Auto Suspension Parts: Know Your Vehicle
Imagine that you are traveling in your car and you encounter a large speed breaker in the middle of the route that you have to cross
. You feel uncomfortable because you are aware your vehicle has a poor suspension system. However, if you had effective suspension parts installed, there was no need to worry about bumps or other similar hurdles. Suspension parts can help you to cross hurdles on the road smoothly.Let's check out the different parts of a suspension system.
Control Arm: This is also known as wishbone. The shape of this suspension part is nearly triangular. It resembles 'A', so sometimes it is also referred to as the A-arm. On one side, it is attached to a steering knuckle with a ball joint, and on the other side it is attached to an arm shaft with bushing.
Bushing: A small but important part in the suspension system. Bushing is mostly made of synthetic rubber to separate out its two metal parts. This synthetic rubber helps both metal parts to coordinate smoothly. It also helps the suspension parts to move freely when navigating a large bump, for example. There are polyurethane bushes also available in the market that are more durable.
Ball Joint: A ball joint is a spherical bearing. Generally, it is used to join the steering knuckles and the control arms. It is a very important part between the steering and suspension, and it is responsible for safe operation. The difference between these and the standard ball joints is that lubricants are not needed for sealed ball joints because they are already lubed, while standard ball joints need regular lubing else they may cause lose control.
Sway Bar: Sway bars are also known as stabilizer bars. A sway bar is used in a vehicle suspension system to reduce jerks caused by irregular road surfaces. It also helps the vehicle to keep a 'grip' on the road so that the driver can steer the vehicle well, even while turning or in the case of poor road surfaces.
Idler Arms & Pitman Arms: Idler and pitman arms depend on the support of steering linkage. An idler arm is fitted to the opposite of pitman arm on the center link. It helps to hold the center link at a proper height by attaching the other end onto the vehicle frame. The Pitman arm helps to steer the wheel because one of its ends is attached to the vehicle's steering gear.
The ones discussed here are only some of the auto suspension parts. There are many more big and small parts within the suspension system. Adjusting sleeves, center links, drag links, strut mounts, sway bar links, tie rod ends, wheel hubs, and other similar parts are also components of auto suspension. Without understanding these parts, you cannot fully understand your vehicle suspension system.
by: Mark A Waltzer