Roads and highways can exhibit a variety of imperfections ranging from barely noticeable bumps to serious potholes. Your vehicle’s suspension system accommodates these imperfections to keep every ride as smooth as possible. Without this essential system, you would feel each bump in the road and experience serious handling issues that compromise the safety of your vehicle. Below, the auto repair team at Mullanphy Tire & Automotive in Florissant, MO, explains how your suspension system improves every driving experience.

What Does a Suspension System Do? Your Local Auto Repair Team Explains

Ride & Handling

Your vehicle’s suspension system has two important jobs. It absorbs impact as you drive along a bumpy road while also allowing you to accelerate, brake, and turn corners safely. It relies on the principle of road isolation, or the vehicle’s ability to absorb and disperse the shock of road bumps without disrupting your driving experience. This system also improves road holding and cornering. Road holding refers to your vehicle’s capacity for maintaining surface contact when making sudden maneuvers, such as swerving to avoid hitting an animal. Cornering is the car’s or truck’s ability to drive on a curved road without body roll issues.

System Parts

Suspension systems are part of your vehicle’s chassis, or the base frame that supports the body and engine. Wheels and tires are part of this system because they help absorb impact and provide traction necessary to acceleration, cornering, and braking. Other system components include springs, shock absorbers/struts, linkages, and flexible connections. The springs help absorb large bumps in the road by bending, while oil-filled shock absorbers or struts prevent vehicular bouncing by reducing the spring movement after driving over a bump or pothole. Linkages keep your wheels in their proper place and are typically made of solid metal. Flexible connections such as bushings, joints, and bearings connect the linkages to the moving parts of your suspension system, such as the springs.

Poor handling and bumpy rides indicate the need for suspension system work. Your auto repair team at Mullanphy Tire & Automotive provides suspension system repairs and replacements among other high-quality maintenance services, including tire rotations and brake service. Work with this friendly team to maintain a safe, comfortable, efficient ride—call (314) 921-4961 today to schedule an appointment. Visit the auto repair team online for more service information and follow the Google+ page for regular maintenance tips.