How to Check and Maintain Your Suspension
How to Check and Maintain
Your Car’s Suspension System
A Complete Guide for Every Driver
Published by Apex Auto Spare Parts | apexautospareparts.ca
Introduction
Car suspension maintenance involves regular inspections, proper tire care, keeping components clean, respecting your vehicle’s weight limits, and replacing worn parts promptly. Your suspension system uses springs, shock absorbers, control arms, and other components to keep your vehicle centred, stable, and free from jarring vibrations so you can enjoy a safe and comfortable ride. It also serves as a structural mounting point for the wheels and steering system.
Use this guide to maintain your car’s suspension, just as you would the engine, tyres, and other critical systems.
| i Think of your suspension like the joints and bones in your body: when they are healthy, you move fluidly — but when they stiffen or wear down, every movement becomes harder and more painful. |
Why Is Suspension Maintenance Important?
Suspension maintenance is important because it directly affects your vehicle’s handling, ride comfort, and safety. The complex geometry of your car’s suspension controls how your tyres contact the road and how much of the road’s uneven surface you feel inside the cabin.
A well-maintained suspension keeps your fuel efficiency steady, extends the life of your tyres and other components, and helps you stay in control during sudden manoeuvres or emergency braking. Neglecting your suspension can lead to:
- Uneven tyre wear and reduced tyre lifespan
- Increased bouncing and reduced ride comfort
- Longer braking distances — a serious safety risk
- Poor handling that could increase your risk of an accident
- Damage to other components such as steering and wheel hubs
Components of Your Vehicle’s Suspension System
Your vehicle’s suspension is made up of several interconnected parts, each playing a specific role in ride quality and handling. Your power steering system also influences the suspension because the steering rack moves suspension components to turn your wheels.
Springs
Leaf springs, coil springs, and torsion bars compress or stretch in response to the road’s surface. These components support your vehicle’s weight, absorb impacts from bumps and dips, and help your tyres maintain consistent contact with the road.
Shock Absorbers
A shock absorber uses a piston moving through hydraulic fluid or gas to dampen the up-and-down motion created by your springs. When you go over a bump and your car settles quickly instead of continuing to bounce, your shocks are doing their job. Most shocks last between 50,000 and 100,000 miles depending on road conditions.
Struts
A strut combines a shock absorber and a coil spring into one unit, serving as both a structural component and a dampener. Most modern vehicles use struts in the front suspension and separate shocks in the rear. Struts are compact and fit well in the limited space near the front wheels.
Control Arms
Control arms connect the wheel assembly to the vehicle’s frame, maintaining proper alignment while allowing the wheels to move up and down over bumps. Your car may have a single control arm per wheel or upper and lower control arms in a double-wishbone configuration.
Ball Joints
Ball joints are ball-and-socket connections that allow smooth, multi-directional movement between the control arms and the steering knuckles. They are critical pivot points that wear over time and should be inspected regularly. A failed ball joint can cause sudden loss of steering control.
Anti-Roll Bar (Sway Bar)
Also known as a stabiliser bar, the anti-roll bar connects opposite sides of your car’s suspension. It reduces body roll during cornering, keeping the vehicle more level and improving stability at speed.
Bushings
Bushings are flexible rubber or polyurethane components that fit between suspension parts. They reduce friction, absorb vibrations, and allow controlled movement of the connected components. Worn bushings often produce clunking or squeaking noises over bumps.
Steering Knuckles
The steering knuckle connects the wheel hub to the suspension, providing the pivot point that allows the wheel to turn when you steer. It links multiple suspension components together and is subject to significant stress.
Tie Rods
Tie rods connect the steering rack to the steering knuckles, transmitting your steering input to the wheels while still allowing suspension movement. Worn tie rods cause loose, imprecise steering and uneven tyre wear.
