Suspension Systems

Suspension Systems

You vehicle’s suspension system keeps you from bouncing around on the road. The main job of the suspension system is to maximize friction between the road and your tire to ensure stability, comfort and control.

The suspension system is part of the chassis, which includes the frame, suspension system, steering system, tires and wheels. Your vehicle’s subframe holds the suspension system together and often employs subframe bushings or a subframe bushing kit to cushion and quiet movement.

The suspension system is made up of many important parts: springs, dampers and sway bars. Learning the differences between these parts, the subcategories within and the way each part works will help you understand how your vehicle works—and what can sometimes go wrong.

Springs

Springs absorb the motion of your tires as they bounce up and down on the road. There are many types of suspension springs, and each serves a slightly different function. Let’s look at the main types of springs: coil springs, leaf springs, torsion bars and air springs.

Coil Spring absorb wheel motion by compressing their coils up and down. Coil springs are common in most vehicles, but not all are created equal. Stock springs are usually good enough for regular driving, but there are a variety of performance coil springs made specifically for off-roading and racing.

Leaf springs use several layers of metal in one unit to absorb wheel motion. Usually used on trucks and heavy vehicles, stock leaf springs can also be swapped for performance parts for better handling off road.

Torsion bars twist on their axis to absorb road bumps. They are very popular among European cars.

Air Springs utilize air bellows that fill up and release to absorb the motion of your vehicle’s wheels. Because they deliver a smoother ride and won’t rust like metal springs, air springs are becoming increasingly popular in today’s vehicles.

Dampers

Dampers work in conjunction with suspension springs to provide more control, as well as added support for the vehicle’s frame. Some common dampers include shocks and struts.

Shocks, or Shock Absorbers, absorb the up and down motion caused by a bumpy ride. They utilize a piston motion that dissipates energy and include the following parts: shock bump stop, shock bellows, shock mount plate, shock bushing and shock mount gasket. Most vehicles use shocks to provide a smooth ride, though there are many performance shock upgrades that can improve ride quality even more, especially for lifted, off-road vehicles.

Like springs, struts dampen road bumps. Unlike springs, they also provide extra structural support. Struts can often be found inside coil springs and include the following parts: spring seat, strut bearing, strut bellows, strut brace, strut bump stop, strut dust sleeve, strut housing, strut insert, strut mount and strut mount bushing.

Sway Bars

Sway bars, or anti-sway bars, trailing arms and radius rods provide a more level ride by connecting different suspension components.

Sway bars are used in conjunction with shocks or struts and connect the left and right wheels for more stability. Trailing arms provide a link between the axle and the chassis, usually on rear axles. And, torque rods or radius rods control wheel motion on a longitudinal plane.

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