Shocks, Struts and Springs

The job of a vehicle’s suspension system is to keep the tires evenly on the road and the vehicle frame which the body attaches to running in a smooth forward motion rather than uncontrollable up and down as you go over bumps. When you are turning the suspension system’s ability to keep the tires on the road and minimize the car body’s tendency to roll into the curve allows you to maintain safe controlled steering.

Your car has springs attached to the frame absorbing the upward and downward motion of your vehicle. Shock Absorbers act as a control on the spring’s motion by absorbing and dissipation the motion of the springs into hydraulic energy in the oil filled pistons of the shocks. A coil spring called the strut is placed around the shock to act as another layer of vertical energy abortion. The strut absorbs vertical motion and the shock absorber acts just as its name implies.

Feel your tires and you will notice that they are either even across or worn unevenly. If they are uneven then the suspension system is not keeping your tires firmly on the ground. If you take it in for service before you get severe tire unevenness you may save the cost of new tires.