Chassis repair: what it involves, signs of malfunction

The chassis is one of the most unprotected nodes of the vehicle. It has to take on shocks, experience variable loads and the impact of an aggressive environment. Constant wear and tear leads to improper operation of the suspension. This negatively affects operating comfort and driving safety. Regular inspection of the suspension and its timely repair will prevent various malfunctions. Let's consider the specifics of repairing the chassis of the car.

Maintenance of the front suspension

Maintenance of the front suspension of a modern car should begin with visual inspection. This is done when one of the signs of damage appears. Also, the inspection of the front suspension is carried out routinely, according to the operating instructions.

What parts are checked in the front suspension:

• The main components are inspected for mechanical damage: dents, cracks, etc.
• Check the wear of rubber-technical parts: buffers, bushings and rubber-metal joints. Characteristic signs of wear: bulging rubber bands, as well as cracks and tears, including the cover (dust cover) ball joint.
• Check the tightness of the shock absorber strut, a sign of malfunction - leakage.
• Broken part of the fasteners can be determined by the “slicked” thread and violation of geometry.
• The spring settlement is checked by placing the loaded machine on a level horizontal surface. The springs must be level. Violation of the level, expressed in body roll, indicates the fatigue of the part and the need for its replacement.

Repair of the front suspension is carried out in a strict sequence:

• The technical condition of all elements of this unit is checked.
• Dismantling of damaged parts is performed. They are repaired or replaced with new ones.
• Then follows the assembly and the procedure for adjusting the camber and convergence.

Maintenance of the rear suspension

The rear suspension assembly includes such elements:

• Transverse axle, or beam.
• Shock absorbers.
• Springs or leaf springs.

The technical condition of the rear suspension is determined by the same principle as in the case of the front suspension. This is an inspection of parts for deformation, checking the tightness of shock absorbers, etc. The order is identical.

On a car with multi-lever suspension, it is necessary to make an additional check of the camber. In a modern car, the repair of the rear suspension will include the replacement of such parts:

• Struts - by analogy with the front ones.
• Silent blocks.
• Springs - if necessary.
• Booms and/or levers.

If we are talking about a truck or an obsolete passenger car, then the springs are added to this list. The main faults of this part are:

• Wear of the hinge joint.
• Deformation of an individual leaf.
• Spring subsidence.
• Creaking.

In the first three cases, the spring is changed to a new one, even if it is one. This is necessary to avoid the roll of the car body. The appearance of squeaking indicates the wear of the anti-squeak gasket and washers, this problem is solved by replacing these elements.