Suspension system diagnosis and repair

Suspension system diagnosis

First of all, it is necessary to understand that timely suspension system diagnosis influences steering control, stability, and the most important – your safety on the road.

The automotive suspension system is a complex of suspension mounting mechanisms, which provides connection between wheels and car body while driving. 

The main functions of the automotive suspension system are:

-          Balancing of dynamic loads on the support structures;

-          Improvement of auto drag-out qualities;

-          Adaptation of automotive suspension to the road surface;

-          Adaptation of automotive suspension to the tilts in turns;

-          Absorption of noises and vibration, which appear while wheel friction to the road surface.

Automotive suspension system is constantly exposed to great loads and it has great risk of wearing. Specialists recommend inspecting suspension system after every 10-12 000 km kilometrage, and if any signs of its breakage are available.      

Suspension breakage can be discovered in the following ways:

-          Strange knocks while driving on rough road;

-          Din while even driving;

-          Steering wheel play;

-          Bad stability while driving on high speeds;   

-          Increased body tilt in turns;

-          Increased braking distance;

-          Early ABS system operation while braking on rough road, etc.

In case of discovering such signs of suspension breakage, suspension system diagnosis and repair are necessary.

Automotive diagnosis includes:

-          Inspection of shock absorber, springs, end abutments;

-          Checking of play in ball joints, tie rods, C.V. joints;

-          Checking condition of bushings and other units of automotive suspension system;

-          Inspection of hub bearings;

-          Inspection of wearing of brake pads, brake discs, brake drums, brake hoses;

-          Checking of brake system tightness.

Suspension system repair 

Timely suspension system diagnosis and repair guarantee your comfort and safety on the road. Besides, you should bear in mind, that exploitation of automobile with defective suspension system leads to prompt wearing of other elements of automotive chassis. You should remember, that it is cheaper to eliminate one defect than several its consequences.

If you notice any signs of suspension system breakage, you need to apply urgently to the car service station to eliminate breakages of all units.

Main function of shock absorber: 

-          Providing car stability;

-          Decreasing of body tilt while sharp braking;

-          Eliminating possibility of wheels losing contact with road surface;

-          Shortening braking distance, decreasing of sideslip.

Another signs of shock absorber breakage are: knocking while driving on rough road, car wobbling, long swinging after every push. Timely not changed defective shock absorber can cause prompt wear of hub bearings, ball joints, transmission shaft, wheel discs, and brake pads. As a result, repair of steering, and brake system will be needed too. 

Bushings change

Bushing suppresses vibration and rattles in details joining. It shares great part of suspension system loads. The signs of defect are: specific side wear of tyres, and car wobbling while driving.  

Ball joints change

Ball joints are aimed at not just wheels turn, but also for providing stability on rough road areas. As a rule, the main sign of ball joint defect is suspension knock while driving over artificial road irregularities (speed limits), over rough road, over tram tracks. Bad ball joint wear can cause loss of driving control: worn ball joints can be simply torn out.     

Tie rods change

The mains sign of necessity of tie rods change are: strange knock while steering shaft rotation, steering wheel play. If the tie rods are in very bad condition, exactness of steering can be lost and car can be thrown from side to side on the road. 

Repair and change of steering rack and steering mechanism

In case of steering racks repair, usually they are completely disassembled, and each part is inspected separately (shaft, gaskets, gear bearing and boot, gasket rings). After that, defective parts are changed for new ones. After complete repair and checking steering rack operation, steering mechanism is again installed on the car, hydraulic amplifier fluid is changed.

Hub bearing change

Bad wear of front wheels bearings causes plays, which strongly damages stabilization of steering wheels, and complicates driving. The signs of big clearances in bearings are: specific crack, wobbling on the even road and wheels jumping.

C.V. joint change

The main sign of C.V. joint defect is crunch or clicking in case of sharp turns or fast acceleration. Inner C.V. joint should be changed, if crunch is heard while direct driving.

Angles of wheel arrangement can be changed in the process of suspension system repair, that is why it is strongly recommended to arrange adjustment of wheel camber and toe-in.