Front and Rear Suspension
Other than oil changes and regular maintenance, a very important component of the life of a vehicle lies in the health of the front and rear suspension. It is easy to forget about these parts of the vehicle, but it can be seriously detrimental and cost quite a bit for auto repair. When the steering wheel is turned, the front suspension pivots on the suspension strut bearing at the top of the suspension and on the ball joint at the bottom of the suspension. The most common style of strut is a larger shock absorber that contains an integral coil spring as part of its assembly. Since front wheel drive vehicles will have many components in a small space, the strut was designed to help with space limitation and reduce the overall weight of the components. The strut eliminates the need for an upper control arm by acting as the connection between the steering knuckle and the upper body of the car.
The front suspension strut serves as the shock absorber in many vehicles today. They move to compensate as a vehicle is driven over rough or uneven road surfaces. A vehicle with strut-style suspension has a suspension strut assembly at each wheel, which needs to be replaced if the strut leaks oil or no longer has a dampening effect. The rear suspension also works to absorb shock at the rear of the vehicle. Read more