An easy guide to car suspension

When you are on the road in your Orlando Toyota, you quickly become comfortable in the driver’s seat. You do not feel every bump or dip in the road so you can just relax and focus on the road – thank your car suspension. To better understand what makes you not feel these dips and bumps, our Orlando Toyota experts are here to give you a quick guide to your car suspension.

What does car suspension do?

Basically, your car suspension “suspends” your car off the ground. But not just that, there is a little more to it  – here are some of the main functions of car suspension:

• It absorbs vibrations, impact forces, and shock from the ground. When you drive, the road can cause your tires (and subsequently your car) to vibrate and jolt. Your suspension absorbs these movements to ensure you’re more comfortable in the driver’s seat.

• It keeps your car tires in contact with the road. Your car’s axles and wheels are connected to your car suspension system and help your suspension system keep the tires on the road by pushing them down (especially when the road is bumpy – without car suspension, your tires be going up and down and never staying on the road).

So not only does your car suspension ensure your drive time is comfortable, but it also keeps you safer by ensuring your tires have constant contact and traction on the road.

How does car suspension work?

There are two basic types of car suspension: dependent and independent.

Dependent suspension (or beam axle): A super simple design and is cheap to produce. However, it’s not very common – the tires are dependent on one another to move, so if one stops moving, it impacts the others. This reduces traction and makes the vehicle less safe. (It’s amazing for off-roading trucks, though)

Independent suspension: Allows all of the tires to move independently of one another. If one loses traction or lifts off the ground, the other tires aren’t impacted, making this a safer option for everyday drivers.

Parts of the car suspension in detail

Your car suspension is composed of springs, shock absorbers, dampers, struts, and sway bars. Here’s a brief overview of what each of them does.

Dampers: Dampers help absorb the energy from the springs so they don’t continue to bounce. Think about it – if you go over a bump, the springs bounce and will continue to bounce unless something absorbs that energy. Enter your dampers. Dampers include shock absorbers, struts, and sway bars.

• Anti-sway bars: Also known as sway bars, these metal rods join opposing car suspension systems to give more stability and keep your car level even on bumpy surfaces.

• Struts: Struts are comparable to shock absorbers and serve a similar function, but are mounted inside of a coil spring.

• Shock absorbers: Shock absorbers slow down your car’s springs and also reduce the magnitude of the vibrations by converting this kinetic energy into thermal energy, which is then dissipated by hydraulic fluid.

Springs: Springs basically let your car bounce so it can handle irregularities on the road; They also help to support any extra weight in the car, like your luggage and other items in your trunk. Finally, they keep your car at one predetermined height. There are three types of springs – coil, leaf, and torsion bars.

Shocks vs. struts: What you need to know

Questions about shocks vs struts are pretty common. Here are a few key differences to remember:

Struts: The combination of a shock and spring assembly in one unit. They are attached to the wheel and are heavy-duty. Their main purposes are to hold the tire in place, assist the steering system, and, most importantly, soften your ride.

Shocks: Located right behind your tires and are mounted next to the springs. Their one job is to prevent the car from bouncing as you drive down the road.

When your struts or shocks go bad – which is inevitable because they wear out over time – you need to replace them. Failing to replace worn-out struts or shocks can result in a tire blowout, a broken steering system, and other (expensive) parts failing. Here are some signs you should look out for on your Orlando Toyota:

• Your tires wearing unevenly because they’re bouncing on the road a lot

• Instability at highway speeds (70 mph+)

• You find leaking fluid on the outside of the shocks or struts

• Your tires bounce excessively after hitting a bump in the road

• When you hit the brakes hard, the front end of your car dips down significantly

• But also, when you hit the gas hard, the back end of your car dips down significantly

• The vehicle “tips” to one side when you’re making a turn

And it’s a good habit to troubleshoot your car suspension. Here are some signs your suspension is having issues and you need to schedule an appointment at Toyota of Orlando’s service center:

• You hear thunking and/or clunking noises when you hit a bump

• You have difficulty steering

• You feel your car drifting or pulling to one side when you turn corners

• You notice that one side of your car is sitting lower than the other when parked

• Your drive time feels bumpier than usual like you can feel imperfections in the road more

Here are the types of car suspension available at Toyota of Orlando on our new Toyotas:

• TRD Pro Suspension

• TRD Sport-Tuned

• Sport-Tuned Suspension

• Load-leveling Rear Height Control Air Suspension

• X-REAS Sport Enhancement Suspension

• Kinetic Dynamic Suspension

• Adaptive Variable Suspension

Need more information about the right suspension for your new Orlando Toyota, or need repairs on your current car suspension? Either way, we can help. Call Toyota of Orlando today at (407) 298-4500 or stop by. We’re located just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall at 3575 Vineland Road.