Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two.

Many different systems exist under the hood to ensure a vehicle functions properly. It ensures that the vehicle can handle bumps, dips and anything else that’s encountered during a drive.

The suspension system is composed of several parts that all play a role in stabilizing and controlling a vehicle. Keep reading to find out how the suspension works and why it’s important to maintain.

MAIN CAR SUSPENSION PARTS

The suspension system is part of the chassis, which is the framework and underpart of a vehicle. The body of a car is mounted to the chassis. Many components make up the suspension system, including:

• Coil springs: Coil springs are parts that help absorb impact when a car is driven over bumps, helping to absorb the motion of the wheels.
• Shock absorbers: These parts work alongside the coil springs and help control the impact from them. Shock absorbers also help ensure that tires are in contact with the road’s surface.
• Struts: These are structural parts of the suspension. Struts often combine several suspension parts in one assembly, which include shocks and coil springs. 
• Control arms: Control arms are links that connect the frame of a vehicle to the steering knuckle or wheel-hub assembly. They move up and down alongside springs when a car goes over a bump or other hazard, helping the tires maintain contact.
• Ball joints: Ball joints are important parts that help the vehicle turn left and right for turns. They also help the control arms with their up-and-down motion.

CAR SUSPENSION TYPES

1. Leaf Spring Suspension

Leaf springs act as dampers, supporting an extensive weight. These are made of steel and can flex when a vehicle’s axle exerts pressure on them. Additionally, it can easily nullify the bumps that a vehicle encounters on the road. This, along with their high load-bearing capacity, makes them ideally suited for in commercial vehicles.

2. Trailing Arm Suspension

One end of this suspension type adheres to a damper and a rear axle, and the other end connects to the chassis of a vehicle. These are not at all suitable for supporting heavy-weight vehicles and are ideal for motorcycles.

3. Non-Independent Suspension

There is a rigid axle connecting the left and right wheels. These are present in heavy vehicles such as SUVs and trucks.

4. Independent Suspension

In this type, the left and right wheels are not connected and can move independently. Although their structure is complex, they offer a more damping effect. The arrangement of springs and dampers varies significantly with different types of independent suspensions.

5. Double-Wishbone Suspension

It is so named because of its “A” – shaped wishbone-looking arms. These are only found with independent suspension. They maintain the stability of the vehicle and offer its passengers a comfortable ride because of greater control even at extreme speeds. An upgraded version of this suspension type is mainly used in sports cars and luxury cars.

6. MacPherson Strut Suspension

These are low-cost and widely used suspension types in cars. The main reason behind its wide usage is that it is simple in design, easy to control, and provides extreme comfort to its passengers. Additionally, it has a steering pivot, which is used as a front suspension. This type can be easily modified as per the need of the vehicle.

7. Air Suspension

In place of conventional coils, this type of suspension uses bellows as dampers to compress air. It can easily support vehicles of a larger height. They can bear extreme loads and ensure a comfortable ride for their passengers and are extremely suitable for luxury cars.

8. Multi-Link Suspension

The main reason behind the popularity of this suspension is its quality grip which makes it a preferred choice for vehicles travelling off-road. They have the ability to balance almost every shock they encounter during their journey. Additionally, they aid a car in taking turns immensely by increasing its friction with the ground. They are generally found in premium quality cars as maintaining them is expensive.

9. Solid Leaf Spring Suspension

Leaf springs are a basic suspension system made of layers of steel that are elliptical in shape and can flex under pressure. They are one of the oldest forms of vehicle suspension and are commonly used in wheeled vehicles.