A Guide To Purchasing Car Suspension System And Repair Parts

By Author: Stewart Ralph
Total Articles: 5
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Today, a car undergoes substantial stress yet provides a smooth ride. Again, it is expected to last years, giving the same efficiency. This has been realized only through a superb quality and excellent work yielding suspension systems. It is this system which facilitates accurate steering control, a smooth ride and the sturdiness to carry heavy weights at speed. These not only improve the vehicle’s handling, but also its acceleration and braking.

It being so critical to the car’s continued performance, it is understandable why it is so important for any vehicle driver and owner to understand all signs and symptoms of the suspension system requiring repair and maintenance and identifying and buying quality suspension control arms and parts like the rear springs, torsion bars, etc. The parts can be original manufacturer’s parts as well as third party replacements, or OEMs. Purchasing car suspension kit is both tricky and expensive. Then when buying it, one must look into the major components of the suspension systems.

Control arm suspension kits

These ...
... connect the wheels to the car’s frame and the shock absorber system, which is mounted atop the lower wheel controls to absorb shocks and protect the car's control arms or frame. These arms are generally composed of a steering knuckle, ball joint assembly, struts, and mounts.

Control arm steering knuckle

Attaching the control arm to the steerage linkage, the steering knuckle facilitates the steering wheels and consequently the wheel movement. A complex rigid rod structure, it is located between the two ball bearing joints of the control arm.

Control Arm ball joints

Placed on both sides of the steering knuckle, they lend the car’s wheels optimum steering and turning capability. These should always be installed by an experienced technician or under experienced supervision.

Control Arm Struts

These are stiff metal bars which hold and connect various other parts of the control arm assembly together. Their length and contours vary according to brand and make of a car and thus it’s important to check its compatibility during purchase.

Control Arm Mount

It is a metal plate at each end of the control arm to facilitate bolting to the wheel disk, the frame, and the shock absorber system. All by itself, they are quite small and inexpensive.

Shock absorber suspension kits

These are mounted on the control arm and connect the frame and the wheels to allow the frame to move independently of the wheels and facilitate absorption of the shock generated through wheels by the shock absorbers leading to the protection of the car frame and its passengers from any discomfort or damage.

Spring assemblies

It is one of the most critical components of the shock absorber suspension kits. Depending on the vehicle’s make and model, these are generally of three different types, i.e. coil springs, leaf springs and torsion springs. Each type is also available in various types. Thus, it is very important that whenever one is replacing the shock absorber suspension kit, they ensure that the type of spring assembly is identical instead of the more novel varieties. The coil spring variety is most commonly used and is constructed from various materials and in a number of varieties. Thus, their cost range varies from super cheap to impressively expensive. The leaf variety of shock absorbers are larger than coil springs and are predominantly used today in commercial heavy vehicles like trucks and vans. The torsion springs or bars are only found in antique and vintage cars of the 1960s, which were manufactured in the U.S. and Europe.

Dampers

Used with the spring assembly, they help dissipate the kinetic energy which is absorbed by the springs. They are mostly found as twin-tube shock absorbers and known as Snubbers, a hydraulic oil pump system. Spring assemblies are generally mounted around these.

Anti-sway bars

They provide additional strength and reinforcement to the axle. Rarely included in the car suspension kits, they mostly require independent purchasing.

Sanderson Leaf Springs is an independent and reputed UK supplier from West Midlands, of various replacement suspension parts. With a knowledge and experience of over thirty years, they strive to supply their customers with excellent quality goods at economical prices. They can be contacted directly for the best advice and the most economical prices.