Why It's Important to Maintain Your Truck's Suspension & Alignment
Why It's Important to Maintain Your Truck's Suspension & Alignment
Posted on May 17, 2020
At Edmonton Trailer, we know heavy duty trucks like the backs of our hands. We know the best ways to keep them performing at their best and why proper maintenance is important. That's why we've created this helpful post about the importance of maintaining your truck's suspension and alignment.
Edmonton heavy trucks have a particularly tough time staying aligned due to the sheer amount of potholes the city is notorious for. All jokes aside, hitting a particularly deep pothole can cause a surprising amount of damage to your suspension and alignment. Keeping your truck's suspension and alignment maintained is not only ensuring a smoother, more comfortable ride, it's also a matter of safety and saves a lot of money on repairs further down the road. Your suspension supports heavy loads and maintains stability and control under acceleration and braking to keep you safely on the road. It also keeps your tires in alignment which ensures even wear and reduces the chances of tire failure.
If you don't regularly and properly maintain your heavy truck's suspension, it will deteriorate over time from wear and tear. Not all signs of deterioration will be noticeable, so it's important to keep your suspension maintained for the safety of yourself and others sharing the road with you. Some things to look out for include:
1. Leaky shock absorbents - wear and tear on your shock absorbents can cause hydraulic fluid to leak, resulting in a bumpy, uncomfortable ride.
2. Strut assembly deterioration - if your struts erode, you'll experience difficult handling and an uncomfortable ride. Here are some signs your struts are deteriorating:
- Your truck has difficulty handling corners
- The front of the truck dips or dives when you brake
- The truck bounces when you hit a pothole or uneven roadway
- Odd noises occur when a strut gives out and metal touches metal
- The truck "leans into" turns
3. Damage to springs - springs support the weight of the vehicle, so if you notice a clunking sound when you go over bumps or see that one corner of your truck is lower than the others, you may have a damaged spring.
4. Creaking or broken ball joints - ball joints help absorb shock, if they're eroded, you'll hear a creaking sound when you turn. One or more broken ball joints can cause components of your suspension to drag on the road.
All of these issues affect your wheel alignment because your wheels are mounted to the truck's suspension and if you've failed to maintain your suspension, you likely also aren't maintaining your wheel alignment. If you fail to get regular maintenance on your heavy duty truck's suspension and alignment, your suspension and wheel components can shift and bend, causing the truck not to drive straight. Additionally, long periods of neglect result in further damage and costly repairs by the time you do seek out help.
If you're in need of maintenance on your suspension and wheel alignment, book an appointment with Edmonton Trailer's Service Center. We'll ensure your heavy duty truck is safe and ready to take on the open road once more. Get in touch with us today.