Vehicle Steering & Suspension:
What is Steering & Suspension? The Steering & Suspension are key safety related systems that affects the way your car rides and handles. You should have these sysetms checked regularly, at least once a year.
What does the Steering & Suspension do? The suspension maintains the relationship between the wheels and the frame of the car. The suspension system interacts with the steering system to provide vehicle control. When the system is working correctly, the suspension system helps absorb the irregularities in the road, such as potholes, rough terrain etc, but absorbing these irregularities it helps maintain vehicle stability. The steering system transmits you input from the steering wheel to the steering gear and other steering components that control the cars direction, so if you move the wheel fiercely the car will steer in that direction fiercely.
Wear & Tear – Over time your steering & suspension components wear out and require replacement. Regular checks are important to maintain a safe car.
Factors that affect your wear :
- Driving Habits
- Conditions your driving in (potholes etc)
- Vehicle Type
- Type of Steering & Suspension system
- Frequency of regular maintenance such as chassis lubrication and wheel alignment
How to tell if you have a Steering or Suspension Problem – signs to look out for:
- Car pulls to one side
- Uneven Tyre wear
- Excessive noise, vibration or bouncing
- Loss of control
The Key Components in your cars steering and suspension are your shock absorbers and or struts, steering knuckle, ball joints, steering rack / box, bearings, seals or hub units, tie rod ends, springs, and steering arms.
If you car starts to display any of the symptoms we would advise booking it in for a check up asap to avoid breakdown or loss of control whilst driving. Once a problem occurs its not going anywhere until its fixed it will only get worse.
