Vehicle suspensions can often become the unsung heroes of the automotive world. You know to replace consumables like brake pads and oil, but many components in your suspension may remain in place until they fail. As a result, your car's handling and comfort can slowly degrade over time as parts wear down.

Unfortunately, old and worn-out suspension components can also cause your car to become dangerously unstable on the road. Recognizing when your suspension is in desperate need of repair can help you avoid a potential disaster next time you need to rely on your car's handling to make an emergency maneuver.

Why Do Suspension Components Wear Out?

Your car's suspension essentially has two jobs: keep your vehicle planted on the ground and do so while creating a ride that's as comfortable as possible. Your suspension components must absorb a tremendous amount of force to accomplish these tasks. As you drive along every day, your suspension takes the brunt of bumps, potholes, rough road surfaces, and other hazards.

This abuse can wear down many parts of the system over time. For example, flexible rubber bushings can become brittle and wear out, while fluid-filled bushings may rupture or fail. Shocks and struts also have a limited lifespan, and their damping abilities can wear out as their internal gas pressure fades. All of these effects combine to reduce overall ride quality and grip.

How Do You Know If Your Suspension Needs Repair?

The tricky part of suspension damage is that it tends to be subtle. Your ride quality may worsen with every mile you travel, but the effects are so slight as to be imperceptible. Instead of a sudden problem, you rather experience slow degradation over time. The changes can come on so slowly that many drivers adjust too quickly and never realize anything is wrong.

There are some signs you can watch for, however. These symptoms include squeaking on bumps, clangs or bangs when hitting potholes, and any other unusual noises as you travel over the road. Note, however, that it's normal for gas struts to produce a hissing sound when compressing and decompressing over uneven surfaces.

You may also want to pay attention to changes in ride behavior. Does your car feel bouncier than usual? Do you notice more harshness when driving over particularly rough roads? These can be indications that one or more suspension components have already failed. If you notice these symptoms combined with unusual noises, it's all but guaranteed that a suspension repair job is in your future.

Suspension failures tend to be more subtle than other automotive problems, and they'll rarely leave you stranded or disable your vehicle until they become extremely severe. Instead, it's essential to pay attention to small changes in how your car drives so you can fix suspension problems before they progress that far.

For more information contact an auto repair services center.