For those of you who take advantage of the thrills available from driving of road in Arizona, shocks and struts maintenance needs to happen more often. However, for most people shocks and struts maintenance is one of those processes that you don’t often need to worry about. Shocks and struts are relatively slow to wear, however, your shocks and struts are integral your vehicles steering performance, and the safety of your passengers. Mikes Auto repair wants to help you keep your car in better condition by arming you with the knowledge of how shocks and struts work, and what kind of suspension maintenance your vehicle requires.

The suspension system in your vehicle covers a range of functions, from helping you steer, facilitating full control of your vehicle, even in rough driving conditions. The most basic form of this is apparent in absorbing the rumble of the road in everyday driving.

Front suspension repairs are one of the most ignored processes in automotive repair. Your front end suspension is massively important because most vehicles on the road today are front wheel driven. This makes your front end suspension of special importance because your car is controlled almost entirely from the front. Degradations in front end suspension can have serious repercussions in your ability to control your car.

Because your suspension is so important to the proper control of your vehicle, it is important to note some of the most common side effects of a worn out shocks. Like most things, these effects will come on slowly over time, so you may not notice them right away. However, they are quite easy to recognize, if you know what you are looking for.

• Excessive Bounce when Driving – If your vehicle bounces at even the smallest variations in the road, it is a sure fire sign that your shocks and struts are wearing down.
• Dipping or Squatting – if your front end dips when you brake, or pulls up when you accelerate, it may be time for suspension repairs
• Premature tire wear – Premature tire wear signifies a safety risk to you and the drivers around you. Nothing is more frightening than a tire blow out on the freeway, and few things are more dangerous to you and your passengers.

Once you begin to notice these effects on your vehicle, then its time to get your suspension checked out. Ultimately you will want to get a full suspension inspection to ensure that no other portions of the suspension have become damaged due to neglect.

Ultimately, most vehicle manufacturers suggest that your shocks and struts need maintenance about once every 50,000 miles.

The biggest problem with not replacing your shocks and struts once they have degraded is that your suspension system relies on separate parts of itself for proper function. If one level of the system is degrading, it places more strain on the rest of the system and can cause greater failure in the future.

We feel that the best way for you to keep your vehicle in excellent condition is to be aware of what your car needs. By keeping up on the maintenance for you car, you will be able to make your vehicle last for much longer than expected, while keeping it reliable for the road ahead. Call us today for information on what we can do for your vehicle. Or check our specials for money saving deals that keep your vehicle in great condition.