Toyowest Automotive

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Suspension Service & Repair

Vehicle suspensions are designed maximize friction between the tires and the road provide stable steering minimize body roll control weight transfer during corning and braking. Isolate road shock by allowing the vehicle’s body to ride independently. It also allows the vehicle to turn in a curved path it does all of this and at the same time providing a comfortable ride.      

 

    

 There are many suspension system designs, for example a sports car designed for high speed driving will have a suspension designed specifically for high speed corning and braking. A system designed to minimize weight transfer during high speed cornering and braking. A good tuned system like this many drivers claim that it feels like it’s on rails. Whereas a typical passenger car isn’t designed for this purpose trying to get it to perform like a sports car is just impossible. Whatever suspension system design your vehicle may have their primary function is the same. When it comes to inspecting and repairing suspension systems it’s not uncommon for someone to overlook a component. There are hundreds of parts that make up a suspension system which all work together to provide all of the functions to ensure fun safe driving. To understand the importance of the suspension system lets take a look at a few of the parts that make up suspension system.

                                         

Frame

Upper control arms

Upper control arm bushings

 

Lower control arms 

         
Lower control arm bushings

Upper ball joints

Lower ball joints

Sway bar                               

Sway bar bushing

Strut rod & bushings

Radius arms

Trailing arms

 Shocks

 Struts & supports

Leaf springs

Coil springs

Torsion springs

Tires & wheels

Wheel hub/knuckle & bearing

 

As one can see there are many components that make up a suspension system as well as sub parts of a component. All of these must work together to ensure safe stable driving.  As suspension components wear the changes felt during driving are very subtle drivers adapt very easily to the different creaks rattles, clunks, more steering effort required to turn,  tires not lasting as long as they used to. These are just a few common examples that happen over time and as parts wear it puts additional load on other components forcing them to work harder than designed eventually leading failure. It takes a competent experienced professional that understands how to inspect & re pair today’s sophisticated suspension systems to ensure safe reliable trouble free operation.   

    To learn more about suspension systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_(vehicle)

Principle

Definition

Goal

Solution

Road Isolation

The vehicle's ability to absorb or isolate road shock from the passenger compartment

Allow the vehicle body to ride undisturbed while traveling over rough roads.

Absorb energy from road bumps and dissipate it without causing undue oscillation in the vehicle.

Road Holding

The degree to which a car maintains contact with the road surface in various types of directional changes and in a straight line (Example: The weight of a car will shift from the rear tires to the front tires during braking. Because the nose of the car dips toward the road, this type of motion is known as "dive." The opposite effect -- "squat" -- occurs during acceleration, which shifts the weight of the car from the front tires to the back.)

Keep the tires in contact with the ground, because it is the friction between the tires and the road that affects a vehicle's ability to steer, brake and accelerate.

Minimize the transfer of vehicle weight from side to side and front to back, as this transfer of weight reduces the tire's grip on the road.

Cornering

The ability of a vehicle to travel a curved path

Minimize body roll, which occurs as centrifugal force pushes outward on a car's center of gravity while cornering, raising one side of the vehicle and lowering the opposite side.

Transfer the weight of the car during cornering from the high side of the vehicle to the low side.