How to Maintain Your Suspension — Step by Step
1. Regularly Inspect the Suspension System
Unlike your engine, the suspension system does not always give obvious warning signs when something starts to wear. Minor problems can go undetected if you are not routinely checking the components beneath your vehicle. Each time you are under the car or have the wheels removed, give your suspension a once-over. Look for:
- Leaking fluid on shock absorbers or struts
- Cracked or torn rubber bushings
- Loose or missing bolts
- Visible damage to springs or control arms
| ✔ Pro Tip: Check your suspension at least twice a year or any time you have your wheels removed for a tyre rotation or brake service. |
2. Maintain Your Tyres
Your tyres are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road, and they directly affect how your suspension performs. To protect your suspension:
- Use the correct tyre size and type for your vehicle
- Check and maintain correct tyre pressure regularly
- Monitor tread depth and replace tyres when worn
- Rotate and balance tyres as per your vehicle’s schedule
- Get a wheel alignment check at least once a year
Misaligned wheels or uneven tyre wear can put extra stress on suspension components and significantly shorten their lifespan.
3. Clean Suspension Components
Keeping your suspension components clean helps them move smoothly as you drive. Sand and grit trapped between leaf springs can interfere with their compression, and dirty rubber bushings can reduce their flexibility. The next time you wash your car, spray the underside thoroughly to remove road debris, salt, and buildup — especially important in winter months when road salt is heavily used.
4. Stay Within Your Vehicle’s Weight Limit
Your car’s suspension is engineered to support a specific load, including the vehicle’s own weight plus passengers and cargo. Exceeding your vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) — found on the driver’s side door jamb sticker — puts undue stress on springs, shocks, and other components.
| ⚠ The longer your suspension operates under excessive strain, the more likely you are to experience premature wear and potential component failure. |
5. Replace Worn or Broken Parts Promptly
Worn suspension components can compromise your vehicle’s handling and stopping ability. Failed parts like a broken spring or leaking shock absorber can affect steering control and increase braking distance. Replacing worn suspension parts as soon as possible helps prevent further damage and keeps you and other drivers safe.
| ⚠ Always replace shock absorbers and struts in pairs (both front or both rear). Replacing only one side causes imbalanced handling and uneven tyre wear. |
6. Avoid Road Hazards
As part of your daily driving habits, steer clear of potholes, speed bumps taken at high speed, and kerbs whenever it is safe to do so. Aggressive driving and repeated hard impacts take a toll on suspension components over time.
| i That said, always prioritise safe driving. It is better to absorb a pothole than to swerve dangerously into another lane. |
How to Do a Visual Suspension Inspection
What You Need
- A torch / flashlight
- Jack and jack stands (or access to a vehicle lift)
- Protective gloves
- 15–20 minutes
Step-by-Step
- Park on a flat surface and apply the handbrake
- Walk around the car — does it sit level? One corner sitting lower than others indicates a broken spring
- Safely jack up the vehicle and support it on jack stands
- Shine a torch on each shock absorber — look for oil stains or wet patches indicating a leak
- Grab each tyre at 12 and 6 o’clock — any up/down movement means worn wheel bearings
- Grab each tyre at 9 and 3 o’clock — any side-to-side movement means worn tie rods or ball joints
- Inspect rubber bushings on control arms — cracks, tears, or missing rubber require replacement
- Check tyre wear patterns — cupping or scalloping means worn shocks; feathering means alignment or tie rod issues
| ✔ Pro Tip: Bounce Test: Press down firmly on the bonnet or boot and release. If the car bounces more than twice before settling, your shocks or struts likely need inspection or replacement. |
Suspension Maintenance Schedule
Use this table to track when each component should be checked or replaced. Intervals may vary depending on driving conditions — city driving and rough roads accelerate wear considerably.
