Archive for July, 2007

On Balance

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

on balance

Wheel alignment is important to ensure proper tire wear and vehicle stability. Modern cars like those of Ford have highly thought-out designs and assembly methods, which has only one alignment angle. This alignment is called the “toe” and is essentially the parallelism of the two front or rear wheels. In the case that the toe is incorrect, the tires will wear quickly and as a norm, more on one wheel side. If this occurs to a Ford vehicle, for example, old worn down suspension parts must be replaced with a new set of Ford shock absorbers.

Wheel balance is the key to attain driving comfort and suspension/steering component longevity. A shaking wheel is not only annoying but it can also quickly wear tie-rod ends and other car parts. Oftentimes, wheel balancing is done at the time of tire replacement. There are times that wheel alignment must be done between tire replacements. When a weight fall off or shaking becomes evident when the car runs, it may be a sign that wheel alignment should be done. If there is no apparent vibration in the steering wheel or in the car seats while driving at any speed, the wheel balance most probably is all right.

Struts basically work like shock absorbers, but are able to do quite a number of tasks with the several suspension components that comes in their makeup. Struts are integrated into the suspension system. They’re a little more expensive than traditional shocks and require more effort to replace. There are many kinds of shocks and struts that dampen wheel-assembly motion and are important for maintaining vehicle stability. One can search on Bilstein shocks to avail of the most trusted struts and shocks around.

When driving through bumps, the suspension compresses, then extends repeatedly. If the shock/strut were not there to minimize this motion, the tires could lose contact with the ground and can be really dangerous. With a reliable strut, one can have a better and balanced control of one’s ride.