Can You Explain My Car’s Suspension?
Car Suspension Systems Explained
When your car has been involved in a collision, it’s important to check the suspension and make any needed repairs. It’s easy to see the cosmetic damage — scraped paint, dents, a flat tire, a hanging bumper — but what lurks underneath is just as important to address. You’ll feel more at ease and in control during the repair process if you know a bit about your car’s suspension. At Showtime Collision in Running Springs, California, we’ll help you through your collision repair job, suspension and all.
The Major Parts and Their Importance
Your vehicle’s suspension is designed to absorb energy and smooth out your ride as you cross bumps, keeping you more comfortable and improving safety by improving driver control, enhancing steering ability, and maintaining better contact between the tires and the road. Used narrowly, suspension refers to shocks (also called dampeners) or struts (a specialized shock mounted sideways inside a coil spring for structural support), springs, and anti-sway bars. In the broader sense, the suspension system includes the frame, steering system, and tires/wheels. The dampeners/shock absorbers attach to the axles and frame, reducing the spring’s motion. They’re needed in addition to the springs. While springs absorb energy well, they don’t dissipate energy as effectively as the shock absorbers. Shocks work hydraulically, keeping the car’s bounce controlled by extending and contracting as the auto travels across rough surfaces. Similarly, springs (either coil, leaf, air, or torsion bars) provide the “give” needed to let your car ease across bumps so you don’t feel every little jolt. Their design and location balances cornering ability with ride quality. (Typically, a smoother ride means reduced cornering ability, while great cornering translates into a rougher ride.) Finally, anti-sway bars are metal rods that cross the width of the axle, preventing violent side-to-side motion and adding stability.
Restoring Your Car’s Suspension After a Collision
Now that you better understand your car’s suspension, you can see why it’s important to ensure that it’s repaired properly after a crash. At Showtime Collision, we not only take care of the issues you can see, but we also remedy those important underlying issues that can pose a safety hazard if left unchecked. What’s more, you know we’re the collision repair shop you can trust. We are an I-CAR Gold Class facility in business for more than 30 years, and our technicians participate in annual training to stay abreast of the lastest infomration and techniques. What’s more, we’ll work with you, your insurance company, or both. We’re recognized as a Direct Repair Program (DRP) participant with most insurers. If we aren’t on your insurance company’s DRP list, we’ll still work with their representatives, and we’re glad to work directly with you for projects not covered by insurance. Call us today 909.867.7025 to schedule an appointment.