Fluid in struts?


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Old 06-08-05, 09:02 AM
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Question Fluid in struts?

Dumb question #1. Do shocks/struts have any fluid in them or are they filled with air? #2. If filled with fluid, what fluid is normally used? Would it be petroleum based? Would the strut eventually leak such fluid if old and worn enough? Thanks for any and all insight.....
fishkat
 
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Old 06-08-05, 09:31 AM
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Not a dumb question...
Usually they are filled with petroleum-based fluid and can leak over time
I just had to replace the worn-out leaky struts on a vehicle of mine

They can get pretty fancy
The new Corvettes actually have metal bits in the fluid, and when a magnetic field is applied, the fluid changes viscosity, and the suspension actually changes it's feel
But it's still fluid in there

A good link to howstuffworks.com on shocks:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension5.htm
 

Last edited by slickshift; 06-08-05 at 10:24 AM.
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Old 02-27-07, 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by fishkat
Dumb question #1. Do shocks/struts have any fluid in them or are they filled with air? #2. If filled with fluid, what fluid is normally used? Would it be petroleum based? Would the strut eventually leak such fluid if old and worn enough? Thanks for any and all insight.....
fishkat
Yes shocks/struts have fluid in them its called oil, not your normal oil but alot thinner.Some have oil and nitrogen these are called gas hydrylic shocks.
Also some models that have replaceable strut inserts have antifreeze around the insert to keep them cool. it sounds strange but shocks and struts get very hot. On ralley cars, paint actually will burn off the shock.
Yes shocks and struts do wear out usually around 50-70k depending on driving conditions.
 
 

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