Rough ride

I have a 1999 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 estate with 107,000 miles that has been regularly serviced by a local mechanic who runs his own workshop. He is good and knows his stuff, but a year ago he fitted two new front shock absorbers to the vehicle at my request. To me there was a slight improvement to the hardness of the shock coming through the suspension going over the general road surface.

A couple of months later, again at my request, he changed both the rear shock absorbers, as I thought this would improve the ride quality. This was not the case, so four months later I asked him to check all the bushes and joints related to the suspension system. He had to change only the lower suspension arm front bushes; all the rest were deemed OK. He also freed off the front and rear track control adjusters so the tracking could be done. This was checked and adjusted the next day.

Now the ride of the vehicle feels like driving on wooden blocks: you can feel every ripple, ridge and bump in the road. The tyre pressures are correct and possibly slightly lower in an attempt to soften the ride. The shock fitted to the front are AL-KO and the back are Kan Excel-c. Is it possible to fit any softer shocks or shocks that can be adjusted to be softer?

J Whayman

According to the data I have, your vehicle may be fitted with 15in, 16in or 17in wheels. If you are running on 17in wheels with a 225/45 tyre then one option may be to change to a set of 15in wheels on 205/65 tyres. Moving away from the lower profile wheels will help soften the ride.

With the main emphasis on suspension being road-holding, the components do now tend to lean towards a firmer ride. It is unlikely you will find a softer shock absorber/ strut than you have fitted, but it may be worth checking the springs. If these have not been changed, they may have deteriorated, which can lower the ride and give a harsher feel. Given the actions you have already taken, replacing the springs may be the next best step.