| Component | Check Interval | Replace When |
| Shock Absorbers | Every 12 months or 80,000 km | Leaking fluid, bouncy ride |
| Struts | Every 50,000–100,000 km | Nose dives when braking |
| Ball Joints | Every 6 months | Clunking, loose steering |
| Tie Rod Ends | Every 6 months | Uneven tyre wear, pulling |
| Control Arms | Every 12 months | Vibration, pulling to one side |
| Sway Bar Links | Every 12 months | Rattling over bumps |
| Coil / Leaf Springs | Every 2–3 years | Sagging, uneven ride height |
| Wheel Bearings | Every 12 months | Humming noise, wheel wobble |
| Bushings | Every 12 months | Clunking, squeaking noises |
| Tie Rods | Every 6 months | Loose steering, uneven wear |
Symptoms of a Worn Suspension
Even with proper maintenance, suspension components wear down over time. Recognising the symptoms early helps you address problems before they affect your safety:
- Drifting or pulling during turns — vehicle leans excessively or pulls to one side when cornering
- Oily or greasy shocks and struts — fluid leaking means the component can no longer dampen movement effectively
- Uneven tyre tread wear — irregular patterns indicate alignment issues caused by worn suspension parts
- Excessive nose-diving when braking — front of car dips noticeably when brakes are applied
- Rougher ride than usual — feeling bumps more than before suggests components are losing their ability to absorb impacts
- Clunking or knocking sounds — especially over bumps or potholes, often pointing to worn ball joints or bushings
- Vibrating steering wheel — particularly at certain speeds, indicating worn components or imbalanced wheels
| ⚠ If your vehicle pulls to one side, makes clunking noises over bumps, or feels unstable at highway speeds, have your suspension inspected by a qualified mechanic immediately. |
DIY vs. Professional Repair
What You Can Do Yourself
- Visual inspections and the tyre bounce/grab test
- Replacing sway bar links (simple bolt-on job on most vehicles)
- Replacing shock absorbers on some vehicles (with proper tools and safety precautions)
- Cleaning suspension components during a car wash
What Requires a Professional
- Ball joint replacement — requires a press and wheel alignment afterwards
- Strut replacement — involves compressed springs which are extremely dangerous to handle without specialist tools
- Control arm replacement — requires precise alignment after fitting
- Wheel bearing replacement — requires specialist pressing equipment
- Full wheel alignment — always required after any suspension work
| ✔ Pro Tip: After any suspension repair, always get a 4-wheel alignment done. Even a correctly replaced part can cause uneven tyre wear and vehicle pulling if the alignment is not reset. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you inspect your car’s suspension?
Inspect your suspension components any time you have your wheels removed, such as during tyre rotations or brake service. As a general guideline, check your suspension at least twice a year or whenever you notice changes in ride quality, unusual noises, or uneven tyre wear.
How long do suspension components typically last?
Most shock absorbers and struts last between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, though this varies depending on your driving conditions, road quality, and vehicle type. Ball joints, bushings, and tie rod ends can wear at different rates. Regular inspections help you catch wear early so you can plan replacements before components fail.
Can a collision affect your car’s suspension?
Yes. Even a minor collision or impact with a large pothole can bend, crack, or misalign suspension components. If your vehicle pulls to one side, rides differently, or makes new noises after an impact, have your suspension inspected by a professional to make sure everything is still within specification.
Should I replace suspension parts in pairs?
Yes — always replace shocks, struts, and springs in pairs (both front or both rear). Replacing only one side creates an imbalance in handling and tyre wear. The older component on the other side will also likely fail soon after anyway.
What happens if I ignore suspension problems?
Ignoring suspension issues leads to progressive damage across multiple components. A worn shock absorber puts more stress on springs and tyres. Worn ball joints can cause sudden loss of steering control. Neglecting suspension maintenance is both costly and dangerous.
Choosing the Right Replacement Parts
Not all suspension parts are created equal. Here is what to look for when purchasing replacements:
- OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) — exact match to factory specification, best for newer vehicles under warranty
- OEM-equivalent aftermarket — same quality standard at a lower price, suitable for most vehicles
- Avoid ultra-cheap unknown brands — low-quality ball joints and tie rods can fail suddenly and without warning
At Apex Auto Spare Parts, we stock quality suspension components for a wide range of makes and models. Our team can help you identify the correct part for your specific vehicle, year, and trim level.
Need Suspension Parts?
Browse our full range of quality suspension components at:
www.apexautospareparts.ca
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