Untimely detection of breakdowns of the running gear of a car is fraught with serious consequences: in addition to an increase in the load on the body, leading to its destruction, emergency situations may occur.
The most common cause of a car suspension malfunction is the wear of specific parts. This can be determined not only by visual inspection, but also by the characteristic noises, knocks arising from movement.
Steering levers and tips
Failure of the steering arm can be associated with a long service life and the resulting corrosion. Another reason may be related to breakdown as a result of a factory defect or an accident. Failure of the steering lever is an extremely rare phenomenon; steering tips, which are a hinged structure, protected from dirt and dust by a special rubber cover, are much more likely to fail. It is his damage that leads to premature failure of the part.
Therefore, upon visual inspection, pay attention to the condition of the rubber boot; if there are cracks, holes, it must be replaced. A symptom of a malfunctioning steering tip is a noticeable backlash. It's easy to check it: turn the steering wheel left and right and see how accurately its rotation is transmitted to the wheels. When driving (speed approx. 60 km / h), backlash is defined as a slow response to steering.
Silent blocks, springs and shock absorbers
The wear of the silent blocks (or rubber-metal hinges of the lever axles) leads to knocking in the car's suspension, which is especially well audible when driving on uneven roads. Also, a malfunction of the silent block leads to a deterioration in the controllability of the car. A visually poor hinge can be identified by loose, cracked, or torn rubber. Saylet blocks cannot be repaired - they can only be replaced.
Spring breakage is a rare occurrence, caused mainly by constant machine overload or factory defect. The wear of the springs is much more common: this leads to a subsidence of the body, a decrease in ground clearance and, as a result, a breakdown of the suspension. Uneven wear of the springs may cause the vehicle to roll to the side while driving. Therefore, when changing the springs, do it as a set, i.e. put a couple of identical parts at once. The wear of these parts can be determined by the subsidence of the car body or by the touching of the body by the wheel (typical for rear springs) when the rear seat or trunk is loaded (for example, three passengers in the back).
A shock absorber malfunction is characterized by "breakdowns" (sharp knocking) of the suspension, which occur when the wheel hits even a small hole. Determine the suitability of the shock absorber can only be removed. To do this, you need to compare the force when pulling the stem and pressing it in: for a serviceable part, pulling the stem out is much more difficult than pressing it in.
