Your car's suspension does more than just providing you and your passengers with a smooth ride. Without a good, working suspension system, your vehicle will be more difficult to control because your suspension helps keep your vehicle from jumping around on the road and your wheels in contact with the pavement. This will also reduce damage to other parts of the car by reducing jarring and jostling. To help you understand when you need to have the suspension repaired, here are a few things to look for.

"Nose Dives"

Pay attention to how your car reacts when you come to a stop. If you notice that the front end dips down when the brakes are applied, you have a suspension problem. While it is normal for a vehicle to lurch forward a bit due to inertia when stopping quickly, the front end should not be dipping and bouncing. When this is happening, be sure to begin to stop earlier than normal.

"Bounce Test"

While your vehicle is parked, press on the front end hard, causing the car to bounce up and down. If the suspension is in good shape, the vehicle will only go up and down a few times. If it continues to bounce, it is because part of the suspension system is not working properly, and you should have it checked out.

"Pulling and Drifting"

When the suspension is bad, you will have trouble turning the vehicle. As you turn the wheel, you may feel a pulling in the wheels. The car may also drift to the opposite side from where you are turning. This is due to the lack of wheel contact with the road as the car jumps and bounces about.

"Rough Ride"

If you are riding down a well-paved road and the car seems to be jiggling up and down or side to side a lot, it is due to a bad suspension. This is probably the most common reason people have their car checked. However, the things listed above will occur before you end up with a rough ride.

To save yourself from a rough ride, and also from the possibility of having an accident because you cannot control the vehicle well, it is important to have the suspension repaired as soon as you find a problem. If you catch it soon enough, the problem may be small and simple to fix. The longer you wait, the bigger the problem and the higher the chance that other car parts were damaged. To learn more about suspension repair, contact a company like Gitt's Spring Company.