A: The Safety Triangle Inspection checks critical interconnected system components that control steering, stopping and stability. Going beyond tires and brakes to include shocks, struts and springs, tie rod ends, ball joints and a host of other suspension and chassis parts, the Safety Triangle is vital to the driver’s ability to avoid accidents. Just one worn part could diminish control and compromise safety.

A: Driver and vehicle safety is more important today than ever before. Shocks move as much as 1,750 cycles per mile in normal driving. This translates to over 87 million times in 50,000 miles, which is when testing has shown that original equipment shocks and struts begin to measurably degrade. Therefore, experts recommend for many popular-selling vehicles, replacing these worn shocks and struts at 50,000 miles can improve the vehicle's handling characterists and comfort. Ask your mechanic for a Safety Triangle inspection yearly to detect a failure early.

*Actual mileage may vary, depending upon driver ability, vehicle type, and the type of driving and road conditions.

A: There are three main systems inspected: they are the Steering System, the Braking System, and the Suspension System.

A: Your Monroe Expert Plus dealer or any ASE Certified Technician can perform a Safety Triangle Inspection. Click here to locate a Monroe Expert Plus dealer

A: Yes, a thorough ride test allows the technician to understand the handling issues of the vehicle and leads to specific areas to concentrate on during the inspection.

A: Before any service is performed, your Monroe Expert Plus dealer or ASE Certified Technician will walk you through the results of the inspection and point out areas where replacement is required now or suggested in the future.

A: Monroe recommends a four-corner replacement for shock absorbers, because it will maximize the ride improvement the new shocks deliver. While it is not necessary to replace all four units each time, a Monroe Expert Plus dealer or ASE Certified Technician will review them during the Safety Triangle Inspection to determine if it is needed.

A: While the bounce test may provide some indications, the best approach is to take the vehicle for a test drive. During this time you can discuss with the technician what your vehicle does well and where it has lost its edge from when it was new. Let your technician know if you have ever had your shocks or struts replaced and how many miles are on them. Some very select shops can provide a full suspension dynamic test using the Hunter Engineering SA400 suspension tester. This can provide a printout of the percent adhesion and damping efficiency and condition of your vehicle.

A: When the vehicle encounters a bump in the road, the springs are compressed to soak up the bump. As the springs compress and extend, the shock absorbers compress and extend along with the movement of the car body. Shock absorbers are filled with hydraulic fluid. As the piston rod in the shock absorber moves through the oil seal, a slight film of oil is deposited on the surface of the rod. Through millions of cycles, the oil is lost from the shock absorber and it can no longer provide its desired function.

A: Yes, the more severe the road conditions, such as uneven road surfaces, potholes and bumps, the more the piston rod is stroked. The shock absorber is a device that converts kinetic energy of the suspension movement into thermal energy, or heat energy, to be dissipated through the hydraulic fluid. This thermal breakdown causes accelerated wear and loss of control force.

A: Many things affect vehicles in motion. Weight distribution, speed, road conditions and wind are some factors that affect how vehicles travel down the road. Road isolation is the vehicle’s ability to absorb or isolate road shock from the passenger compartment. Shocks and struts also:

• Control unwanted spring and suspension movement
• Maintain road holding
• Provide consistent handling and braking
• Control vehicle bounce, roll, sway, brake dive and acceleration squat
• Prevent premature tire wear

Worn shocks and struts may reduce the stability of the vehicle and reduce driver control.

A: Road holding is the degree to which a car maintains contact with the road surface during various types of directional changes and in a straight line. Remember that the vehicle’s ability to steer, stop, and remain stable depends first and foremost on the adhesion or friction between the tires and the road.

A: Because shock absorbers help keep the tires in contact with the road, Monroe felt there was a relationship between braking distance and worn shocks. Monroe conducted tests of braking on a dry, bumpy surface in vehicles going from 60 to 0 mph. The tests were conducted by AMCI and approved by the United States Auto Club (USAC) with a cross section of passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, and mini-vans. Tests showed that when identical vehicles were compared, the braking distance for the vehicle with four new Monroe Sensa-Trac shocks was up to 10 feet less than the braking distance for the identical vehicle with three original equipment shocks and one 50% worn shock. (Actual results may vary depending upon driving ability, conditions, and vehicle type).

A: Yes, a Safety Triangle Inspection provides the buyer with information needed to make a decision about a pre-owned vehicle.

A: Yes, a Safety Triangle Inspection provides the seller with an independent third party analysis of the vehicle and its resale value.

A: Yes, nothing is worse than having a breakdown far from home. Having the vehicle inspected provides peace of mind and security that everything is okay.

A: A couple of Monroe products that add spring rate to the suspension are air shocks or load assist spring over products. The air shocks allow you to adjust the air pressure to provide additional spring rate for occasional loading. The load assist spring over units are a standard damper with the addition of a variable rate coil spring. This automatically responds to various loading conditions.