• Driver's personal preference or interpretation
• Shock absorber out of specification
• Incorrect shock absorber fitted
• Incorrect spring fitted

Advice

• Have car driver by installer
• Check and replace shock absorbers or springs as necessary
• Drive the car a few kilometers to allow suspension to settle

2. Ride too soft

Cause

• Defective shock absorber
• Driver's personal preference or interpretation
• Worn internal components
• Weak springs
• Incorrect showk absorber fitted

Advice

• Check and replace shock absorbers or springs as necessary

3. Poor roadholding

Cause

• Wheel alignment not checked after shock absorber replacement
• Imbalance caused by mismatched shock absorbers.

Advice

• Always replace shock absorbers in pairs or, ideally, all four
• Always check wheel alignment after replacing shock absorbers.

4. Sagging

Cause

• Broken or fatigued springs
• Wrong shock absorber installed—especially if shock absorbers have different spring seat heights
• Original Nivomat system replaced by conventional shock absorbers without adapter springs
• Seized shock absorber.

Advice

• Replace or add correct springs
• Replace shock absorber if seized.

5. Irregular and increased tyre wear

Cause

• Incorrect tyre pressure
• Incorrect wheel alignment
• Poor or asymmetric braking
• Shock absorber damping too soft
• Worn shock absorbers
• Personal driving style—too aggressive, sporty.

Advice

• Check and adjust tire pressure
• Correct wheel alignment
• Check mileage—shock absorbers may need replacing.

6. Car higher than before

Cause

• Incorrect springs fitted
• Incorrect shock absorbers fitted—e.g. wrong spring seat height
• Seized shock absorber.

Advice

• Replace shock absorbers or springs as necessary.

7. Noise

Cause

• Loose dirt shield
• Worn out mounting parts
• Poorly installed shocks
• Leaking or worn out shock absorbers
• Incorrect mounting parts used
• General suspension or suspension components worn
• Noise sensitive vehicle—especially hatchbacks.

Advice

• Check for correct installation
• Replace shock absorbers and/or mounting parts if necessary
• Check other suspension components.

8. Bad test machine result

Cause

• Results difficult to compare and interpret
• Test influenced by tyre pressure, etc.

Advice

• Shock absorbers can only be properly tested off the car on a dedicated shock absorber tester
• A suspension tester alone cannot determine a shock absorber failure, it can only be an indication.

9. Steering wheel vibration

Cause

• Wheels poorly balanced or aligned
• Unevenly worn brakes or brake disks
• Worn out steering damper
• Poorly fitted shock absorber.

Advice

• Replace worn out parts
• Check shock absorber installation.

B. Off the vehicle

1. Shock absorbers longer or shorter than original units

Cause

• Incorrect choice of shock absorber from catalogue
• Original and replacement shock absorbers can be of different design (aftermarket shocks have standardized lengths).

Advice

• Follow the catalogue recommendation.

2. Mounting parts are different from original

Cause

• In general, original and aftermarket parts are seldom identical; they are always equivalent
• Incorrect catalogue selection

Advice

• If correctly selected from the catalogue, no problem should arise.

3. Bushing quality

Cause

• Incorrect shock absorber mounting
• Bushing worn due to friction caused by loose nut
• Over-tightened nut resulting in a bulging bushing
• Worn out bushing.

Advice

• Replace bushings or shock absorbers if necessary.

4. Oil leakage

Cause

• Shock absorber rod damaged during installation
• Damaged dirt shield
• Shock absorber installed without a dirt shield
• Car driven in a dusty environment
• Worn seal
• Badly welded shock absorber
• Damaged shock absorber tube
• Seal damaged by rusty piston rod.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

5. Stem, loop or piston rod bent or broken

Cause

• Incorrect installation
• Misuse of vehicle (e.g. minor accident, driving over pavement etc.)
• Badly welded stem or loop
• General material fatigue
• Over-tightened piston rod nut.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

6. No gas in Gas-Matic shock absorber

Cause

• Gas leakage (damaged seal)
• Oil leakage in gas shock absorber results in lower gas pressure
• Gas omitted in production.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

7. Dirt shield problems

Cause

• Damage, rust, cracks, tears
• Dirt shield missing
• Belling or rattle noise due to loose dirt shield.

Advice

• Replace dirt shield or shock absorber.

8. Parts missing in package

Cause

• Packaging error.

Advice

• Order a new parts package
• Cartridges: check Monroe main catalogue to confirm all listed parts are present or missing.

9. Visual errors

Cause

• Production error
• Wrong selection from catalogue.

Advice

• Seek advice from supplier
• Check part number on product.

10. Ride-Leveler leaking

Cause

• Air membrane punctured due to incorrect shock absorber fitting (incorrect use of tools)
• Poor air line connection
• Damage caused by replacement of other vehicle components (e.g. exhaust)
• Defective air gauge.

Advice

• Always carefully read instruction sheet when mounting Ride-Levelers
• Always use the correct tools
• Only finger-tighten air line connectors
• Replace punctured shock absorber.

11. Free stroke

Cause

• Insufficient oil resulting in knocking and poor performance
• Loose piston nut.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

12. Monotube poor performance

Cause

• In general, all causes mentioned before (see above)
• Broken floating piston
• Gas pressure too high resulting in knocking and/or insufficient compression travel.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

13. Rusted shock

Cause

• Length of use
• Atmospheric conditions (acidity)
• Poor quality chrome plating (older shock absorbers).

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

14. Bent shock

Cause

• Accident
• Wrong shock absorber
• Poor installation.

Advice

• Replace shock absorber.

15. Dents on shock absorber body

Cause

• Incorrect treatment of the shock absorber (knocked, dropped)
• Accident
• Stone damage due to driving on bad roads.

Advice

• Treat shock absorbers appropriately
• Replace if functioning improperly.

16. Defective cartridge

Cause

• Poor fitting (no oil in strut, no centering cap, locking ring incorrectly tightened) resulting in marks on shock absorber body and stem.

Advice

• Always pour some oil into the empty strut before inserting the new cartridge
• Always use correct parts (centering cap…) and tighten locking ring securely.