You should properly maintain your vehicle to get the best driving performance. The suspension is one of the many parts of your vehicle that you always have to maintain. Your car’s suspension ensures that your vehicle always has a smooth and comfortable ride.
The suspension system absorbs the road’s shocks and vibrations and lets your tires contact the surface properly. Your suspension can suffer from major damages because of daily usage. Having the best suspension specialists Australia will not make your car suffer and run smoothly. This article will discuss when you should get your car’s suspension checked.
Why Do I Need To Get My Suspension Checked?
Your vehicle’s suspension alongside the springs, shocks, and struts helps keep your tires in contact with the pavement. This is important, especially when heading down a steep heel, taking a heavy turn, or suddenly stopping the vehicle. But with daily usage, your suspension can easily get worn out, which also causes other parts, such as your tires, to wear out.
The suspension system also has shocks and struts, which help you have better control, tire wear, and riding experience. When your suspension, struts, and shocks wear out, you can see and feel your vehicle’s performance decrease. These downgrades are a slow progression that can happen over a long period.
Once you start to feel the effects of worn-out suspension, your car can excessively bounce and sway, nose dive, bottom out, and have extreme tire wear. These abnormal movements due to worn-out suspensions can make your car less safe. You can experience increased stopping distance, delayed steering response, and lesser road traction.
When Do You Get Your Suspension Checked?
Many signs indicate when your car’s suspension finally needs to be brought to your mechanic. When your suspension wears down, the shocks and strut must be inspected. When you notice your car acting abnormally, such as when it pulls sideways, it might be time to fix or replace your suspension system. Below are the signs of getting your suspension checked.
1. When You Have Issues With Your Brakes
One of the many issues you can face with worn-out suspensions is braking problems. When your suspension system has issues, you can encounter braking problems while driving your vehicle. A common braking problem due to your car’s suspension is when your vehicle takes a long time to stop completely.
When you have a worn-out suspension, you can notice that your car isn’t fully braking as it used to. You can be confused about why this happens, especially when your brakes are still in excellent condition, so you should know that this is one of the first signs of a damaged suspension system.
2. You Are Feeling Every Bump of The Road
An excellent suspension system means your driving experience can be very smooth, and you can barely feel every bump on the road. So when you start to feel the bumps and potholes in the road heavily, it strongly indicates that there is finally a problem with your suspension system. When you notice this issue, getting your suspension, absorbers, and struts checked out would be best.
If you want to confirm the damages on your suspension, you can do a bounce test to see if there are any problems. You only have to push your weight down on the car’s bonnet. After that, you can release your weight and count the number of bounces the car makes. If the bounce is more than three times, it is a sign of a problem with your suspension system.
3. Your Vehicle Makes Uncommon Noises
Another issue with a worn-out suspension system is when your vehicle makes uncommon noises every time you go through a bump. Since your suspension’s purpose is to absorb the shock and vibration when driving, it can create unusual noises when it cannot fully absorb the shock from the bumps and potholes of the road.
When you hear these unusual noises more than often, it indicates that your suspension system finally needs to be checked and repaired. You can go to your trusted mechanic to ensure your safety when driving.
4. Your Car Pulls Sideways When Driving
There is either a problem with your brakes, tires, or shock absorbers once you notice you are pulling to a specific side while you are driving. You should have your tires properly aligned and see if the tire treads are being worn out evenly. Once you check the status of your tires and see it in good condition, the problem might be with your suspension system.
Your car is pulling sideways when driving because there is some sign of wear and tear in your suspension system, specifically your shock absorbers, control arms, and ball joints. You could check for some damages in these parts, but if you’re unsure, you should seek help from a professional mechanic.
5. A Single Corner of Your Car Sits Low
Another indicator that your car has a worn-out suspension system is when a specific corner of your car is. Another indicator that your car has a worn-out suspension system is when a specific corner of your car looks like it is sitting lower than the rest.Â
A worn-out or damaged spring occurs when your car has a single corner sitting lower than the rest. Because of this, you can notice that you hear clunking noises every time you drive through a bump.
You can confirm this by clearing your tires of any issues, pushing your entire weight down on the car’s booth, and seeing how the suspension reacts. If there is a creaking or unusual noise every time you do this, then there is a problem with your suspension system, and you need to have it checked by a mechanic.
Ensure Your Suspension Is In Top Condition!
Your vehicle is one of your heaviest investments, so you do your best to maintain and keep it in its best condition. Fully observe any strange things happening when driving your car, as these can be signs of a broken suspension system. Your suspension system should always be maintained to have a safe and comfortable ride.
