Regular maintenance of the car’s suspension plays a major role in how it steers during normal driving and in emergencies, and how the car feels on the road. The suspension should be inspected and chassis lubricated with every oil change, and a thorough annual inspection is recommended.
Keeping the suspension in good shape will also help prevent excessive or uneven tire wear.



Ball Joint
Signs of Wear: Rough ride, play in the steering wheel, slow or stiff steering wheel return, excessive tire wear on one side.


Lower Control Arm
Signs of wear: Uneven tire wear, suspension noise, steering wheel shimmy or vibration.


Coil Spring
Signs of Wear: Rough, unstable or unconrtollable ride, excessive bounce, tire wear on one side.


Shock Absorber
Signs of Wear: Excessive ball joint play, oil leaking along the shock body, broken mounting hardware, worn or missing bushings, excessive bounce, cupped tire wear.


Stabilizer Bar Link
Signs of Wear:Excessive lean while turning corners.


Bushing
Signs of Wear:Excessive steering play, hard steering, shimmy, noise, irregular tire wear.


MacPherson Strut
Signs of Wear: Ireegular tire wear, play in steering, wet shock body, broken mounting hardware, worn bushings.


Strut Cushion
Signs of Wear: Rips, tears or cracking of the cushion.


Strut Mount/Bearing
Signs of Wear: Suspension noise, uneven tire wear, steering misalignment. Worn bearings may result in the steering wheel not returning to center.