suspension geometry

The suspension is one of the most important things in a car. In order to fully implement all the technical assumptions of vehicle manufacturers, constant monitoring and, if necessary, service intervention are required. control and adjustment of geometry.

There are cars that stand out from the background of others with very good driving characteristics. They perfectly cling to the road both on straight sections and in sharp turns, obediently respond to the driver's commands. This is due to the suspension system, which in modern cars is often structurally very complex. However, no matter how well we drive the car, the suspension must always be under our special supervision, because failure, in addition to reducing ride comfort, primarily affects the level of safety.

There can be many problems with a car's suspension, but usually an experienced mechanic is able to quickly diagnose and fix the problem. However, sometimes it happens that, despite the fully functional suspension elements, while driving, we feel that the car does not behave as it should. If the car pulls to the side when driving on a straight stretch of road, reacts to steering movements with a delay, and tire creaking is heard when entering turns, this can be a clear sign that we are dealing with an unbalanced geometry. Another important tip is uneven tire wear.

 What is geometry?

“Unfortunately, suspension geometry is often underestimated by both drivers themselves and some mechanics, and quite often confused with wheel alignment, which is just one of its components. Simply put, geometry is a set of parameters that determine the position and movement of a wheel. It's not that the wheels of the car are aligned horizontally and vertically, because then movement would be impossible. In addition to the toe-in mentioned above, geometry parameters also include camber angle, stub axle angle and stub axle angle,” says Artur Szydlowski, Motointegrator.pl expert.

For an ordinary driver, the above terms mean little, and getting to know them in detail does not make much sense, since we are completely unable to influence them on our own. However, it is important to know that the geometry of the suspension has a huge impact on the stability of the car and its handling, and how it is set up depends on the correct transmission of forces when the tires make contact with the ground.

When to check geometry?

Experienced mechanics unanimously say that suspension geometry should be checked once a year for preventive purposes. However, even with a small collision, a strong impact of the wheels on a high curb or entering a pit, which is not enough on our roads, you should also go to a specialized workshop or for diagnostics. Unfortunately, it is not accepted and it is planned to check the correctness of the geometry settings during standard inspections every 70 thousand. kilometers. Therefore, we must request this important service ourselves.

“If we decide to buy a used car and are not sure about its history, it is worth reconsidering the geometry. It may turn out that the car had some unpleasant adventures that could save us from wasted money,” adds Artur Szydlowski, Motointegrator.pl expert.

 Before we set up the geometry

To achieve the desired effect, checking and adjusting the geometry should be preceded by several diagnostic measures. The most important of them is to check the condition of the rubber-metal elements connecting the rocker arms to the body, popularly called silent blocks. Next, the rocker pins are checked, which, if they have play, cause, among other things. pronounced knocking when driving over bumps. In addition, the performance of the steering rods and their ends is also evaluated by the occurrence of excess play.

The cost of adjusting the geometry, depending on the complexity of the suspended structure, can be about 150 - 200 PLN. However, given our security, this should not constitute a major barrier.