Maintenance & Repairs

Your suspension is one of the hardest working parts of your car.  Every slight imperfection in the road, every throttle, brake and steering wheel input, your suspension is working to distribute the absorb and distribute the forces where they need to go.

At virtually all times whilst driving, the piston inside the damper moves up and down which generates heat which over time degrades sealing parts, the oil and the valving over time.  Like any other wear and tear part of your vehicle, the suspension can hugely benefit from regular reconditioning to keep it operating and lasting as well as possible.

There’s also the environmental impacts to consider.  Things like stones, dirt and road grime can also help damage or accelerate the degradation over time.  These are things that are hard to avoid and so regular reconditioning can help reduce the impacts of these factors.

If you want the best operating health and performance from your shock absorber, regular maintenance is recommended.

There’s not too much you can do yourself, other than to keep them clean.  This is usually most efficiently done via a pressure washer.  It’s best to do this with the vehicle jacked up and the wheels removed, but on the ground is fine too.  Anything is better than nothing.

We usually suggest every 3-4 years if you wish to keep your suspension in tip top condition.  However there are also some signs you can look out for that help you know your suspension might need looking at.

Signs that your suspension may need servicing or repair:

• Unusual noise from the suspension (noises can also be caused by a number of other suspension components like sway bars, bushes, balljoints, etc).
• There’s oil leaking from the shockabsorbers.
• Noticeable changes in the way your car is riding or handling.

Unfortunately the answer is likely to be no.  Suspension servicing is a very specialised field requiring unique tools, knowledge and experience.  On top of that, most brands have unique parts and may require unique tools, making it additionally difficult.  So typically it’s not likely that you or your mechanic will be appropriately equipped, trained and/or experienced to do it.

1. Simply fill out our Service Shipping Form (hyperlink “Service Shipping Form”) and send in or drop off your suspension along with a printed copy of this form (the form will be e-mailed to you after filling it out).
2. You can use any courier you like such as Aus Post (suggest Express Post), TNT, Toll, DHL, etc.
3. Once we receive them, we will enter the job in the system and allocate time to complete the test and inspection process.
4. Once that’s done, you’ll get a quote e-mailed to you for your approval and/or modification. We may also note optional replacement items, upgrades or processes.
5. Once we have approval to proceed, we will e-mail through an invoice for payment.
6. Once payment is received, we will allocate time to complete the job. At which they will be freighted back to you, or you’ll be contacted to arrange pickup if that was your preferred option.
7. This whole process can take around 2 weeks, depending on a number of variables.

(from $325 per corner)

• A wash/clean of the suspension is done first.
• Initial disassembly of external components.
• Test and inspection of all external components and the damper.
• A quote will then be provided to the customer to modify or approve.
• An invoice is then invoiced for payment before proceeding.
• All internal gas, oil and dirt sealing components are replaced with our latest versions (not matter how old the supplied suspension is).
• The damper is then rebuilt with fresh oil and gas.
• The external parts are then refitted and adjusted back to the measurements they arrived with unless otherwise requested.

During a recondition we also check for damage and can replace:

• Pistons.
• Shafts.
• Bodies.
• Mounts.
• any other components that are damaged.
• If damage is found during a service we will notify you of any additional costs involved in the repair before any work is done.

Most reconditions take around 2 weeks (not including freight time) which in most cases include an initial inspection and quote as well as then completing the work required. This can depend on a number of factors such as below.

• How long it takes for the quote to be approved
• The condition the parts arrive in
• Exactly what kind of work is needed
• Any other time frame requirements the customer might have

Please be sure to let us know if you do have particular time constraints we need to try and work towards so we can take them into account.

• A Recondition is carried out.
• While the internals are disassembled, the valving and possibly piston will be replaced with a new valving package to suit the customer’s request.
• The dampers are then dyno tested and tuned as required.

Examples of why you might want to re-valve your dampers

• Changing what your vehicle is designed for (street comfort, motorsport, etc).
• Updating to the latest valving tech that MCA has developed.
• Looking to fine tune/dial in the setup you already have.
• Please note: you don’t always need to change the valving to change the characteristics of the suspension setup. You may only need a spring change.  This is something that can be discussed with us.

We do not offer re-valving for Voston products.

Revalving is essentially changing the characteristics of your suspension.  Similar to changing springs, but more powerful and with more options.  So this could be to do with looking for increased ride quality, increased performance, or to suit a whole different application than what your suspension was designed for (bought a comfort orientated set, but now wants to track the car regularly), things like this.

We don’t expect you to know exactly what to ask for in terms of valving, but we just need to know what it is you’re trying to achieve and why, and then we’ll let you know if there’s anything more we need to know.

Whilst the short answer is yes, it’s rare that we can’t repair something.  Even if it’s been in a big crash and it has multiple significantly damaged components, we can likely still at least get the internal valving out and use it to rebuild the unit or build a new one.  In a worst case scenario we can also use the damaged unit as a template of what to build to replace it, which can be helpful if it’s an older product we no longer produce, or something made to a custom or unusual spec.

So while there are limits, generally it’s still best to send it in and we can let you know what the situation will be during the quote process.

More often than not, we can repair things no problem, and they’ll likely be cheaper than buying new.

This question often depends on what’s important to you.  Such as vehicle down time, warranties, financial considerations, etc.

A new set will come with a whole new warranty and everything about it will be brand new, however operationally a reconditioned set is very similar to a new set, given that it gets all new internal sealing components, fresh oil, gas, etc, and will come in much cheaper than a new set, often around half the price.

It’s usually only if you have significant damage to many components and/or are looking for a revalve / change of springs at the same time that the costs can start to get up closer to a new set.  Even with this, it will still likley be cheaper to repair or revalve and change springs, but it just gets close enough where it might not be comparaitively that much more money to go with a whole new set, and you can consider selling your current ones.