Your car’s suspension system, aka shocks or struts, is a vital part of your riding experience. The suspension system is one of the primary reasons why you have a smooth ride. Your car’s suspension system connects to your wheels and absorbs the force of impact when your wheels run over a bump on the road. When your shocks absorb the force of impact, the vehicle’s driver and passengers will not feel the force. However, just like any part of your car, your suspension system is still susceptible to wear and tear. When this happens, your ability to control your vehicle will be diminished. Here are some of the ways to tell if your suspension system needs to be serviced.
What are the Parts of the Suspension System?
Most people think that the suspension system of a vehicle only involves the shock absorbers. While this is a major part of the system, your car’s overall suspension involves the tires, the air pressure in the tires, springs, strut bars, bushings, joints, and linkages. The suspension system is the system of parts that acts as a go-between between your car’s frame and the road. Your suspension system maximizes the amount of friction between the road and your tires to maintain stability and provide good steering ability. Your suspension is responsible for supporting the weight of the car and its passengers.
Rough Ride
If you suddenly feel your ride gets bumpier and bumpier every ride, your shocks may be wearing out and need to be replaced or repaired. If you begin to feel every bump and hump that you pass by, then it is a clear indication that you need to check your suspension.
Drift and Pull
Your suspension system is connected to your tires. When your shock absorbers are worn out, you will have trouble controlling your car during turns. Your car will tend to drift or pull when you turn and will have a higher risk of rolling over, especially when you turn at fast speeds.
Dips and Dives
Another indication of bad shocks is when your car dips and dives every time you apply your brakes immediately. A bad suspension can also affect your car’s ability to break on time. It is estimated that poor shocks will increase your stopping time by 20 per cent.
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Uneven tire treads
Another telltale sign that your shocks need to be fixed is if you have uneven tire threads. The uneven threads or tire balding come from the wheels hitting your car’s chassis every time you hit a bump on the road. If you have balding spots on your tires, you will have a higher risk that your tires will blow out while you are driving.
Steering Problems
A bad suspension will also diminish your ability to steer your car, especially when driving at low speeds.
Oily Shocks
Another indication that your suspension system needs work if your shock absorbers are oily. The oil that you will see surrounding your shocks will indicate that your shocks’ hydraulics are leaking. If the leak is rampant, it is time to replace your shocks.
Remember, a bad suspension system will lead to poor steering and handling. Likewise, when you fail to have your poor suspension fixed, you are increasing your risks of getting in a vehicular accident in the future.
