I'm sure you've probably heard this before. "Your shocks and/or struts are blown and need replacing." Some astronomical price is quoted and you immediately ask yourself, "How important are these things -- do I really need to replace them?" These are good questions that deserve attention.

First of all, it is important to note that not all vehicles have both shocks and struts. Some have just struts and some vehicles have only shocks. Shocks are part of the overall suspension, and a strut is a complete suspension assembly.

The shocks and/or struts in your car perform two functions. They dampen spring oscillation, and secondly, they aid in ride control. The springs in your car actually absorb road shocks (not the shock absorbers). Surprised? The shock absorber's function is to dampen the bouncing spring. If you did not have shock absorbers to dampen the spring oscillations from road shock, your car would turn into a "bucking bronco" every time you hit a bump in the road, making it very difficult to handle and dangerous.

The shock absorbers in your car aid in ride control by keeping the car manageable during regular driving. They do this by keeping the tires down on the road and not allowing them to bounce after hitting a bump. This allows for ease of cornering and handling.

The symptoms:

• Vehicle rolls or sways on turns
• Front end dives when braking
• Rear end squats when accelerating
• Vehicle bounces or slides sideways on a winding, rough road
• Vehicle "bottoms out" (with a thump) on bumps

In addition, worn shocks and/or struts can accelerate the wear of your tires and suspension parts -- the ball joints, steering linkage, springs and C.V. joints.