You’ve got your service customer’s vehicle up on a rack to do some work. You lower it back down, but now it looks like a 4×4 ready for some serious off-roading or it feels like it’s got a rock-solid suspension. If you’re wondering what’s going on, the dampers locked up.
Damper lock-up is a wear-and-tear issue that can happen over time, especially in hot-climate areas. After years of high-temperature exposure, the polyurethane cushion inside the damper gets old and brittle. Raising the vehicle causes the damper piston to crush that brittle cushion against the top of the damper. Lowering the vehicle then causes bits and pieces of that cushion to plug up the damper piston valves and openings, locking the damper in an extended position. To make things right, you’ll need to replace the affected dampers.
Courtesy of Honda
