What are the key factors that increase your car’s overall performance? Is it the engine power? The brake horsepower? Perhaps so, but I wonder if you ever considered the importance of your car’s suspension in reaching peak performance?
Your car suspension is so important for many reasons, not only for absorbing the shock of driving on rough or uneven surfaces. It’s more important feature is keeping your car’s wheels connected with the road, without this your car wouldn’t be able to generate the friction necessary for forwarding motion.
Additionally, this connection allows for a better grip while breaking and counters lateral forces that would otherwise affect your steering. A suspension system consists of several components from the air in the tyres and the tyres the selves, to the springs and dampers, commonly known as shock absorbers, which diminish the jarring force of bumps in the road. Together this system must counter rocking, pitching and diving to provide a smooth and safe ride.
While the suspension is already a key focus for many car manufacturers, you may still wish to improve your suspension system. Bilstein Suspension UK is up there in the top 10 companies associated with damping technology and is an excellent, approved choice if you wish to make modifications to your suspension system. Bilstein Suspension UK has products for all aspects of suspension, suitable for a range of makes and models. It is as easy as typing in the year and makes or your car to find the ideal part for you.
Another critical aspect of suspension is its calibration. It may be tempting to think that this shouldn’t need to be done, however getting your suspension re-aligned is just as important as other routine checks on your vehicle. A number of factors could put your suspension out of alignment, namely changing any part of your suspension system, such as your tyres. Calibration after such an event is important in keeping your car running at top performance.
The main areas of adjustment are as follows:
- Toe – This focuses on the wheel alignment which may deviate from being directly forward. If this is out if sync it can increase tyre wear and fuel consumption and negatively impact vehicle control. •Camber – This is the degree at which tyres are angled toward the centre of the vehicle. A Camber means wheels are exactly vertical. A slight tilt of the tops of the tyres inward (negative camber) can assist with handling. Badly aligned camber can negatively impact braking performance.
- Caster – Usually just for front tyres is the difference between where a tyre touches the road and the tyre’s pivot point. If this is not aligned correctly it can make the vehicle unstable and difficult to turn.
Clearly, the suspension of your vehicle plays a crucial role in your car’s overall performance, affecting many aspects of your control over the vehicle. Correctly calibrated and updated suspension systems could seriously improve your car’s overall performance.
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