How to Inspect Your Suspension System
Pay attention if your ride begins to feel rougher., Take note if your vehicle pulls or squeaks during turns., Inspect the tread wear on your tires., Try braking abruptly to see if the nose dives as you stop., Look to see if the vehicle sits level...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pay attention if your ride begins to feel rougher.
Over time, components of your suspension can wear out.
While visually inspecting components can often let you know if they’ve become compromised, the easiest way to determine if you are having a suspension issue is by paying attention to how the ride in your vehicle feels.
If it has become progressively rougher, it is likely because the suspension is no longer absorbing the bumps the way it is supposed to.If you begin to feel more bumps and shakes as you drive, there may be an issue with your suspension.
Sometimes a rougher ride will come coupled with audible squeaks as the suspension struggles to manage bumps in the road. -
Step 2: Take note if your vehicle pulls or squeaks during turns.
If you begin to feel as though the vehicle is working against you as you turn, it is likely the result of a failing suspension component.
Different parts of your suspension can affect the steering response, angle of the tires, and the center of balance of the vehicle.
Each of these elements can make your vehicle cumbersome or difficult to turn.
A bad tie rod end will make steering response sluggish.
If you’re an audible creek while turning the wheel, it may be the result of a bad lower ball joint.
Conversely, if you hear knocking as the weight transfers in the vehicle during a turn, it may be caused by a bad sway bar end link.Pay attention to how the vehicle reacts as you turn and compare it to your previous experiences in the vehicle to assess if there is an issue.
Listen carefully to see if components of your suspension are squeaking under pressure.
Every vehicle behaves a little differently while turning, so previous experiences with the vehicle can make assessing issues much easier. , Your tires should wear fairly evenly across the width of the tread.
If you rotate your tires regularly, they should be worn close to evenly throughout.
If you happen to notice the inside or outside of the tire is wearing at a faster rate than the rest, it could be an issue with the camber of your wheels and tires.
Camber is the term used to describe the angle the wheel sits in relation to the vehicle and road.A vehicle with negative camber will wear the inside of the tires more quickly.
A vehicle with positive camber will wear the outsides of the tires more quickly.
Camber is determined by your suspension components and wheel alignment. , If you are having issues with your front struts or shocks, your suspension may struggle to keep the vehicle level under hard braking.
Stop quickly in a safe area and pay attention to the front of your car.
If the nose of the vehicle dives or drops as you slow down, it may be as result of bad shocks or struts.
If you can hear an audible clunk from the front of the vehicle as you brake, there is either an issue with your control arm or sub frame bushing.Your suspension should be able to support the weight of your vehicle and keep it fairly level during most situations.
The front corner of your vehicle may also drop as you turn in the same direction.
This is caused by the same failure. , With the vehicle parked, walk around it and visually assess how level it seems to be sitting.
If one side of the car rests higher than the other, there are likely worn out or broken suspension components to blame.It is not uncommon for the front of the vehicle to ride slightly lower than the rear in many vehicles such as pickup trucks, but the vehicle should otherwise be level. , Your vehicle should have no difficulty withstanding bumps in the road at low speeds.
If you go over a bump and feel your vehicle sway back and forth or bounce after passing the bump, your suspension is struggling to support the weight of the vehicle.Your vehicle should be able to go over a bump and quickly regain composure at low speeds.
If your vehicle sways back and forth after going over a bump, there is likely an issue with your suspension. -
Step 3: Inspect the tread wear on your tires.
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Step 4: Try braking abruptly to see if the nose dives as you stop.
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Step 5: Look to see if the vehicle sits level.
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Step 6: Pay attention to swaying and bouncing at low speeds.
Detailed Guide
Over time, components of your suspension can wear out.
While visually inspecting components can often let you know if they’ve become compromised, the easiest way to determine if you are having a suspension issue is by paying attention to how the ride in your vehicle feels.
If it has become progressively rougher, it is likely because the suspension is no longer absorbing the bumps the way it is supposed to.If you begin to feel more bumps and shakes as you drive, there may be an issue with your suspension.
Sometimes a rougher ride will come coupled with audible squeaks as the suspension struggles to manage bumps in the road.
If you begin to feel as though the vehicle is working against you as you turn, it is likely the result of a failing suspension component.
Different parts of your suspension can affect the steering response, angle of the tires, and the center of balance of the vehicle.
Each of these elements can make your vehicle cumbersome or difficult to turn.
A bad tie rod end will make steering response sluggish.
If you’re an audible creek while turning the wheel, it may be the result of a bad lower ball joint.
Conversely, if you hear knocking as the weight transfers in the vehicle during a turn, it may be caused by a bad sway bar end link.Pay attention to how the vehicle reacts as you turn and compare it to your previous experiences in the vehicle to assess if there is an issue.
Listen carefully to see if components of your suspension are squeaking under pressure.
Every vehicle behaves a little differently while turning, so previous experiences with the vehicle can make assessing issues much easier. , Your tires should wear fairly evenly across the width of the tread.
If you rotate your tires regularly, they should be worn close to evenly throughout.
If you happen to notice the inside or outside of the tire is wearing at a faster rate than the rest, it could be an issue with the camber of your wheels and tires.
Camber is the term used to describe the angle the wheel sits in relation to the vehicle and road.A vehicle with negative camber will wear the inside of the tires more quickly.
A vehicle with positive camber will wear the outsides of the tires more quickly.
Camber is determined by your suspension components and wheel alignment. , If you are having issues with your front struts or shocks, your suspension may struggle to keep the vehicle level under hard braking.
Stop quickly in a safe area and pay attention to the front of your car.
If the nose of the vehicle dives or drops as you slow down, it may be as result of bad shocks or struts.
If you can hear an audible clunk from the front of the vehicle as you brake, there is either an issue with your control arm or sub frame bushing.Your suspension should be able to support the weight of your vehicle and keep it fairly level during most situations.
The front corner of your vehicle may also drop as you turn in the same direction.
This is caused by the same failure. , With the vehicle parked, walk around it and visually assess how level it seems to be sitting.
If one side of the car rests higher than the other, there are likely worn out or broken suspension components to blame.It is not uncommon for the front of the vehicle to ride slightly lower than the rear in many vehicles such as pickup trucks, but the vehicle should otherwise be level. , Your vehicle should have no difficulty withstanding bumps in the road at low speeds.
If you go over a bump and feel your vehicle sway back and forth or bounce after passing the bump, your suspension is struggling to support the weight of the vehicle.Your vehicle should be able to go over a bump and quickly regain composure at low speeds.
If your vehicle sways back and forth after going over a bump, there is likely an issue with your suspension.
About the Author
David Pierce
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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