How to improve the life of your car’s suspension

Suspension systems are the unsung heroes of your car. They work behind the scenes to make sure that the car stays in control, does not bounce out of the way and give you a comfortable ride. We bring you everything that you should know the conventional suspensions and how to make them last longer.

How does suspension work?

Even freshly laid tarmac has imperfections that can throw you and your car in the air. At high-speeds, even the smallest of the bumps on the road can cause major damage to the car and the occupants. Suspensions work by damping any such undulations of the road surface and keep the car in control. The suspensions absorb the shocks to give a smooth ride. They also play a major role during braking, accelerating and taking corners. The suspensions modulate the changes and keep the vehicle stable.

What causes damage to suspension?

Suspensions work constantly even on the smoothest roads. Wear and tear during operation eventually makes them ineffective. Bumpy roads, high speed driving on the bumps, braking or accelerating too harshly, and taking corners at high speed can make your suspension go weak much earlier than their expected lifetime. Suspension systems may also rust, and loose their effectiveness over time.

How to make them last longer?

1. Be slow on the bumpy roads. The slower you go, the more time you give to the suspensions to get adjusted to the road. Slowing on bad surfaces is a must if you want a longer life of the coils and springs.
2. Unaligned wheels can put bad force on the suspensions. Wheel are directly connected to the suspensions and unaligned wheels put negative force on them making them wear more quickly.
3. Ensure tyres are in top condition. The tyres are the primary contact between the road and vehicle and take maximum abuse. Bald tyres or wrongly inflated tyres put pressure on the suspensions and lower their life.

How to spot worn out suspension?

1. Your vehicle will sway and would not stay in a straight line even though the tyres are inflated properly and are aligned.
2. The vehicle will dive too much in front much during braking.
3. The vehicle will bounce during corners and there will be too much body-roll.
4. The ground clearance has become lower.
5. The suspension makes thumping sounds while going through bumps.

Suspensions do not only make the car more comfortable but they also affect the performance, acceleration of the vehicle. Make sure that the suspensions are in their prime condition to enjoy the best ride and performance of your car.

Check out the abuses your suspension goes through during daily commute