Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [suspension]

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. -Wikipedia

439 questions
14
votes
7 answers

Is it better to drive across a speed bump at a right angle or slightly skewed?

I'm wondering if it is better for your suspension to drive across a speed bump at a right angle (so that the two front tires and the two rear tires hit the bump at the same time, respectively), or at a skewed angle so that only one tire at a time…
Tanith Rosenbaum
  • 243
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
11
votes
3 answers

How Urgent is it to Replace Worn Out CV Boots

I recently noticed that what I think are the inner CV boots on my 99 Nissan Almera have started coming apart: They were still in one piece this past August when I took the car for inspection, so this is fairly recent. How urgent is it to deal with…
Robert S. Barnes
  • 15,708
  • 69
  • 148
  • 239
7
votes
4 answers

Why do race cars need suspension?

Consider F1 or NASCAR race cars. From what I understand these cars are not subjected to undulating troubling roads that produce heavy pitching or bouncy motions. The tracks seem pretty levelled. As for rolling, wouldn't there be no rolling if…
RedHelmet
  • 273
  • 2
  • 6
7
votes
3 answers

Pros and cons lowering sedan?

Thanks to the community here I have successfully fixed my overheat problem, so I'm moving on to another problem...lowering the 95 camry. The method I'm planning on using to lower it is by adjusting the torsion key. Any pros or cons to this method?…
Nathaniel Davidson
  • 1,151
  • 5
  • 14
  • 25
6
votes
1 answer

What is the difference between a knuckle and spindle?

Surprised I didn't see this asked before but when watching videos about suspension components and installs I've commonly seen people refer to, what I would imagine a spindle, but call it a knuckle. So what is the difference between a spindle and a…
Hᴇʀʙɪᴇ
  • 3,737
  • 8
  • 32
  • 67
6
votes
1 answer

Hydropneumatic suspension ride height

My Citroën BX has various ride heights since it works on hydropneumatic suspension. How safe / smart would it be to drive using the lowest height VS the medium ride height? pics for comparison
EChan42
  • 1,005
  • 2
  • 10
  • 23
6
votes
1 answer

Differences between pullrod and pushrod suspensions - Pro's and Con's

Can someone please explain the differences between a pullrod and pushrod suspension and provide the pro's and con's of each configuration? Typically these suspensions are used on open wheeled vehicles. Any visual aids regarding components or…
DucatiKiller
  • 32,910
  • 22
  • 147
  • 265
5
votes
2 answers

How to replace balljoint?

Out of curiosity, how does one go about replacing the balljoints in a car? Specifically the rear toe arms from a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse? I've got a set of good condition rear arms that have suspect balljoints. Typically one just replaces the…
Brian Knoblauch
  • 12,490
  • 3
  • 33
  • 40
5
votes
1 answer

What's wrong with worn-out suspension?

I'm about to buy an RV from a friend. I've never bought any kind of vehicle before, and I know nothing about cars except through web searches. But I do have a grad-level physics education and some engineering experience with which to understand…
themirror
  • 261
  • 1
  • 3
4
votes
2 answers

MacPherson strut lower control arm ball joint play and suspension geometry

So I've replaced this ball joint and still get play going over bumps and with the steering wheel turned all the way to one side or another-- you can rock the wheel and get about 15 degrees of play in that ball joint. I'm trying to visualize the…
paIncrease
  • 211
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
4
votes
1 answer

Why do hydropneumatic suspensions need hydraulics?

According to wikipedia, A hydropneumatic system combines the advantages of two technological principles: Hydraulic systems use torque multiplication in an easy way, independent of the distance between the input and output, without the need for…
anonymous2
  • 5,225
  • 3
  • 29
  • 58
4
votes
1 answer

What factors should I consider when selecting a suspension kit?

I'm in need of new struts, and see that there are many suspension kits available, ranging from around US$100-$200 to close to $2000 for performance/sport suspension packages. What are the advantages of more expensive suspension systems, and what…
Flimzy
  • 519
  • 2
  • 7
  • 17
3
votes
2 answers

May the suspension become harder with the time? How to tell if it is broken if it is not soft enough?

I just bought a used car (ix35) and I feel the suspension is too hard. Back is much harder than front. I would say it is a hard shock absorbers, but I read through the list of ways how the shockers can be broken, they can: 1) become softer 2) start…
Yevgeniy Afanasyev
  • 259
  • 2
  • 5
  • 14
3
votes
1 answer

I get a vibration in steering wheel at highway speed and a knock or clanking noise at slow speeds

I have just had new tires put on and have checked the balance twice and also replaced the lower ball joint and had the new tires aligned. Vibration has become very noticeable. There's no play in the steering and don't get that clicking noise with a…
cynthia wyman
  • 31
  • 1
3
votes
4 answers

In what order does it make sense to upgrade suspension components?

I have recently started competing in autocross. Because of some after-market wheels/tires, which I bought before I started autocross, I can't compete in the Stock class. The class I'm in, Street Touring, mainly allows for suspension upgrades. I'm…
Colin K
  • 213
  • 2
  • 3
  • 7
1
2 3