and chassis parts, such as ball joints and tie rod ends. "When any of these parts is worn, the entire system can be Quik-Link: 800-687-1557 ext. 13119 43