Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [suspension]

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. -Wikipedia

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Is it safe to drive a car that has a broken suspension spring?

Yesterday I was driving home from work and heard a loud noise which I can only really describe as a "clang". After looking at it today, it looks like the spring for the front left (passenger side) suspension has snapped at the bottom. Here is a…
Flyk
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Why do the brakes "freeze" the suspension?

Last week I was driving a motorcycle. When I stopped at a traffic light I noticed the rear suspension dropped a little when I released the rear brake. Later I noticed my car did the same thing. When you suddenly stop, but not release the brake the…
user60481
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What are the Advantages of a Single Side SwingArm on Motorcycles?

I have noticed that Ducatis , Honda and Triumph have bikes with a Single Sided SwingArm Much like most of the scooters. Are there any advantages of following this design , if so why are not all manufacturers using it. Why are all the scooters using…
Shobin P
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Is it better to drive across a speed bump at a right angle or slightly skewed?

I'm wondering if it is better for your suspension to drive across a speed bump at a right angle (so that the two front tires and the two rear tires hit the bump at the same time, respectively), or at a skewed angle so that only one tire at a time…
Tanith Rosenbaum
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Discovered disconnected part when removing wheels

I have a 2006 Honda Civic and was changing my summer tires for winter tires. When removing the wheels I noticed behind 2 of the 4 wheels that what is shown in the middle of this picture was disconnected (in both of the passenger side wheel wells).…
Gilles
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How to diagnose high speed vibration?

I get a vibration at high speeds (50+), can feel it particularly in the steering wheel, front seats, dashboard. I have been trying to figure out what's going on, keeping in mind that: All 4 shocks replaced in April Had a side swipe accident, they…
Anton Pugachevsky
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Reusing self locking nuts

I am in the progress of doing some work on the suspension. Can I reuse the nuts on the bolts holding critical parts (struts, tie rod, etc.) if I clean the threads and apply thread locker? My aim with this question is to understand the reason for the…
Martin
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Spring tensioner safety

I recently ordered this tool kit at an extremely reduced price. While I am confident about the general quality of those tools I am quite reserved about the spring tensioner included in the kit. In other forums people advise strongly against such…
Martin
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Effects of sway bar stiffness on rough, uneven roads

I just read a really nice write-up on sway bar physics. I also watched a video discussing suspension behavior on rough roads. Let's assume the following: A front-wheel drive vehicle being driven around a corner at a speed which, on a dry, smooth,…
Jason C
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How Important Are the Rear Shocks / Struts

When people talk about changing the shocks or struts, it's usually the front ones due to comfort, handling and safety reasons. But what about the rear ones? How much of a problem are worn out rear struts / shocks and what are the implications to…
Robert S. Barnes
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Do I Need to Compress the Springs to Install Strut Tower Braces?

I have a '99 Maxima. I am considering installing strut tower braces. In order to do so, would I need to get spring compression tools to hold the springs on the struts, or will the weight of the car be sufficient to hold it in place when I remove…
eidylon
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Motorcycle Speed Wobble - How do I figure out the problem?

I have a 2005 GSXR 600. I took it for a test drive and the head shakes around 65mph or so and then goes away when I go past that. It's worse when I'm slowing down without the front brake. When I slow down with the front brake it's more stable. I…
Ppoggio
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What are the advantages of upside down forks?

Recently, I have come across many bikes which have upside down front forks. From browsing around the internet, I was not able to get a concrete answer for why it is preferred over conventional telescopic forks.
Shobin P
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How Urgent is it to Replace Worn Out CV Boots

I recently noticed that what I think are the inner CV boots on my 99 Nissan Almera have started coming apart: They were still in one piece this past August when I took the car for inspection, so this is fairly recent. How urgent is it to deal with…
Robert S. Barnes
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1968 Beetle Front Shocks (Koni)

What are the correct size Koni front shocks for a 1968 Beetle at stock height? I purchased the (red) Koni D 80-1787 which Koni's site recommended as a stock shock replacement. My mechanic says they're too short. The wheels drop only about an…
cloudsurfin
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