8 best manufacturers of shock absorber supports

*Editor’s review of the best. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. You should consult with a specialist before buying.

Shock absorbers are called to fight with the unevenness of the road in the car. Shock absorber supports are used to connect these units with the body and suspension of the car. They differ in design and size, durability and price. Today on the Russian market there is a full range of shock absorber supports from various manufacturers. To choose the most suitable unit for the price and quality, we suggest you get acquainted with the recommendations of the experts.

About malfunctions and peculiarities

Assignment of supports.The vast majority of modern cars have a shock absorber in the chassis. They are attached to the body through special elements, which are called supports. The main purpose of these parts is to reduce vibration and oscillation that occur when driving on an uneven road surface.

Constructional peculiarities of shock absorber supports.To perform the assigned tasks to supports, designers have invented several types of parts.

1. The non-disassembled supports can be poppet or cup type. It is a solid rubber-metal part, consisting of a steel bushing or bearing and a rubber cushion. They are vulcanized into each other. Such shock absorber supports are most often installed in front suspensions. Sliding bearing makes swinging the strut free and easy.
2. Compound shock absorber supports are characterized by a simple design. They consist of a spacer sleeve and upper and lower rubber dampers. Parts of this type can be found in the rear suspension of small cars.

Typical defects of the supports.Serviceable knot works unnoticeably for the driver, making the car handling comfortable. But over time, the steel bushing or bearing will wear out, and the rubber will flake. As a result, backlashes are formed, and that leads to a deafening knocking while driving on rough roads. Sometimes you can clearly hear a squeak when you turn the steering wheel. Delaying the repair will lead to the failure of shock absorbers, and this will be quite a different cost. To replace the support, you will have to remove and disassemble the shock absorber strut. That is why specialists recommend to replace the strut each time you replace shock absorbers. The more so that the part is inexpensive.

We’ve selected 8 best manufacturers of shock absorber mounts in this review. All of them sell their products on the Russian market. Locations were based on expert opinion and feedback from actual car owners.

Rating of the best manufacturers of shock absorber supports

Lemforder

Rating: 5.0

One of the oldest and largest concerns producing auto parts in Europe is Lemforder. The brand name appeared in 1947 in honor of the village of the same name in northern Germany. There are a total of 117 plants, which are scattered in 22 countries around the world. The company specializes in plastic and rubber-metal parts for the suspension and steering of cars. Experts are surprised by the long list of factories, which assembly lines are supplied with Lemforder products. GM, Ford, BMW, Fiat, Toyota, MAN, Volvo, Mercedes, DAF, etc. d. The brand deservedly becomes the winner of our rating.

Users praise shock absorber mounts for their durability, elasticity, resistance to Russian roads. The disadvantages are the high prices, and counterfeit products can be encountered in the domestic market.

Advantages

• rich assortment;
• German quality;
• durability;
• elasticity.

Disadvantages

• high price.

Boge

Rating: 4.9

Another German company gets in the top three of our rating. Boge was founded as far back as 1929, and the first products of the company were hydraulic shock absorbers and tools. The second position was given to the brand for the optimal combination of price and quality. Shock absorbers and supports are installed on many models of VW, BMW, Audi, Volvo. The manufacturer has several series of shock absorbers, for which there are supports with certain technical parameters. Boge closely cooperates with design departments of car plants while creating new parts and units. The brand is considered one of the leaders in the field of vibration suppression.

Domestic motorists praise shock absorber mounts in reviews for durability, elasticity and affordable prices. The disadvantages are the large number of counterfeit products.

Advantages

• durability;
• elasticity;
• democratic prices;
• resistance to frost.

Disadvantages

• Many fakes on the market.

Delphi

Rating: 4.8

A reliable supplier of suspension elements in Russia is the American company Delphi. The plants of this concern are located in 33 countries, where about 14 thousand different items of parts are produced. The list includes shock absorbers, supports, sensors, filters, components for suspension and steering mechanism. The quality, according to experts, directly depends on the place of production. The most reliable and durable parts are parts from factories located in the U.S. and Europe. There is a lot of counterfeit in the domestic market. That is why Delphi becomes the bronze medalist in our rating.

