Harsh winters often cause the roads to become filled with potholes which can meddle with the shocks and struts of your car over time. Though most automobiles are specially designed to absorb such shocks, they are not completely immune to the same causing the car’s suspension system to deteriorate gradually.
In such backdrops, owners often ponder over decisions like ‘should I sell my car or get the faulty part replaced.’ You should note that a car can withstand such a form of wear and tear up to fifty thousand miles after which the suspension system gets impacted emitting weird noises even while driving through a buttery smooth road.
Today we are going to take a look at a few signs which indicate a faulty suspension so that the owners can get it checked and fixed right away:
- Squeaky Noises While Crossing Speed-Breakers Or Bumpy Roads
If you have been hearing squeaky noises every time your car crosses bumpy roads or speed-breakers, then this indicates that your shock absorber is degrading. It also becomes very difficult to maintain proper control over the car as its performance curve dives down.
Your car will make screeching sounds every time it crosses over a speed bump. You can get the shock absorbers replaced by contacting a technician immediately.
- Feeling Road Bumps
Another popular sign of your car suspension becoming worn-out is feeling all the bumps in the road. It becomes challenging to even drive over small potholes or undulations. Mostly, the problem concerns piston-cylinder assembly and needs immediate repair to bring the car back to its normal working condition again.
- Vehicle’s One Side Sitting Lower Than Another
At times, one side of your vehicle might sit lower than the other while you have parked it somewhere. This might happen even when you do not hear any squeaky noises while driving over bumps.
It indicates that the suspension springs at one side of the car have broken and require immediate replacement as it can’t sustain the car’s weight any further.
- Difficulty In Steering The Car
Last but not the least, drivers might face a lot of difficulties steering their car even while driving at low speeds. This indicates an immediate need for suspension repair. The system might be lagging, require oiling or a complete replacement.
Conclusion
For inspecting the suspension system, you can take the vehicle for a drive while removing all possible noises and distractions. If you hear noises, then you should try to determine whether the noises are consistent or they happen while turning the wheel or going over speed bumps.
After gathering information from the test drive, place your hand on the meeting point of the fender and hood to slightly bounce the car. If your vehicle bounces back up and stops, then this means that the strut or shock of your car is functioning properly.
A blown-out strut is indicated if the car keeps on bouncing up and down. You should check individual struts by trying out this method at every corner of the car. For the shakedown test, you can raise the corner of the vehicle using a floor jack. You should now get the tire off the ground and use a safety jack stand for securing the vehicle.
Finally, you can shimmy the tire back and forth by holding it firmly at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock. The same movement should be repeated by placing your hands at 6o’ clock and 12o’ clock. The suspension system is most likely to have worn out if you experience any excessive movement.
