Today’s Carlisle car care article focuses on your suspension system. After many years and tens of thousands of miles, your pickup 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 Carlisle 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, Ken’s Auto Repair 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 pickup manufacturer and Ken’s Auto Repair recommend periodic inspections. During an inspection, your Carlisle 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 Carlisle. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your pickup 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 Ken’s Auto Repair 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 pickup 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 Ken’s Auto Repair.
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 Ken’s Auto Repair 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 Ken’s Auto Repair in Billerica MA (01821) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 978.667.9005. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
