Tested to the limit

Gabriel’s PRO-ONE shock absorbers are tested to the limit to ensure every part meets Gabriel’s stringent OE quality standards. This extensive testing takes place both, in the lab and on the road; on some of the roughest dirt tracks in North Africa and in some of the harshest weather conditions in Northern Europe.

This puts all our shock absorbers through a gruelling and enduring program, ensuring that whatever the conditions, you can trust and rely on Gabriel shock absorbers.
As a safety critical component, the external appearance of shock absorbers are checked during the MOT, although in most European countries there is no compulsory follow-up leakage test. Gabriel is working hard with others in the industry to change this.

Testing is carried out on a suspension test bench which allows for the following faults to be detected:

• Left/right imbalance on the front and rear axles (DISSYMMETRY expressed as a percentage).  If this is greater than 20%, both shock absorbers need replacing.
• A value of suspension work effectiveness (GRIP expressed as a percentage).
  The rules only state, that the shock absorber must be replaced in the event of an impact which may affect the functioning of the piston or cause an oil leak.
  

Service life
In one driven mile, shock absorbers are subjected to approximately 4000 movements and components despite oil and surface treatment, will like any wear component, age. After 50,000 miles, the effectiveness of a shock absorber is impaired. Driving in a vehicle with shock absorbers that have been driven this far, can increase stopping distance by five per cent.

With an estimated one in four vehicles across Europe containing a potentially dangerous, defective shock absorber, Gabriel recommends that they be checked every 20,000 miles and changed - in pairs in the same way as brake pads and discs – every 50-60,000. 

The Shocks Collective
A group of OEM shock absorber manufacturers, known as ‘La collective des amortisseurs (The Shocks Collective)’, of which Gabriel is a member, was set up in 1981 by FIEV (French automotive industry trade body) to highlight the importance of the shock absorber in the vehicle.

The Shocks Collective carried out a series of tests which was overseen by SECUR - to determine the effects of defective shock absorbers. As a direct result of these tests, French technical authorities added a shock absorber leakage test to its compulsory Periodic Technical Inspection (MOT test). The results of more tests conducted by the group to further highlight the importance of fully functioning shock absorbers can be seen at: www.amortisseurs.eu