What is car suspension?

Car suspension is a component of every vehicle which is crucial to helping keep the vehicle stable. Your car suspension will prevent the car from absorbing the lateral forces (the bumps and dips in the road) providing a smooth and stable ride for both the driver and passengers. Car suspension also ensures the wheels stay connected with the road surface, and enhances braking and grip. Without your suspension working correctly, the vehicle will not perform optimally – and you will be putting yourself and other passengers at risk.

How does car suspension work?

In order for car suspension to work effectively , it operates through a series of complex components which work together to create a stable, lateral-force-absorbing drive. These elements include dampers, shock absorbers, springs and linkages – which reduce the vibrations caused by the impact of the road.

• Shock absorbers – protecting the chassis from the forces of the road, the shock absorbers also prevent the springs from continually bouncing around.
• Springs – kept in place by the shock absorbers, there are three types of springs which are used for car suspension; coil springs, leaf springs and torsion bars.
• Dampers – this mechanism assists with controlling the ‘up and down’ motion of the vehicle itself, preventing your vehicle from bouncing around with each bump and dip it comes across in the road.

How to tell if your suspension needs repair work

Typically, the suspension of your vehicle is likely to wear over time – which means it can often be tricky to detect problems. However, some of the top warning signs that your car needs suspension repair work include:

• Driver discomfort – does your drive feel more bumpy than usual? Or do you feel like you have a lack of stability, and your vehicle is dipping to one side? You may have a problem with your car’s suspension.
• Increased wear on tyres – any problems with suspension may also likely cause your tyres to have abnormal tyre tread.
• Brake efficiency – If there is a problem with your suspension, this is likely to decrease your brake efficiency, since it would cause your vehicle to brake later than it should be .
• Road holding – again, you’re likely to feel your road holding and grip reduced as this will likely become compromised if your car suspension isn’t working effectively.

How to fix car suspension

If you think you have some of the suspension repair symptoms listed above, you may be wondering how to fix car suspension. That’s where Merityre Specialists step in. At your local branch, we help provide car suspension services alongside wheel tracking and alignment.

For more information about what car suspension is, or suspension repair, get in touch with a member of our expert team here at Merityre.