What are steering and suspension kits?
Steering and suspension parts are what connect your wheels to the rest of your vehicle. The suspension can include parts like shocks or struts, control arms, and sway bars, which serve to keep handling steady for safer braking and to maintain ride level and comfort by easing the effect of driving over any bumps or potholes. Steering can include parts like the steering rack, tie rods, and pitman arms, which serve to give the driver control over the vehicle by steering the wheels.
We have steering and suspension kits to meet varying needs. You can find many kits for whatever you're working on, like steering, suspension, or steering and suspension, and they can all range from a kit with a wheel hub and outer tie rod to hubs and control arms to outer and inner tie rods to front sway bar links to ball joints and tie rods. Whatever you need to take care of the job, a kit can most definitely be found, which can give you more for your money and save you the headache from having to track down all the parts needed, one by one.
How do I know if my steering and suspension parts need to be replaced?
The most obvious sign you need to replace steering or suspension parts would be any abnormal handling while driving. For steering parts, you may feel a looseness in steering, or, if the parts are wearing down more towards one side, the vehicle might have a tendency to pull to that side of the road. Hearing a clunk each time you drive over a bump may be a sign that tie rods are loose. If you're ever skeptical, you can check the parts by trying to move them by hand to feel for any looseness. If a part has too much play, it should be replaced.
As for suspension, if the car has a lot of bounce, or if your ride comfort has considerably waned, the struts or shocks might need to be replaced. This is especially true for cars that encounter a lot of off-roading or poorly maintained roads. Poor shocks and struts might be punctured or leaking fluid, and they might also leave cupping in your tires. If you're unsure, a good way to check the suspension is to perform a jounce test. Simply push down on the hood or trunk and if the vehicle bounces more than once or twice, you may need to look into restoring your suspension. Putting off these issues can lead to worse problems like uneven tire wear.
Can I replace the steering and suspension parts myself?
Many steering and suspension jobs can be done by typical do-it-yourselfers, but the level of difficulty can vary from one part to another. It's usually smart to replace steering & suspension parts in left-right pairs to keep your ride even. This is especially true for the suspension if you want to maintain an even ride. Thankfully, the great part about kits is that you can replace the parts evenly.