Users are attracted by the affordable price of the shock absorber supports. They note that the highest quality parts have a thick polyethylene package with information about the product.

Advantages of

• affordable price;
• good quality
• wide assortment;
• durability.

Disadvantages

• A lot of counterfeit;
• The quality depends on the location of the factory.

KONI

Rating: 4.7

In 1857, the company was founded in Boge, Germany. Oud-Beyerland (Netherlands) a small family company KONI began to manufacture and repair horse harness. 75 years later, a friction type shock absorber was produced in this company’s workshop. In the post-war period in Holland, there were many American cars that needed suspension parts for repair. The Koning brothers got their bearings in time, providing technical assistance to the owners of Fords and Willys. Today the base of KONI production is design and production of shock absorbers and shock absorber components. Many experts consider this brand the leader of the world market. In the catalog you can find parts for a wide range of car models from Europe, Asia and the United States.

Russian motorists had to deal with short-lived shock absorber supports, which affected the position in our rating.

Advantages

• wide assortment;
• affordable prices;
• elasticity;
• reliability.

Disadvantages

• durability.

Monroe

Rating: 4.6

A big player in the market of spare parts for American and European cars is the Monroe company. It was founded in 1916 and started its activity with the production of tire pumps. In 1926 the American manufacturer produced the world’s first shock absorber. Today the brand has many branches in America, Europe and Africa. Among the biggest buyers are such auto giants as GM, Ford, VW, Mercedes and Nissan. In addition to shock absorbers and supports, experts have identified installation and protective kits, which increase reliability and durability of the unit. The brand is in the fifth position in our rating.

Some car owners are not happy with the packaging of the parts, not everyone is happy with the quality of the shock absorber supports. But the price affordability and reliability deserve a positive assessment.

Advantages of

• new developments;
• reliability;
• durability;
• reasonable price.

Disadvantages

• poor packaging;
• Lots of fakes.

AMD

Rating: 4.5

Several Asian car plants participated in the creation of AMD. The main task of the brand is to promote the market of spare parts for GM, KIA, Hyundai and SsangYong models. Some parts are supplied to the conveyors of these auto giants, and the rest of the products go to retail chains. A characteristic feature of AMD, according to experts, is a wide range of auto components. In addition to shock absorbers and supports, the manufacturer offers parts for the fuel system, suspension parts, clutch parts, brakes and so on. d. Since the products are manufactured at different factories, the quality of products of the same purpose varies greatly.

The brand gets in the top 6 of our rating for low prices and variety of spare parts. The disadvantages for the users are the short durability.

Advantages

• rich assortment;
• low price;
• Adaptation to Russian roads;
• nice-looking package.

Flaws

• durability.

CTR

Rating: 4.4

South Korean company Central Corporation produces shock absorber supports under the CTR brand. The firm is considered the world’s largest auto parts manufacturer. It specializes in engine and chassis parts. The products are shipped to assembly lines of GM, KIA, Hyundai. Experts have appreciated at their true value the modern research and development center in Moscow. Changwon. For the decent quality and reasonable prices the brand gets to our rating.

Domestic motorists have no complaints about the quality of the original CTR products. However, on the Russian market you have more chances to buy counterfeit shock absorber mounts, which seriously undermines the brand image. That is why there is a lot of negative feedback concerning durability of spare parts.

Advantages

• affordable prices;
• good quality;
• in-house developments;
• wide assortment.

Disadvantages

• a lot of imitations.

Hola

Rating: 4.3

Hola from the Netherlands rounds out our top eight. The manufacturer has been working on spare parts market since 1997. Experts praised the company’s willingness to develop and implement quality auto components. The companies of the brand have implemented a quality system ISO/TS16949, which implies strict control at every stage of production. Supports are made of corrosion-resistant steel by stamping, and the elasticity of the rubber part is maintained in a wide range of temperatures (-40…+50°s). The manufacturer claims durability of its products, the estimated service life is 100 thousand. km of mileage on good roads.

Users confirm the high quality and durability of Hola shock absorber supports. The disadvantages are high prices and stiff assemblies.

Advantages

• high quality;
• durability;
• in-house design;
• reliability.

Disadvantages

• high price;
• stiffness.