Don’t let suspension repairs get you down

Worn, failed and defective suspension parts often provide a wide variety of annoying symptoms. You can hear clunks, rattles and groans, feel jolts and harsh sensations, and see the effects on your ride’s tires with uneven wear patterns.

We keep our vehicles longer and longer, and as we drive them over seemingly rougher pothole-filled roads, suspension repairs are something every driver should expect. But there are ways to save money and get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to those components that help keep our vehicles safely and firmly on the road.

How long do shocks and struts last? These rebound controllers — and yes, that’s all they do — have evolved to provide a much longer lifespan than those from just a few decades back. Even the least expensive vehicles today are equipped with units that can provide more than a few years of service. But when they fail and things get too bouncy, have your mechanic take a close look at where they mount and other related areas.

Struts are combined with springs and mounts in assemblies, and while the parts are available separately, you might want to consider replacing the entire unit. In the industry, these are referred to as quick-struts; yes, they’re more expensive than just buying a plain strut, but their installation is less labour-intensive and will give a much better result. If a strut fails on an older vehicle, it’s highly likely the springs have also weakened and sagged, and the upper mounts will be dicey as well.

Simply replacing struts won’t do anything to restore normal ride height and you run the risk of having some annoying clunking noises from worn mounts and bearings. Overall, it’s certainly cheaper on average to do a complete job once, instead of returning for multiple strut removals to replace other parts of the system.

Few automakers offer quick-struts, so aftermarket options are pretty much your only choice.

If a ball joint is going for, say, $120 from a variety of credible suppliers and one for $40 pops up, how reliable do you really think the $40 part will be?

Keep in mind that when most suspension components fail, they bring a substantial loss of steering control, so don’t gamble with safety on a cheap part.

Keep any rustproofing spray away from suspension bushings. This is something your anti-corrosion treatment centre usually watches out for, but you should know that most of these bushings are made of rubber and if they’re covered in an oilbased rust treatment, they will degrade and crack.