If you’ve ever experienced an uncomfortable, bumpy ride, you would appreciate the importance of having a good car suspension. This system consists of springs that work with other vital components to function as a vehicle’s shock absorber. Aside from giving you a smooth ride, a suspension also plays a crucial role in your car’s performance and power.
Now that you are aware of the importance of your car’s suspension, you may wonder how they work. In this post, we are going to discuss it.
How the Suspension System Works
There are different ways to attach a car’s wheels to allow them to move up and down on their dampers and springs. It is worth noting that the front wheels must be able to pivot on their steering swivels. Moreover, the wheels must have the freedom to rotate with the drive shafts.
Most modern vehicles have an independent suspension which allows each wheel to travel individually. However, there are more affordable cars with a simpler design that uses a more basic beam axle. Live axles are the only beam axles still seen in new cars. Each end of live axles has a powered wheel. On the other hand, each end of dead axles has a free-spinning tire.
It is important to note that rear tires that do not run independently always keep the same angle relative to each other instead of relative to the surface of the road. As such, their handling is less predictable and you cannot expect good traction from them. An example of this would be the Ford Mustang. Older molders were criticized for having a live axle. The auto manufacturer prioritized performance over handling when designing its suspension.
Meanwhile, a lot of off-road automobiles still use a depended suspension system. Compared to independent suspension systems, a dependent car suspension is not as expensive. This type of suspension has two different axles that are attached to the rear and front sets of tires.
It is worth noting that when you drive a car with a dependent suspension system, controlling or handling becomes a bit intricate. Moreover, your passengers inside the cabin will feel high vibrations. On the other hand, you can expect that most vehicles with dependent suspension have higher strength and power. What’s more, they can carry more weight than what independent suspension vehicles can.
How Can the Suspension System Make Rides Comfortable?
When the suspension is built with good road isolation, you can expect the car to offer a comfortable ride. The suspension can move up and down when necessary without jarring the vehicle. You will notice that classic luxury cars are the perfect example of such cushy suspension. If you try driving one, you would feel as if you were operating a boat. However, this is not always a good thing. It is still essential that a driver feels the road adequately to know if there are dangers to avoid.
How to Keep Your Car Suspension in Good Condition
When you want to identify issues in a vehicle, you need to perform regular car maintenance and service. You need to find an experienced mechanic who knows how to check a suspension system properly. They should be able to inspect the axle and the tires to see if there are early signs of damage or cracks on the suspension and its components.
If you want to prolong the life of your suspension system, you also need to clean and wash the debris out on a regular basis. Make sure you check if all the joints are attached perfectly, to ensure that you can drive safely and comfortably through rocky roads.
