Suspension Systems 101

As those of us who have a few years under our belts can (sadly) testify, things tend to wear out over time and your car's suspension is no exception with harsh road surfaces only compounding the issue. Although found in several forms, coil springs are the most-commonly recognised components that act as a springing medium to not only keep your car's weight off the ground but also take the hit from bumps in the road. Yes, I just typed that springs are the first component that actually absorb shocks found in the road, NOT "shock absorbers" - or "dampers" for the pedants among us - which don't actually take much of a hit from potholes or speed humps etc., as their role is to control how the car's body reacts to movements of the springing medium.
Regardless, over time springs can sag, lose their stiffness and, in extreme circumstances, even break while dampers (okay, "shock absorbers" to some) can lose their ability to react and handle what the springs throw at them and just stop performing. If your car is listing to one side, or is riding a little too low despite being unladen, this is a good sign that the springing medium in your car is need of attention. If your car has a sudden tendency to wallow or float excessively over bumps that it used to handle without fuss, or you hear a random squeaky or even croaking noise going over speed humps etc., then your dampers could well be past their use-by date, too.

It's not just the "big ticket" items like springs and dampers that need keeping an eye on, there are always items like bump stops, anti-roll bar end links and numerous rubber-lined bushes that wear out over time, usually accompanied by a plethora of knocks, squeaks and bangs not to mention the unwanted extra degree of compliance worn-out components introduce when it comes to making sure your suspension - and steering, I should add - is meant to be doing. On that note, any sudden noises, slop or changes in steering feel should be investigated immediately, vital and mission-critical components like ball joints, tie rods, steering arms and the fasteners (i.e. bolts) used throughout your car's undercarriage should be kept in tip-top condition if only for safety's sake alone! Lastly, a clicking noise that increases with road speed is a sure sign of a CV (constant velocity) joint that is not long for this world, without them your vehicle would have a hard time getting anywhere!

Aside from the obvious benefits of giving your car's suspension a birthday with fresh replacement components, something you might want to consider is improving the suspension system as a whole by selectively upgrading certain parts. It could be as simple as making your car look meaner by cutting ride-height with some lower replacement springs, using dedicated off-road parts for your 4x4/SUV to enable it to better tackle the roads less travelled, or turn your performance vehicle into a corner-carving weapon by opting for handling-oriented upgrades. No matter what the intended purpose, changing your car's suspension system away from the factory-specified setup gives you the freedom to tailor your car's feel to how you want it - no longer do you have to put up with what the car manufacturer thinks their products should drive like!

In terms of value for money, some of the biggest changes to a vehicle chassis' behaviour can be accomplished by using new, uprated bushes; whether the originals are worn or not, firmer polyeurathane-type bushes for steering, suspension and driveline links/mounts reduce the compliance inherent in these normally-rubber-lined joints, thereby making every reaction demonstrably more responsive. Improvements to achievable wheel alignment settings for more performance-oriented handling can also be obtained by using eccentric bushes to optimise steering and suspension geometry away from the conservative factory settings.

If drastically improving overall handling is a key objective of a suspension upgrade then another worthwhile change that needn't break the bank is to opt for uprated anti-roll bars. Also known as "sway bars", anti-roll bars are used to counteract the side-to-side motion induced by a vehicle changing direction when you turn the steering wheel. By increasing the roll stiffness of a car by fitting firmer anti-roll bars, the extra cornering grip achieved by the chassis being better able to use all the tyres more effectively means you can take corners significantly quicker than before.

Lastly, alternative springs and dampers. At the less-complicated end of the scale, replacement springs can be found for many vehicles that will drop the car's ride-height a set amount. This can make the car look a bit meaner but, unless chosen carefully, the shorter springs are sometimes too stiff and/or not a good match to the standard dampers; the result is a handling/ride compromise that just doesn't work as the car doesn't handle much better and certainly rides a lot rougher. The staff here at Automotive Superstore can steer you in the right direction and avoid the wrong combination!

The philsophy of "doing it right the first time" certainly holds true with replacement springs and dampers; you get what you pay for and inferior, cheap "coil-overs" used to replace your original spring/damper units - be they a coil-over or McPherson-type strut setup - are rarely worth bothering with. Matching a spring to a damper and making sure it works for your car is a complicated art, going awry by using a replacement coil-over setup that hasn't had the proper research and development can not only make your vehicle harder to control, but dangerously unbalanced and terrible to drive, the complete opposite of suspension behaviour changes you're trying to achieve.

Treating your car with the gift of new suspension components is one that rewards both car and driver - uprating those new parts to ones aimed around perfecting the driving experience makes it even better. Let Automotive Superstore help you transform your car from something that's "okay" to a vehicle you can be truly overjoyed with.