With preventative maintenance, the suspension is often overlooked. This can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs that could be easily prevented. If you follow these six tips from #savagescotty, your suspension can last forever.
What can you do to make your car’s suspension last forever?
- Spray AT-205 Re-Seal on all rubber suspension pieces and strut mounts
- Monitor tire pressure and wear
- Minimize excess weight
- Change power steering fluid every six years
- Rinse off salt weekly
- Buy quality replacement parts
Knowing how to take care of your suspension can save you money and time in the future. Your suspension can last for the life of the vehicle if you follow Scotty Kilmer’s advice. He’s a professional mechanic who shares his wealth of knowledge with the world via YouTube.
1. AT-205 Re-Seal on Rubber Suspension Parts
Rubber is an essential part of your suspension. Its flexibility is perfect for seals or bushings. However, rubber cracks over time. It dries out, becomes brittle, and then splits due to the pressure it’s under.
AT-205 is essentially a conditioner for rubber. It is a clear polymer that keeps your rubber soft and supple. You’ll pour it into an empty spray bottle. Remove the wheels so you can get to the suspension; then spray the 205 onto all rubber suspension parts.
You’ll also need to apply it to the strut mounts. These are found in the engine bay, and you can reach them by popping your hood.
2. Take Care of Your Tires
Your tires do a lot of the work so your suspension doesn’t have to. When your tires have improper pressure, they can’t do their job properly. This puts more strain on your suspension.
In addition to maintaining proper tire pressure, monitor your tires for uneven wear patterns. This is often the first indication of a problem with your front end suspension. A faulty tie rod or ball joint can cause more problems if it’s not replaced quickly.
Uneven tires also cause a lot of vibration, which is harmful to your suspension system. Excess vibration can cause lots of easily avoidable problems. It also affects the enjoyment of driving or riding in your car.
3. Minimize Excess Weight
Weight puts pressure on your shocks. Over time, this can damage your suspension. The suspension system is designed to operate best under normal load conditions. For a car, this is usually the weight of the car itself and passengers.
When you load your trunk with heavy items or carry heavy items in your truck bed, this can affect ride quality because the shocks are compressed. They don’t have a normal amount of give.
Your vehicle may be lower to the ground, affecting clearance as well. Junk in the trunk is not a good thing when referring to vehicles.
4. Change Your Power Steering Fluid
Power steering fluid should be changed every six or seven years. You can also do a visual inspection. If your power steering fluid should be red, but it is black, it needs to be changed. If it’s clear and you see lots of specks in it, it needs to be changed.
Power steering fluid is under high pressure. As debris builds up, the debris pieces can actually cut into whatever it comes into contact with. As it cuts, it picks up more debris, making the problem worse. Eventually, the power steering pump or power steering rack can be damaged.
5. Rinse Salt Off Your Suspension
The most common cause of this is road salt that is used to melt snow and ice in the wintertime. Salt is corrosive. You may have noticed vehicles that spend time in colder climates are more prone to rust. That is caused by salt.
When you drive on salt, your suspension gets bombarded with it.
It also happens if you live near the ocean. The salt from the ocean breeze will accumulate on your vehicle, including the suspension.
To avoid salt damage, you’ll need to wash your suspension once a week when it’s exposed to salt. The easiest way to do this is to go through an automatic car wash that includes the undercarriage wash.
6. Buy Quality Replacement Parts
When something does go wrong, replace the part quickly. Many times, a part starts to malfunction, but it’s still drivable. Don’t put off repairs because the vehicle still gets you from point A to point B. You may end up having to make more repairs.
It’s also important to buy quality parts. The days of having to go through a mechanic or physical auto parts store are gone, thanks to the internet. This also means that there are a lot of parts out there that don’t meet quality standards.
When it comes to cars, the cheapest usually doesn’t mean the best. If you choose to go through a website like eBay, be sure to do thorough research before you purchase.
Know What You are Getting
Scotty Kilmer understands the importance of knowledge, especially when it comes to cars. Just like with parts, it’s important to research the vehicle itself before you buy. You can learn the history of your vehicle at Vehicle History. You’ll also find lots of tips, vehicle specs, and common problems.
