Car Suspension Problems: A Quick Guide

Most motorists have experienced suspension problems at least once during their driving lifetime. One minute you’re motoring along smoothly, enjoying the road, the next it feels like you’re riding a wagon in the old West.

Suspension issues are fairly common, particularly with older cars, and it’s important to put them right as soon as possible. The poor suspension will not only jar your teeth, it could damage other areas like the tyres. A worn suspension system also increases your stopping distance by as much as 20% so it’s essential to fix for purely safety reasons.

What to Look Out For

Not all suspension problems are easily identifiable. If you’ve hit a pothole on a country road and you find that your car is jarring a lot after that, chances are you’ve damaged something in the suspension.

Another sign, however, is your tyres wearing on one side more than another. Poor handling and loss of stability are other indicators that things are not quite right, either with the suspension or your wheel alignment. Paying a little more attention means that you are likely to spot issues sooner rather than later.

Common Suspension Issues

The suspension system in your car is a lot more complicated than you might think. Areas where breakdowns or issues might occur include:

• Wheel alignment: If your wheels are not pointing in the right direction it can put stress on the suspension system and prevent this from working properly. Off-kilter wheel alignment is fairly common in many cars and having it checked out not only prevents damage but also improves fuel efficiency on the road.
• Shock absorbers: These take the brunt of the road’s impact and the first time you’ll notice a difference is if your car ‘bounces’ a bit more after hitting a rough patch of road.
• Struts: Some cars have struts rather than shock absorbers and these tend to make a knocking sound if something is wrong.
  Springs: These support the weight of the car so are very important. Springs can often get damaged and snap causing a clunking or rattling sound.
• Ball joints: These are found where the suspension attaches to the wheels and can become worn down over time creating creaking and squeaking sounds.

If you experience any of these issues, it’s important to get your car down to your local garage as soon as possible. Leaving things often mean the damage gets worse which can then mean a bigger repair bill.

At White’s Bodyworks, we handle all kinds of repairs and restorations for vehicles both old and new. Our team of expert mechanics and our fully equipped garage ensures that we get you back on the road as quickly as possible with your car in good health.

If you have suspension issues, contact our team today to book an appointment.