Consider taking a winding road and hopping, bouncing with each pothole and pothole bump. You press on the steering wheel for a smoother ride, but the hits continue. You start to think, “is this normal?”. Better yet, you’ll start imagining your car’s suspension.
Suspension makes your car so much fun to drive and also keeps you safe. But, just like every other mechanical part, it has to be maintained. Ignoring it can cause you pain, driving hazards and even repair bills. Let’s learn in this article why you need to keep your suspension maintained on a regular basis for your car’s efficiency, longevity, and safety.
What Is the Suspension System?
Before getting into some maintenance, let’s do some fundamentals. Your car’s suspension is what affixes the car to the wheels. It’s what gives your car an even ride, cushions the bumps of the road, and keeps all four wheels planted.
Important suspension components:
- Shock Absorbers: Relieve the impact from dents and sand.
- Struts: Support the suspension.
- Springs: Takes the car weight and keeps it tall.
- Arms Controllable: Point the wheels to the right place.
When all these components are in sync, driving is way easier and much safer. But if any component gets compromised, then the whole thing suffers. That is where regular maintenance comes
Why Is Regular Suspension Maintenance Important?
1. Ensures Safety
Safety is the #1 reason to keep your suspension up. The suspension directly affects your car’s steering, braking and handling. Shock absorbers, struts, and springs can wear down over time. If you don’t keep up with the servicing of these parts, your car can stop controlling itself if you make a sudden turn or are driving on a hard road. That means more accidents that leave you and your passengers injured.
2. Improves Comfort
Think of the last road trip or commute every day. You need to ride well, and with a properly maintained suspension, you’ll have the shocks and road vibrations reduced. When your suspension is humming along, you can end up with a crappy ride you’ll be bouncing or swinging a lot.
Proper maintenance can make your ride last longer, and each ride can be a pleasure.
3. Enhances Vehicle Performance
Your suspension is not only for comfort and safety, it’s also an integral part of your car’s operation. A well-maintained suspension will keep your tires on the road which will enhance traction and control. This provides control, braking and cornering. If your suspension is left uncovered, it will have bad handling and will make it harder to steer and longer to stop.
4. Prevents Costly Repairs
Suspension parts are made to last but only if you look after them. If left unattended, minor problems like old shocks might quickly become more expensive issues like suspension failure or tires spinning. When you get a regular suspension service, small problems can be detected and repaired before they become big issues. You save money and prolong the life of your vehicle when you spot issues early on.
5. Prolongs the Life of Other Components
Maintaining the suspension isn’t only good for the body – it’s good for other parts of the car as well. For example, if the suspension wears out, then the tires wear unevenly and need to be replaced prematurely. Just as bad suspension makes the steering and brake systems more susceptible to breakdown. You are keeping your suspension in excellent shape and this keeps other areas of your car running well.
Signs Your Suspension Needs Attention
Suspension issues aren’t so easy to miss because some issues are not as obvious. But here are a few things to look out for that mean your suspension might need work:
- Uneven or Excessive Tire Wear: Old suspension components lead to uneven tire wear. If you’re seeing bald spots or irregular tread patterns, it might be suspension problems.
- Bouncing/Swaying: If your car is still bouncing or swaying after you have taken a bump, it might be time to replace your shock absorbers.
- Rough Ride: If your car is unusually rough and unwieldy to drive, have the suspension checked.
- Poor Handling: If your car has less grip in turn or brake you may have suspension problems.
- Leaks: See some fluid below your vehicle or on the shocks, then you have a suspension issue.
How Often Should You Maintain Your Suspension?
Your exact maintenance interval will vary based on your vehicle model and driving habits, but the general recommendation is to have your suspension checked once every year. If you drive on rough roads or in areas with potholes a lot, check more frequently. Watching your suspension makes sure that wear and tear is fixed before it gets to the point of getting serious.
Suspension Maintenance Tips
Here are a few things to keep your suspension in tip top shape:
- Check it Everytime: You have to check the vehicle frequently to detect the early wear and tear. Test your suspension every oil change, etc.
- Check Your Ride Performance: Be on the lookout for how your car rides. If you are getting a difference in ride comfort, don’t discount it. Maybe this tells you something’s wrong.
- Be Good to Your Tires: Properly inflated tires put less stress on your suspension. Check tire pressure often and change old tires on time.
- Don’t Load Up Your Car: If you carry too much weight it will overload your suspension. Remember your vehicle’s load capacity.
- Take Your Time: Don’t get struck out of the blue by potholes and curbs. When driving defensively, your suspension and other parts will not get damaged as much.
The Role of Professional Suspension Maintenance
The simple servicing of some vehicles can be performed by car enthusiasts but suspension systems need to be maintained with expert tools and knowledge. A trained mechanic can do a better job and look at the condition more closely and see what’s going on that isn’t obvious to a casual observer. They can even upgrade deteriorated parts and tune the system for optimal function.
So if you’re in need of quality car accessories and parts to maintain your suspension properly, the Mecarnic is your brand to turn to. They have many different car parts, suspension parts which are robust and long-lasting. They create products to keep your vehicle running the best possible no matter what the road throws at you.
Conclusion
Regular suspension service isn’t only for convenience – it’s for your car to run smoothly for decades to come. By taking care of the basics you’ll avoid expensive repairs, get your car longer, and have a smoother, more stable ride. Seek advice about when your suspension is in need of repair and don’t be afraid to call a professional.
If you’re in the market for car parts and accessories, Mecarnic has a huge collection of high-quality products to keep your car running like new. Visit Mecarnic today and keep your car as safe and reliable as possible.
Recall, good suspension starts with good suspension maintenance – don’t wait till it’s too late
