Your vehicle’s suspension system is essential for providing a smooth, controlled ride by absorbing shocks and maintaining proper handling. Over time, various components within the suspension can wear out or become damaged, leading to noticeable issues in how your car drives. Ignoring these problems can result in a rougher ride, decreased safety, and increased wear on other parts of your vehicle.
In this blog, we’ll examine the top five most common suspension issues drivers encounter and explain the necessary suspension repairs to fix them. From worn-out shocks and struts to misaligned wheels, knowing how to identify and address these issues can save you from costly repairs and keep your car performing at its best.
Suspension Troubles? Here’s How to Repair the 7 Most Common Issues
Regarding automotive performance, the suspension is crucial in delivering a smooth and controlled ride. Whether taking tight corners, driving on the freeway, or hitting the race track, a well-tuned suspension system is essential.
At Trailer Labs, we specialize in suspension repairs, and we know how frustrating it can be when your vehicle’s suspension system isn’t performing at its best. Let’s dive into some common suspension issues and provide you with solutions to get your ride back to peak performance.
1. Anti-Roll Bar Bind
One of the most satisfying suspension repairs involves swapping out the flimsy factory anti-roll bars for sturdy aftermarket units. Immediately, the car feels more responsive, and body roll is noticeably reduced, improving cornering grip due to a larger contact patch.[1]
It sounds like the perfect modification, right? Well, not for long.
Most anti-roll bar manufacturers use urethane bushings for the frame mounts, which provide a crisp response. However, the downside is that this creates a bearing surface that eventually wears out. Manufacturers usually make the bushings overly tight when new to prevent premature wear and the knocking noises that come with it. You can grease them to reduce initial friction, but the lubrication often gets pressed or washed out, leading to bar binding.
When the anti-roll bar binds, it creates infinite roll resistance at one end of the car, severely disrupting handling.
Repair:
To fix this issue, the D-shaped bushings commonly used with anti-roll bars have two easy options. First, you can grind away some material from the flat portion of the bushing. Alternatively, adding a washer under one or both sides of the saddle bracket will free up the bar. We highly recommend periodically re-greasing the bushings for long-term performance to avoid binding and ensure your suspension operates smoothly.
2. Bottoming Out
It’s common knowledge that a lower center of gravity can improve handling by reducing weight transfer and minimizing body roll. So, many enthusiasts lower their cars to achieve better performance and a sleek appearance. However, while a low ride height benefits, it can also cause significant problems if the suspension bottoms out.
Bottoming out happens when the suspension compresses completely, and the car rides on the bump stop instead of the springs. This causes inconsistent handling behavior, like corner entry feeling stable, only for the car to push excessively mid-corner.
Additionally, if the rear suspension bottoms out under power, too much weight can transfer to the outside rear wheel, making the car feel loose. Driving around town on the bump stops results in a near-infinite spring rate and almost no damping, leading to a bouncy, uncomfortable ride.[2]
Repair:
To prevent bottoming out, first run the suspension through its full range of motion without the spring installed. Ensure that the bump stops engaging just before metal-to-metal contact between the suspension components and the chassis.
Once reassembled, secure a zip tie around each shock absorber shaft and push it against the shock body. After driving, check if the zip tie has moved to indicate the car is bottoming out. If it is, adjust the ride height accordingly to maintain a balance between low stance and full suspension travel.
3. Excessive Bumpsteer
Another issue associated with excessively lowering your vehicle is bump steer, where the suspension geometry shifts and causes the wheels to change toe angles as the suspension moves. Bumpsteer can be a significant problem, especially if your vehicle’s alignment changes dramatically with even slight suspension movement. This can cause the car to toe in or out unpredictably, affecting handling stability and overall performance.
In the worst cases, body roll can cause a rear suspension to toe out as the car turns, leading to dangerous instability. For this reason, excessive bump steer is a critical issue that must be addressed for safety and handling.
Repair:
To fix the bump steer, spend some time on the alignment rack. Measure alignment changes as you raise and lower the car, ensuring that you take readings at each half-inch interval. If you have an adjustable suspension, adjust accordingly. If not, you can manually take measurements at home with toe plates or a tape measure. Stiffer springs can help reduce suspension movement, which minimizes the effects of bump steer.
4. Non-Optimal Alignment
You’ve probably seen it before—threads on message boards asking for the “best” alignment setup for a particular make and model. Some enthusiasts swear by specific settings, often attaching names to them, like the “Lanny Alignment” or the “Icehawk Alignment” for Miatas. These recommendations can be helpful, but only if your car’s setup and driving purpose align with the original vehicle used to derive the alignment settings.[3]
Alignment settings that work for a track car might not be suitable for street driving, and vice versa. Additionally, when suspension geometry changes due to lowering or modifications, old alignment specs may no longer apply.
Repair:
The best way to find your optimal alignment is through testing. While forum-recommended settings can serve as a good starting point, you’ll want to test your car on a skidpad with a stopwatch to fine-tune your camber settings.
5. Loose or Slipping Bolts and Adjusters
Once you’ve dialed in the perfect alignment and suspension setup, you’re all set, right? Not necessarily. Many older vehicles—and even some newer ones—suffer from loose suspension components. Over time, bolts and adjusters can slip under load, throwing your alignment off mid-turn or even while driving straight.
This issue is common with eccentric bolts in suspensions, particularly on early Miatas, where D-shaped eccentric bolts were known to slip under stress. A clunking sound often indicates that something has slipped, but by that point, your suspension setup has already been compromised.[4]
Repair:
The solution is to replace worn-out bolts and adjusters with fresh factory parts. Replacing eccentric bolts with updated versions can help lock in your alignment settings for older cars. Applying semipermanent thread-locking compound to fasteners can keep everything in place.
The Bottom Line
Keeping your vehicle’s suspension in top condition is essential for maintaining performance, safety, and a smooth driving experience. You can ensure your car handles at its best by addressing common issues like anti-roll bar bind, bottoming out, and worn-out components. At Trailer Labs, we specialize in suspension repairs and are here to help you with expert services that keep your ride optimized for any road or track. Contact us for more details.
FAQs
1. What are the most common suspension repairs?
The three most common suspension repairs include replacing coil springs, changing shock absorbers and struts, and performing wheel alignments.
2. How do you tell what suspension parts are bad?
To check for lousy suspension parts, perform a bounce test by pushing down on the car’s bonnet and releasing it. If the vehicle bounces more than three times, the shock absorbers or struts may need attention.
- How to test suspension?
Suspension can be tested by giving your car a bounce test. Push your weight on the bonnet of your car and check the number of times it bounces
References:
[1]https://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/blog/maintenance/common-suspension-problems/
[2]https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/10-common-suspension-problems-and-how-cure-them/
[4]https://www.carcility.com/blog/7-common-suspension-issues-and-how-to-resolve-them/