What Is Involved In The Suspension System

Sometimes when you get in your vehicle and drive down the road you don't think much about it

. As long as it runs and doesn't make any funny sounds, you should be fine. That is, unless you are traveling down a bumpy road and find yourself thinking that it isn't as smooth as it used to be. What holds the car in place when you have those bumpy roads anyway?

The suspension system, which entails shocks and struts attached to your tires and the frame of the car, work together to keep the car from bouncing out of control as it travels down the road. What exactly do the parts do for the car? How do you know if they need to be replaced? How expensive are the parts if they need to be replaced?

Shocks

The shocks do exactly as it sounds they would. They absorb the shock while you drive down the road. Your vehicle's steering system will maneuver the roads, but it works with the shocks to make sure the vehicle body and the engine work together. The frame may want to bounce all over, but the shocks will hold it in and keep you traveling smoothly.

Struts

The struts are tied in with the shocks on the car. They work in order to keep the shocks moving up and down properly as the car travels over a bumpy road. Shocks and struts will both wear out of a car over time and need to be replaced after several thousand miles. For cars who do a lot of driving on bumpy roads or for people who travel off road on dirt trails, they might need them checked more often in order to ensure everything is in working order.

Tie Rods

The tie rods connect both sides of the car together. For example, a tie rod will connect the right side tire with the left side tire. They will move together and work independently with the front of the car, even though they are all working together to move the vehicle forward. In other words, the tire in the front may be absorbing the jolt of a bump, while the back tire is just driving and the people sitting inside the car won't know any differently, because they are just getting a smooth ride.

Diagnosing Problems with the Suspension

When the steering wheel and the bounce of the car no longer jive, then you might have a problem. As you turn a corner, the steering wheel should come back to the center point so you don't have to work it back yourself. When this does not happen, you might have a problem. Another problem with the suspension system is when you have noises coming from the vehicle as you drive over bumps. It means the parts, such as the shocks or struts, are wearing out and need to be replaced.

Replacing the shocks or struts can be done in an hour or so. Fixing the tie rods on a vehicle may take longer and will cost a bit more money than just the shocks or struts. Plan on spending a few hundred dollars for tie rods and a couple of hundred dollars for a pair of shocks or struts.

by: Dave Johnson

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