What Are the Parts of Car’s Front End Suspensions?

If you are having problems with your car’s front-end suspension, it’s important to understand what parts make up the system. Having a basic understanding can help you determine if a problem is due to a worn-out component, or if it’s time to get a full inspection of the system. 

Struts 

Struts absorb bumps and jolts as the vehicle travels over imperfections in the road. They also provide structural support to the spring, which is essential to ensuring proper wheel alignment and handling. They work in conjunction with shock absorbers and coil springs to control a vehicle’s motion. Unlike shock absorbers, which only have a single function and can be used for purely mechanical reasons, struts are integral to suspension systems. 

Shocks 

Shocks absorb the jolts of your tires from bumps and potholes in the road. Shocks also help stabilize the movements of your vehicle, enhancing control when you turn, brake, accelerate or encounter uneven road surfaces. Shocks work with a piston that sits in a tube filled with hydraulic fluid. The fluid moves through orifices within the piston called valves as the suspension springs move up and down. Without shocks, those jolts would transmit to your car’s frame, making it harder to control your car and resulting in a dangerous ride.  

Tie Rods 

Tie rods connect the steering rack and steering knuckle, transmitting force from your vehicle’s steering gear to the steering wheel. When the inner or outer tie rod ends wear out, they won’t perform as they should, making your steering system less responsive and feelingless. This is why it’s important to keep your tie rods well lubricated and replace them on a regular basis. Some symptoms that indicate you may need to replace the tie rods include a clunking, rattling, or knocking sound in the front of your vehicle. The front-end tires will also show uneven wear if the tie rods have gone bad. 

Ball Joints 

Ball joints work to connect the frame of your vehicle to a spindle or steering knuckle. Each control arm includes a bushing and a ball joint to guide the front suspension up and down as you drive over bumps on the road. The ball joints also act as lower pivot points for the steering knuckles when you turn your wheels. Like most suspension components, ball joints wear out over time. The amount of wear depends on the frequency of your driving and the conditions you travel on. Rougher roads and more frequent turns will increase the rate of wear on your ball joints. 

Bushings

Bushings keep your suspension isolated from the harshness of the road by absorbing vibration and noise. Control arm bushings, leaf spring bushings and shock absorber bushings all work on the same basic principle of absorbing the NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) that your car’s suspension system generates from its movement. The basic bushing consists of two metal sleeves, one bonded to the other. The inner sleeve is connected to the frame of the vehicle, while the outer sleeve is attached to the wheel assembly. These bushings are designed to strike a perfect balance between deflection and rotational stiffness. These characteristics are what determine how well a bushing performs. 

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