Steering & Suspension

   Another component of the suspension system is the sway bar. Some cars require stabilizers to steady the chassis against front-end roll and sway on turns. Stabilizers are designed to control this centrifugal tendency that forces a rising action on the side toward the inside of the turn. When the car turns and begins to lean over, the sway bar uses the upward force on the outer wheel to lift on the inner wheel, thus keeping the car more level.

   Finally we have the control arms. The primary job of the control arms is to mount the suspension to the frame or body of the vehicle and to allow the suspension to move and keep it in it's proper place. They come in all shapes and sizes and are specifically designed to maintain the geometry of the suspension in a wide range of movement. The most common problem is that the bushings at the body mounting points wear out causing unwanted movement at worst and a terrible squeaking noise at best.

   There is a lot of math going into the suspension of a car. There are many forces and angles that have to be acted upon and maintained. If you notice any problems in the way your car steers or rides or you feel any body or steering wheel vibrations, you should have it checked out as soon as possible.

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