What’s Under Your Hood?
Even if you don’t know how to change a tire, it’s safe to say you know what a smooth ride feels like. However, if you’re thinking that your car’s suspension system only plays a small role, you’d be wrong. The suspension system doesn’t play just one role; it plays several crucial roles to ensure your vehicle operates at its maximum potential. But what is a suspension system? How does it work?
What is the suspension system?
Your car’s suspension system is comprised of the tires, the air within the tires, springs, linkages and shock absorbers. These components work together to minimizes the effects and impact of forces from the ground as you’re driving. Particularly when driving over rough terrain, it’s important that your suspension system is fully functional. If not, it can cause damage to more than just your tires.
What does a suspension system do?
In the past, suspension systems didn’t have that much of an impact on how cars handled the forces of the road. But with the constant evolution of vehicle technology, a standard system is able to do the following:
- Absorb most of the vibration
- Take impact forces from the road
- Fight against gravity to create a smooth ride
- Keeps the tires on the road’s surface to injury
How does it work?
Basically, is what prevents the vehicle from shaking and keeping it from falling apart when in motion, particularly when driving over rugged terrain or if you hit a pothole. There are two types of suspension; dependent and independent. Most cars these days have an independent suspension. Independent suspension means that each individual wheel is suspended. For example, if one wheel in the front or back lost its suspension, the other three would maintain their’s.
Dependent suspension systems are mainly used for larger vehicles such as minivans and SUV’s. It’s comprised of a solid axle that goes along the entire width of the frame. A dependent suspension system connects the left and right wheels in the front and back of the vehicle.
Signs That Your Suspension System Needs Replaced
Now that you know what a suspension system is and how it works, let’s get into the various signs that point to it malfunctioning. Sometimes, the signs are subtle, so it’s important to know what to look for.
These tell-tale signs may include:
- Your car is riding rougher than usual
- Your car drifts or pulls during turns
- Your car dips whenever you make a stop
- The tire treads are completely uneven
As you can see, car suspension plays a massive role in your car’s survival. Without it, accidents would be a lot more common than they are today. Do you suspect that your suspension system is going out? Contact Miami Power Wheels today by calling our number at 305-553-1888 and we’ll make sure that your car stays suspended!
