What's this build-up on my shock absorber?

Hello all,

Check this picture I took.

http://twitpic.com/8j17eb

The left shock is my passenger side and the right is driver side (for comparison). Notice all that gunk on the passenger side one? What's up with that? Did it blow? Thanks.

 

Looks like you have indeed blown a shock. Unless you have driven through or accidentally gotten oil on the shock body there is no reason dirt should stick to it like that.

 

Shock oil.. going to have to do something about a replacement

 

Thanks for the confirmation. I did notice that the front end has been a little extra "rattly" lately too. Since I'm replacing that should I just go about doing all 4? I've heard bilsteins are the ones to get, but is that mostly for the off road guys? Most I do is ship around my quad and drive to work.

 

i dont see anything that looks like oil just dirt buildup. more puddles on passenger side of the road? take it off and clean it up and see how it works first.

 

That is indeed a blown shock. Oil seeps out, accumulates dirt, more oil, more dirt, etc. until it is covered by a thick oily coating of dirt.

 

Yeah but is it oily? I see plenty of dirt, but not necessarily any oily residue showing through. You'd think there'd be at least a few oil spots spattered about on the shock body etc. Going with what Fixer said, I'd scrape some of it off, and see what the consistency is. If it seems pretty dry (like mud cake) then maybe it's not the shock at all.

 

That looks like the shocks on my old car it had two blown shocks and when I would go over a bump you could here them clunking

 

Yeah, but there is no real crud buildup anywhere in the area except the shock body. I suppose you could make the argument for a "magic sploochie" from a mud puddle that targeted just the lower shock body but you'd have to be the Warren Commission to make that argument.

 

I magically sploochie all the time. Mom says I'm still growing into my big boy body.

 

Judging by the consistency in the photo, I don't know you can argh that it is not a blown shock. It's black, goupy and only on one side.

 

11 posts about a muddy shock geez rinse it off already !!

 

Yeah, that will work. Wax it while you're at it, that way if there's any oil left in the shock it won't damage the paint on the tube.

 

That is what I am voting for.

 

touch it and pinch a bit off if it's oily then you blew a shock, if it's not then it could be dirt build up.

 

OP...Look on here for replacements, guys are practically giving them away after their lift installs.

 

just get a set of 5100's, great upgrade to the stock shocks and you can level your truck at the same time if you wish.