If your car is veering to one side of the road or feels like it’s bouncing around when you hit a bump, it might be time to get your steering and suspension checked out. But what exactly do these two systems do? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about steering and suspension.
What Does the Steering System Do?
The steering system helps you turn your wheels left or right so that you can steer your car in the direction you want to go. There are three main parts to the steering system: the steering wheel, the steering column, and the rack-and-pinion.
The rack-and-pinion is a long, straight bar with teeth that engage with gears in the steering column. When you turn your steering wheel, the rack-and-pinion also turns. This action causes your wheels to turn as well.
What Does the Suspension System Do?
The suspension system is what protects you from feeling every bump and pothole in the road. It’s made up of several different parts, including springs, shock absorbers, and control arms. The control arms are connected to your wheels and help keep them in place as they move up and down over bumps. The springs are what give your car “springiness”-they absorb some of the impact from bumps so that you don’t feel every little jolt. And finally, shock absorbers help keep your control arms from moving around too much by providing resistance against movement.
The next time you hit a pothole or have to swerve to avoid an animal in the road, be thankful for your car’s steering and suspension systems! These two systems work together to make sure that you can steer where you want to go and that you don’t have to feel every bump in the road. So if you think something might be wrong with either system, be sure to get it checked out as soon as possible by a qualified mechanic.
