When you think of suspension issues bothering your car, you can often trace back the problem to a leaking front strut. A leaking strut at the front points to suspension issues.
As a driver, you would be willing to know the intensity of the issue. So, we have discussed how dangerous leaking struts are in this article. Accordingly, you can get the component replaced. Thankfully, addressing a leaking front strut would be simple enough.
Are leaking struts dangerous?
Well, driving with a leaking front strut can be dangerous. This explains why automobile mechanics advise car owners to get the parts replaced as soon as they detect signs of wear.
With bad struts in your car, the stopping distance would increase. You would experience this particularly when you navigate through slippery or wet roads.
So, you can’t do away with the potential chances of an accident. To understand how dangerous leaking struts can be for your vehicle, we have discussed the common symptoms of these problems.
Can You Drive a Car with Leaking Struts?
Although one can technically drive with leaking struts, doing so would be blatantly dangerous. So, you need to fix the issue at the earliest.
Remember, the function of the strut is to absorb the bounce of the vehicle while it traverses through uneven roads. Besides, the struts in your car keep the alignment and steering of your car perfect. So, it wouldn’t be wise to compromise your ride quality with leaking or damaged struts.
How long can I drive on leaking shocks?
Considering the risk that driving with leaking shocks and struts comes with, you should try to replace them at the earliest. However, you might not have an automobile repair center close by.
Some owners have shared their experiences, which reveal that you shouldn’t pick up excessive speed with damaged shocks in your car.
One of the drivers managed to navigate the vehicle safely for 400 miles before he could get the component replaced. So, you should try to replace a leaking struct or shock quickly before it leads to graver issues in your car.
What happens if your struts are leaking?
In case you have leaking struts in your car, you would experience uncomfortable rides. To make the drives worse, you would lose control of the car due to several issues.
- While driving on highways, you would notice an instability in speeds. You would never get the feeling that the car is stable. It would be moving up and down constantly, and the bouncy ride would be evident.
- While turning your vehicle, it would tip to one side. Particularly, when you take a sharp turn, the car would lean outside. You wouldn’t like wobbly turns when you drive your car.
- During hard braking, you would notice the front side of your car diving more severely than you would expect.
- While accelerating, the rear end would squat. The front side of your car would rise, leading to poor control of the vehicle.
- Excessive bouncing of tires is one of the other signs that point to leaking struts. The tire would react or keep bouncing for a while. Besides, some drivers complain of hearing a clunking sound.
- The tire wear might bother you, which would be unusual. This happens because there wouldn’t be a firm grip of the tire to the road. Besides, the treat would wear off in a wavy pattern.
- With a leaking strut in your car, you would also notice fluid leaking on the exterior of structs and shocks. This implies that you have broken seals, and the internal fluids are escaping through the gaps.
Do leaking struts need to be replaced?
It’s imperative to replace damaged or leaking struts in your car immediately. When you continue to drive with damaged struts, it would make the ride dangerous and uncomfortable.
Besides, the damage doesn’t remain restricted only to the struts. You would notice the tires starting to wear unevenly pretty soon.
Besides, it would be challenging to retain the contact between the road surface and your tires. As a result, your car would be susceptible to accidents, as it can slide or roll off the path.
How much does it cost to fix a leaking strut?
Car owners need to shell out anything between $150 and $300 for an individual strut assembly. For a pair, you need to factor in a labor charge, which might range between $100 and $300.
Some automobile owners prefer only to replace the struts rather than the entire assembly. This way, you can save around $40 to $80. However, replacing the complete assembly would give you a more holistic and lasting solution.
Conclusion
The key function of struts in your car is to ensure stable movements in the vehicle. These components enhance the functional capabilities of your suspension system.
Eventually, when you brake, accelerate, or turn your car, it would be more stable on uneven surfaces.
In most modern vehicles, you would come across struts, shocks, or a combined operational mechanism of these components. Now that you know that driving with leaking struts can be dangerous, make sure to get them replaced at the right time.
