How to protect the suspension on a bad road

It's no secret that the quality of our roads leaves much to be desired. Speed ​​bumps, open manholes and crash holes are added to the traditional pits and potholes. The situation worsens many times in the spring, when the asphalt surface leaves the roads along with snow and ice.

First of all, in such conditions, the suspension of the car suffers. It is she who takes on the lion's share of the load during impacts on a damaged track.

If you learn how to properly drive a car on a broken road, you can significantly reduce the risk of damage to it. In many cases, this will save the health and even the life of the driver and passengers.

Which speed to choose

How long the suspension of your car will remain in good condition largely depends on the driving style.

Many drivers prefer to overcome even small obstacles, slowing down to the speed of a pedestrian as much as possible.

Others notice that, by stepping on the gas, they manage to fly over bumps with minimal discomfort. But all this is good until you run into a serious hole. In addition, with this driving style, the main load is transferred to the tires, discs and hub bearings, which contributes to their increased wear.

Elastic suspension elements are able to dampen shocks and shaking on a damaged road. However, they are designed only for a certain load. When it is exceeded, the blow is transmitted to the body and it is felt by those who are in the cabin. If this happens often, the wear of the suspension parts occurs at an accelerated pace, which means that repairs are not far off.

The force of impacts is directly determined by the size of the obstacle, the mass of the vehicle and the speed of its movement. Of these three factors in a traffic situation, the driver is able to influence only the speed.

Rushing on a broken track is definitely not worth it. It is better to limit the speed to 40 km/h. Firstly, you will have time to notice the pit in time and safely go around it. Secondly, someone riding behind you will be able to react to your emergency actions and avoid a collision.

Drivers of vehicles equipped with ABS should be especially careful. With sudden braking in a pit, such a car can lose control.

It should also be remembered that sudden braking is a violation of traffic rules, if it is not caused by the need to avoid an accident. Irregularities in the road surface do not apply to such cases.

How to overcome an obstacle and save the suspension at the same time

The dynamic unloading method allows you to minimize the risk of damage to the suspension and wheels. It boils down to a short-term sharp decrease in the load on the wheels that drive through a crack in the road or a speed bump.

If the obstacle is located across the road, then the method of transverse dynamic unloading is used. It is quite simple and accessible even to an inexperienced driver.

At the moment of collision with an obstacle, it is necessary to reduce the load on the front axle as much as possible. To do this, just before the pit or hillock, release the brake pedal. In this case, the load will abruptly transfer to the rear suspension, and the shock absorbers and springs of the front axle will open up. The effect will intensify if you press the gas at this moment.

When the front wheels pass the obstacle, release the gas pedal and apply the brake again to unload the rear axle.

If the speed is not high anyway, then immediately before the obstacle, you should sharply apply the brake and immediately release the pedal. In this case, the front axle will also be unloaded, which will allow you to safely drive through the pit.

If this is not done and you continue to brake to the last, then the impact on the obstacle will occur at the moment when the car is tilted forward, the front suspension is under maximum load, and the springs are extremely compressed. It is clear that the risk of damage in this case increases dramatically. The consequences can be even worse than if you don't slow down at all.

If traffic conditions allow, a speed bump can be run over on one side of the car or at an angle so that the wheels move over the obstacle in turn. The push from below will be in this case much softer than a frontal impact on the suspension.

Longitudinal (lateral) unloading method

This method is much more difficult. It is not always possible to carry it out without unpleasant consequences, even for experienced drivers. It should not be practiced in specific road conditions, as this is associated with a risk to other road users and pedestrians. It is better to learn on a safe training ground in courses on counter-emergency driving.

However, it is not uncommon for drivers to use it instinctively without thinking. The essence of the method is to redistribute the load on the left or right side of the car, depending on which side the pothole is on the road.

It is necessary to sharply and briefly turn the steering wheel in the direction on which the obstacle arose, and then immediately return it to its previous position. In this case, an imitation of the entry into a turn occurs. The side of the machine that is on the outside of the curve is loaded more. And the side where a pit or an open hatch was found is unloaded.

It must be remembered that this is a risky maneuver that can lead to a skid and loss of control. If the obstacle is convex, it is even possible for the vehicle to roll over. Therefore, it is better not to use this method unless absolutely necessary.

How low profile tires affect suspension

Fans of fast driving try to install low-profile tires with increased speed characteristics on their cars. These tires provide increased handling and stability of the machine, as well as better grip with the road surface, especially when cornering.

All this can be justified on good European autobahns. Our reality is completely different. Driving on low profile tires on our roads is fraught with a serious accident.

Low-profile tires dampen impacts on a bumpy road to a much lesser extent. Accordingly, more goes to the suspension elements. You can kill a running gear in just a year. And light-alloy wheels with low-profile tires, if they get into a pit, can permanently fail.

Therefore, if you want to protect your car's suspension from premature failure, do not install low-profile tires, but use standard tires.

Is it worth lowering tire pressure?

Some drivers claim that if the tires are slightly lowered, driving through potholes will be noticeably easier.

This is true, the load on the chassis will decrease. However, experts do not recommend the use of such a technique.

Firstly, the tires will wear out quickly, and if they get into the pit, they can be completely damaged.

Secondly, under-inflated tires will negatively affect the handling of the car. The result can be skidding, departure from the track and other troubles.

A couple more final tips

Try not to drive into a puddle - a deep hole or an open hatch can be hidden under it.

Carry a few bricks in your trunk, a small bag of sand, or anything else that will fill a hole that can't be bridged.