Quick Facts About Car Suspension Systems
Your car’s suspension system typically requires very little maintenance. But like every moving part on your car, eventually, the system could wear down. While you won’t need to worry about your suspension too often, it is an integral part of your car’s ride and helps to ensure a smooth driving experience. Like other car parts, your vehicle will give you signs when its suspension goes bad.
Keep reading to learn about your car’s suspension and the signs that the system needs repair or replacement.
What Is a Car Suspension?
The suspension in a car is a system of springs, shocks, struts, and other parts. Those parts act as a protective shock absorber for your vehicle, keeping all passengers comfortable. Car suspension ensures a smooth ride by absorbing speed bumps, potholes, and other things. It helps increase the friction between your vehicle’s tires and the road. The suspension improves traction to keep the car stable and on the road while preventing you from feeling those bumps and humps. While hitting a pothole can feel terrible, it would feel much worse without the suspension system.
The suspension comprises multiple parts, but the primary components of the system are the shocks and springs. The shocks, also known as dampers, handle the brunt of most rough roads. The springs maintain the car’s height and weight while helping ensure a smooth ride.
Signs Your Suspension Is Bad
Your vehicle’s suspension system can last from 50,000 to 100,000 miles if properly maintained. However, erratic driving and other factors can shorten the life of the system.
According to Gary Hardesty, Kelley Blue Book’s in-house service and maintenance expert and an ASE certified master technician, you can look out for these telltale signs that something is wrong with your car’s suspension. You will typically notice a few things off when driving or braking. These are the signs.
1. The Steering Wheel Feels Shaky
When driving, the steering wheel should be steady. The suspension and steering systems go hand-in-hand, so if the steering wheel feels shaky and loose, there might be something wrong with the suspension system.
If your car pulls left or right, that is another sign the suspension could be off.
2. Excess Tire Wear
There can be many reasons your tires are worn, but one could be a faulty suspension system. When the shocks and springs go bad, the car’s tires cannot absorb the road’s bumps properly, leaving the tires to take all the damage. The tire wear will often be uneven due to the suspension system.
Look for cupping and ridges in your tires if you suspect your suspension is going.
3. Leaking Around Shocks and Struts
A leak from your car around the tires could be the shocks and struts. Leaky fluid often means that you’ll need something replaced. So if you encounter a leak around or above your tires, you will need an automotive service and repair center to check out the problem.
4. An Uncomfortable Ride
If you start feeling the road more than usual and the ride feels unusually bumpy, it’s possible something is wrong with the car’s suspension system.
5. Car Bounces After a Speed Bump
A speed bump ensures you are driving slowly, especially in areas with many pedestrians. However, it is not meant to make your car bounce afterward. If your car continues to bounce after going over a speed bump, it may have a problem with the springs or struts.
A suspension system absorbs bumps, dips, and grooves in the road. But, if the shock-absorber system gets worn, it cannot work to properly absorb the bumps, leading to a bouncy car. So, if you feel your car still bouncing after a speed bump, go get it inspected by a mechanic.
A quick way to test if your car’s suspension is bad is by pressing down on the rear bumper when parked. Once you let go, it should just go back in place. But if it is bouncy and doesn’t return to its normal position, something is wrong with the suspension.
6. Clunking Sounds
The last thing anybody wants to hear from their car is an odd sound, because repairs typically follow. A clunking sound often means something is wrong with the suspension system, especially after hitting a pothole or going over a speed bump. Since noise from the car can come from various things, pay extra attention when you hear a strange sound coming from your vehicle.
How Much a Suspension System Repair Cost
A car suspension replacement can cost at least $5,000, depending on your vehicle’s make and model. The suspension isn’t just one part. It’s an entire system. However, if you only need a new spring, the repair cost might be relatively inexpensive. However, like most systems in your car, the suspension system tends to wear evenly, so if you have to replace one part, you may need to replace most of the system.
To help prolong the life of your car’s suspension system, remember to drive slowly over speed bumps and potholes, and on dirt or gravel roads where you may not see dips.
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