Citroen Xsara Shock Absorbers

Individually, R850-R1,700 depending on model and brand. A complete set of four for a C3 or C5 Aircross is R3,150-R6,200, and the larger models run R4,700-R7,700 fitted. Quality aftermarket units from the established damper manufacturers are widely available here and are a sensible buy — this is not a part where the genuine item behaves differently. What does matter is buying the right variant, because ride height and damping rate differ between trim levels on some models.

Have them inspected around every 20,000 km, and expect replacement somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 km on decent roads. On South African roads it is realistic to plan for 60,000-80,000 km, especially on a car doing gravel or a lot of poorly maintained urban tar. There is no warning light for a tired damper, so the inspection is the whole game — a bounce test at the corner of the car and a look for oil down the body will tell you most of what you need.

Do them in pairs across an axle. A new damper on one side and a worn one on the other means the two sides of the car respond differently to the same bump, which shows up as instability under braking and in quick direction changes. It also wears the new unit unevenly. If only one has failed — a stone through the body, a blown seal — the other on that axle has done the same mileage and is not far behind.

A conventional damper uses hydraulic oil alone. A gas-charged one adds pressurised nitrogen, which keeps the oil from aerating when the damper is working hard. Aerated oil is what causes fade — the damping goes soft partway through a rough section and comes back once things cool. On corrugated gravel or a long, broken stretch of road, that difference is the whole point, which is why gas units are generally the better choice here. Separately, note that the C5 with Hydractive and the C5 Aircross with Progressive Hydraulic Cushion are not conventional dampers at all, and neither takes a standard replacement.

Yes, and by more than most people expect — stopping distances can lengthen by 20% or more. The reason is contact: a wheel on a worn damper skips over surface irregularities instead of following them, and a tyre in the air is not braking. That matters most in the situations we actually face here, which is an emergency stop for a pothole, an animal or a car changing lanes without warning. It applies in the wet and the dry, and ABS cannot make up for a tyre that is not on the road.