How to improve suspension on a car
Thursday 1st September 2022
Your vehicle suspension doesn’t just affect the comfort of you and your passengers, it has an integral role in keeping your car stable and impacts your steering, braking and handling. In our helpful guide, we’ll explain when you might need to improve your suspension and how to keep it safe.
What is suspension?
Put simply, your car suspension consists of all the components that connect the body of your car to the road. These parts work together to absorb the impact of the road surface. The main components include shock absorbers, springs and dampers. Our suspension guide explains in more detail exactly what car suspension is and how it works.
When do you need to upgrade your car suspension?
If there’s a fault or your suspension is worn out
There are a number of reasons you might want to upgrade your suspension. One of the main reasons is if your suspension has a fault or is showing signs of wear. Signs your suspension might need attention include.
- A bumpy ride
- Suspension suddenly dipping lower on one side
- Finding your brakes are working slower than usual
- Noticing you have less effective control or handling than usual
If you’re not sure if your suspension is at fault, a good way of checking is by pressing down on the front of the car when it’s parked and bouncing it a few times, when you let go if the car continues to bounce it’s a good idea to bring it in for a free suspension check.
Carrying heavy loads
If you’re regularly transporting heavy materials or towing heavy loads such as a caravan or trailer this may affect your suspension. You may want to adjust your suspension for the following reasons.
- To achieve a better level of balance when towing heavy loads
- To improve the weight capacity your vehicle is able to take
Equally, if you regularly transport heavy loads your suspension could wear out faster than usual, if you have any concerns about your suspension one of our suspension specialists will be happy to provide you with a competitive quote.
Off-road driving
If you need to drive off-road at any point, you’ll need to make sure your vehicle is able to handle the different extremes of the surface you’re driving on. You may need to make adjustments to your suspension such as
- Lifting your vehicle so that it’s capable of clearing obstacles
- Reinforcing your suspension so that it can deal with extreme road surfaces.
Here at Formula One Autocentres our team of experts at your local centre are well equipped to deal with any of your suspension needs.
Aesthetic reasons
Lowering your suspension is something that some people do to add to the aesthetics of their car. If this you decide to lower your suspension you’ll also benefit from better handling on your vehicle and an amplified road feel, but it’s also worth noting that although it might look stylish, low suspension is not something you’ll enjoy experiencing on rougher roads.
Ways to improve your car suspension
Depending on the desired results, you may want to lower or higher your suspension. The lower your suspension is the more you’ll feel the road and the better handling you’ll experience. The higher your suspension is, the better your vehicle will be at clearing obstacles and your ride will be much smoother. Other ways of improving your suspension can include upgrading your components, this could be with new shock absorbers or by installing stronger springs.
Whether your suspension has a fault or is beginning to wear out our team of specialists are fully trained to carry out a full inspection free of charge. And, if you’re looking to upgrade your vehicle’s suspension simply contact your nearest branch and one of our specialists can provide you with a competitive quote.
