Federal Automotive Service & Towing

Today’s Brookfield car care article focuses on your suspension system. After many years and tens of thousands of miles, your SUV suspension system components do wear out, but how long that takes depends a lot on how you drive. As you can imagine, if most of your driving is on smooth Brookfield highways, your shock absorbers will last a lot longer than if you do most of your driving on bumpy roads or hauling heavy loads.

In addition to just wearing out, Federal Automotive Service & Towing customers need to know that suspension components can be damaged in an accident or by a hard impact – like a pothole, hitting a curb or a rock in the road.

Because the life span of shocks can vary so widely, your SUV manufacturer and Federal Automotive Service & Towing recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection, your Brookfield service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.

Signs that shocks or struts are wearing out: The tires may have a cupped wear pattern. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly as you drive around Brookfield. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your SUV dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, come into Federal Automotive Service & Towing for a suspension inspection. Same if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. Worn or broken shocks can cause premature wear or failure on other SUV suspension parts such as ball joints and other steering components as well. If your suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so let us take care of your suspension components at Federal Automotive Service & Towing.

When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your service advisor at Federal Automotive Service & Towing because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.

At Federal Automotive Service & Towing in Danbury CT (06810) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 203.794.9475. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

The following Suspension video is presented by Federal Automotive Service & Towing:

The following Suspension animation is presented by Federal Automotive Service & Towing:

Let’s talk about your suspension – you know, the system that connects your wheels to your vehicle, controls your handling and delivers a good ride as you cruise around Danbury CT. Your suspension is critical for proper steering, stopping and stability.

Hey, it’s a rough world out there in CT – every time you hit a pothole, a bump or an object in the road, your suspension system has to absorb the impact and maintain control.

As you can imagine, your suspension has a lot of joints and pivot points that allow your wheels to move up and down over bumps and to turn as you steer. These parts include ball joints, tie rod ends, the pitman, idler arms and the control arm bushing. They simply wear out over time.

When a joint or other part is worn the suspension parts don’t fit together as tightly as they should. Handling and steering has a loose feel and you may hear strange noises. Your tires will wear unevenly because they’re bouncing down the Danbury CT road a little off kilter.

A loose joint has the effect of stressing other suspension components so they wear out faster than they should. Sometimes a suspension part can be bent from hitting a rock or curb or by slamming into a big pothole.

When your Danbury CT service advisor at Federal Automotive Service & Towing inspects your vehicle, he’ll look for signs of suspension problems: things like uneven tire wear, excessive play in suspension components and other visible damage. He can replace the worn or damaged parts and restore safe handling.

It’s a great idea to take care of these problems right away before they become more expensive to repair. And nobody in Danbury likes to see a tire that should last for several years get worn out in a matter of months because of a bad suspension part.

Let us help you keep your vehicle operating safely. And saving some money on repairs and tire replacement is a good thing too.

At Federal Automotive Service & Towing in Danbury CT, 06810 we install quality NAPA replacement parts. You can reach us locally at 203.794.9475.

To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.