When engineering trucks, safety is a factor that various mechanics put into consideration. The ABS and pre-collision features are some safety features of every truck. Several safety features protect the occupants in case of an accident. But, an important safety feature that protects the body of your truck is the suspension system. It does the role of absorbing shock from rugged terrains to offer you a smooth driving experience. 

The suspension system also reduces the chances of your truck engaging in an accident. How? A sound suspension system will always affect the way your truck brakes. You will have the ability to control your truck with ease. 

The Composition of the Suspension System

A good driver is that who is curious to know every component of their truck. The suspension system has various parts like the tires, the air in the tires, struts, bars, linkages, joints, coil overs, and bushings. 

All these parts work jointly to make the suspension system effective. The coil overs are a crucial part of the suspension, which influences the control of your truck. 

Benefits of a Good Suspension System

The suspension and the braking systems are the most crucial parts of your truck. You will require an effective suspension system to create friction between the tires and the road in order to brake. When your truck can brake effectively, you will be less likely to be involved in a road accident. 

The suspension system contributes to the stability of your truck. When your truck is stable, the chances of it veering off the road or rolling will be limited. Higher-performance trucks will have a shorter suspension system to reduce ground clearance and increase stability. You can increase your ground clearance by modifying your suspension. However, this can interfere with the stability of your truck. A sound suspension system will maintain the wheel alignment of your truck. 

When your wheels are not well aligned, the friction from the regular contact between your tires and the road will wear the tires. A sound suspension system will prevent your tires from wearing out prematurely by maintaining a proper wheel alignment. You will have comfortable handling when your truck is in motion. Preventing premature wearing and better handling will reduce the cost of maintaining your truck. 

Your suspension system should always be in good condition. When it starts to wear out, the stability of your truck will reduce, and it won’t be easy to control. The worn-out suspension will damage other vehicle parts if not checked in time and changed. The bad suspension will not be able to absorb road shock properly and transmit it to the entire truck, which will crack or break the body and other parts. 

Conclusion

The suspension promotes the safety and stability of your truck. When driving with proper suspension, your truck will be balanced and have better control. The suspension system affects the way other parts of a truck work, for instance, the braking system. It is necessary to keep checking your suspension system and ensure that they are in good working condition.

The suspension system performs to vital role in your truck. It will give you smooth driving over bumpy roads and helps in keeping the wheels of your truck on the road to facilitate proper handling and control. As the suspension performs its roles, it wears out with time, and a worn-out suspension interferes with the performance of your truck. Here is how to troubleshoot a faulty suspension system.

How To Troubleshoot a Faulty Suspension System

Shocks and Struts

The shocks and struts are two components of the suspension system which perform a similar role in limiting your suspension travel. They convert the spring movement into heat energy which the hydraulic fluid absorbs.

How to Troubleshoot Shocks and Struts

The following signs warn you that your shocks and struts are faulty.

• Increase in the braking distance.
• When the front part of your truck moves towards the ground when braking.
• When your steering wheel is unstable.
• Fluid leaks from the shocks.
• Your truck starts to bounce a lot when in motion.

It would help if you replace your shocks and struts after covering 30,000 miles, but the frequency of replacing them depends on the nature of the road you regularly drive on. 

Wheels and Wheel Bearings

The wheel bearings are in the wheel hub, and they take the entire weight of your truck and reduce friction, which allows the wheel to turn freely in its axle. 

How To Troubleshoot Wheels and Wheel Bearings

Failing wheel bearings produce noise which changes as your truck speeds. The noise’s persistence indicates that the bearing is not functioning correctly. An average wheel bearing lifespan is 10,000 miles, but some cash serves 150,000 miles. Proper greasing increases the lifespan of your bearings. Consider checking and greasing your bearings after clocking 30,000 miles. 

Worn-out wheel bearings cause uneven tire wear. Perform a regular check on the tread depth of your tires and consider changing them as soon as they reach the unsafe limit.

Coil Springs

Coil springs have several configurations to absorb road shock and restore energy.

How To Troubleshoot Coil Springs

If your springs start to sag or handle poorly, consider replacing them. When fixing new coil springs, you should also replace the shocks. 

When working on the coil springs, be cautious because they can cause damage when suddenly unleashed. 

The Tie Rod Ends And Ball Joints

The tie rod ends are the last area where the steering linkage and wheels connect. The ball joint makes it easy for the suspension to move up and downward. 

Troubleshooting Tie Rod Ends and Ball Joints

When your tie rod ends and ball joints are old, you will have an erratic steering and a clunking sound when driving on rough surfaces. If you feel these signs, consider replacing the tie rod ends and ball joints.

Conclusion

The suspension system has various parts which wear out independently. It is not easy to troubleshoot the system as a whole. You need to know the multiple aspects of this system and the signs they show when faulty. Knowing such signs will help to troubleshoot them separately. 

A vehicle’s suspension system is an essential component of any truck. The suspension is made to accommodate any driving terrain to which the truck is subjected. The suspension system’s role in trucks makes it difficult to compromise its quality and durability. The market has different kinds of suspension systems that are made to function differently depending on the driving terrain. This guide will focus on the different types of suspension systems and how a truck suspension system works.

How A truck Suspension System Works

The Independent and the Solid Suspension

In an independent suspension, if a single wheel hits a bump or moves over debris, it will absorb the shock without transmitting it to the other wheel. Most vehicles, except the heavy-duty full-size truck, use independent suspension on the front axle. 

The independent suspension offers the best ground clearance making it the best option for off-roading trucks. The excellent ground clearance comes in handy when driving on rugged terrain and keeps the belly of your truck safe from damage from stones and other obstacles.

The solid suspension has a bar that connects the wheel to the solid axle. When a single wheel on the solid suspension runs over a pothole, the wheel on the other side will feel the impact. 

The solid suspension is relatively durable even though it does not give such a good ground clearance, but it is the best for rock crawler trucks.

Coil Spring And Leaf Spring Suspension

The coil spring suspension is standard in most trucks. They can fit in both the independent and the solid suspension. The coil spring has a variable spring rate, making it stiffer as it compresses. This quality makes the coil spring offer a smooth ride when your truck is loaded. 

The ability of the coil spring to become stiffer with the weight of the load in your truck compromises its durability to the leaf spring.

The leaf spring is most common in solid axles at the rear of trucks. The leaf spring does the role of suspending the vehicle’s weight in its place and also holds your truck’s axle. Adding more leaves to the leaf suspension increases your truck’s stiffness and load-carrying capacity. 

Torsion Bars

Torsion bars are unique suspension types the GM company uses for most of its trucks. The Torsion bars are compatible with the independent suspension. The torsion bars resist the wheel movement by twisting when they detect a wheel moving on a pothole or debris. 

Air Springs

The air springs are composed of valves, air compressors, air lines, height sensors, and control modules. Air reservoirs and springs. Both the independent and the solid suspension can use the air spring. Such a suspension can lift your truck when driving on rugged terrain to offer more ground clearance. When going on high way, this suspension can lower your truck to increase fuel economy and stability. 

Conclusion

Different kinds of suspension systems for your truck differ in structure and operation. These suspension systems offer different driving experiences in various terrains. It is necessary to choose the type of suspension which suits well your driving terrain.