HOW IMPORTANT IS SUSPENSION ...


Garwin Beukes - Last week we touched on the exterior bits of your car which make the world's difference when it comes to safety. Today we tackle a subject either heavily neglected or over exaggerated by Namibian folks.

Suspension.

The suspension system on your car is responsible for the control of your vehicle and how soft it drives, for now we'll go with the term “ride quality”.

Well since the suspension system maximizes the friction between the tires and the road to provide steering stability and good handling, there are certain elements which could improve or essentially worsen your ride quality and handling.

However, before you start doing mods we need to ensure that your existing suspension system is always in tip-top shape.

Worn out suspension (pap shocks) will most definitely reduce the stability of the vehicle and reduce driver control, as well as accelerate wear on other suspension system components.

Here's a quick run down of what our shocks and struts do:

  1. Prevent premature tyre wear
  2. Maintains the tyre's frequent contact with the road
  3. Monitors the spring movement
  4. Monitors the shock travel (will determine how hard you feel the bumps you hit on the road)
  5. Preserve Wheel alignment

Worn shocks cause hard shakes and extra bounce on your vehicle which effects your entire car. Parts don't last their recommended life span because they are frequently under pressure and move out of possession way to often.

Next week we tackle suspension upgrades as well as downgrades hidden under the name “mods”.