Suspension Upgrades and Repairs

Your car’s suspension system maximises the friction between the tyres and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort of the passengers.

Regular suspension system and shock absorber service is highly recommended to ensure a smooth ride.

Coil springs and leaf springs are designed to absorb up/down forces to keep tyres planted firmly on the road.

Most modern cars have independent front/rear suspension. Dampeners, namely struts and shock absorbers, dissipate the energy absorbed by coil springs, so up/down motion is quickly reduced to zero.

If the dampeners are in proper working order, the passengers should be unaffected by dips or bumps in the road.

If the components are old or faulty, the vertical energy would cause your car to jump up off the road, then come crashing back down onto the road with even greater force, reducing tyre friction and control, making for a very uncomfortable and dangerous ride.

Some cars also have torsion bars (anti-sway or anti-roll bars) that span the car’s frame and help level out side-to-side motions while cornering.

Torsion bars are an important feature of the suspension system, particularly on high-profile vehicles (such as 4WDs) that are considered top-heavy.

The suspension connects the frame of the vehicle to the wheels. it contributes to the handling characteristics of the vehicle and the comfort of the passengers.

The springs and struts or shock absorbers, absorb bumps in the road and keep the body of the vehicle stable under breaking and acceleration.

Control arms, control arm bushings and ball joints allow the wheels to move up and down. The wheel bearing, hub and knuckle assembly connect the wheel to the control arm.

Suspension setups can differ greatly between cars, but the most commonly used is the Macpherson strut setup.

The strut is an integrated damper or shock absorber and spring assembly. The top of the strut is bolted to the frame of the vehicle, with the bottom of the strut attached to the top of the steering knuckle, the lower end of the steering knuckles attached to the lower control arm and the control arm pivots up and down as the strut is compressed and expanded.


Many vehicles now use multiple suspension links, instead of a single lower control arm.

In contrast to the Macphersion strut, this four link suspension has two upper control arms and two lower control arms. The control arms are attached to the steering knuckle by ball joints that allow the steering knuckle to pivot. The top of the spring and damper assembly is connected to the body of the vehicle and the bottom is usually conncected to the lower control arm.

This style of suspension assembly helps to maintain the correct angle between the tyre and the road even when the spring and damper are compressed or extended.

All suspension systems are different, but most include a chassis or frame, coil springs, leaf springs, dampeners including struts and shock absorbers, and anti-sway or torsion bars in various combinations.

Warning Signs

Signs that problems exist with your suspension or shock absorbers include:

The vehicle is not level when parked

Poor Handling

Excessive body roll on corners

Tyres are wearing unevenly

Premier Autocare will assess your requirements and offer the best solution.

We have the expertise and equipment to maintain your car's steering responsiveness and stability.

If you have any further enquiries in relation to your suspension requirements please contact us.

Contact Details

Address: 9a Amy Cl, Wyong NSW 2259, Australia
Phone: (02) 4351 5111

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