Diagnosing Front Suspension Issues--and the Parts to Fix Them

Ghost stories talk about ‘things that go bump in the night.’ Very scary—but not as scary as things that go bump, clunk, and groan while you’re driving. Those sounds could be telling you that something spooky is going on with your steering or front suspension.

Diagnosing Steering and Suspension Issues
The thing about steering and suspension is that components wear slowly over time. You may not notice your vehicle’s handling, braking, or ride quality has degraded until you hear a noise or feel a shimmy—warning signs that a part is about to expire.

And nothing is more maddening than trying to figure out what’s causing that noise, shimmy, or wobble. Our friend Eric the Car Guy has a good video on how to pinpoint such noises on a front-wheel drive vehicle. Many of his tips work for other types of front suspensions.

It’s a good idea to inspect your vehicle’s suspension during routine service like oil changes or tire rotations. This article can tell you what to look for during your inspection.

Once you’ve figured out what needs replacing, Summit Racing has you covered with top-quality OEM replacement parts.

Moog
Moog has been making steering and suspension parts for over 100 years. Since racing quickly uncovers the weak points of a part, Moog draws on the expertise of NASCAR crew chiefs and engineers when designing suspension and steering parts. If a part can survive hundreds of laps at 180-plus MPH, it can survive the roads you drive on every day.

Summit Racing carries a big selection of Moog suspension components for many vehicles stretching back to the 1950s and ‘60s, including these:
• Ball joints that are greaseable for long service life
• All-metal tie rod ends that won’t break like OEM-style ends with plastic bushings
• Control arms with pre-installed or integral ball joints
• Sway bar links with pre-installed boot and wrench flats for easy installation
• Wheel bearing and hub assemblies with quad-lip seal design for maximum protection from contamination
• U-joints with forged and case-hardened alloy steel crosses plus heat-treated needle bearings
• Cargo Control variable-rate coil springs that maintain ride height for vehicles that carry heavy loads

You can also step up a notch to Moog’s Problem Solver components. Problem Solver ball joints, tie rod ends, and control arms have advanced features like all-metal ‘gusher’ bearings that force lube over all wear surfaces; full ball metal studs for smooth rotational movement and more responsive steering; and pressed-in cover plates that promote longer service life versus traditional cover plate designs.

Mevotech
Mevotech also makes top-quality suspension parts. The Canadian-based company engineers all of its products—no reboxed parts made by someone else.

Mevotech Original parts are engineered to meet OEM specifications at a great price. The line includes the largest selection of suspension and steering components.

Mevotech Supreme products are designed to exceed OEM specification with features like special grease channels for smoother rotation, improved grease flow, and longer service life. Supreme parts are covered by a limited lifetime warranty.

Mevotech TTX control arms, tie rod ends, and sway bar links are designed for heavy-duty use and extended service intervals. Features include thicker castings, sintered metal bearings, and Repel-Tek corrosion-resistant coating. TTX parts also have a limited lifetime warranty.

Summit Racing also carries Mevotech BXT and Titan-XF wheel hub assemblies. They come pre-lubricated, have integral raceways to reduce vibration, and larger ball bearings that can handle higher loads. The Titan-XF assemblies also have the Repel-Tek corrosion-resistant coating and come with all necessary mounting hardware.

Summit Racing also offers suspension and steering components from Dorman and ACDelco. Both make direct replacement parts that meet or exceed OEM specifications, and make rack and pinion steering assemblies, air suspension components, and many small parts not offered by Moog or Mevotech.

About Loaded Strut Assemblies
A strut suspension is the most common type you’ll find in cars built in the last 30 years. And in the suspension world, loaded strut assemblies are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Here’s why: to replace a worn strut, you have to remove the entire assembly from the vehicle, disassemble it to replace the strut, then reassemble it to install. Loaded struts come preassembled—just remove the old one and bolt in the new one. You don’t have to get new strut mounts and bumpers, either--loaded struts already have them. All in all, you save time and money.

Summit Racing carries loaded strut assemblies from these manufacturers:
• Monroe
• Gabriel
• GSP
• Motorcraft

We also have our own Summit Racing strut assemblies that will restore your handling and ride quality at an affordable price

Tools
Suspension work requires some specialized tools:

Ball joint service kits make removing and installing press-fit ball joints—especially rusty and corroded ones--much easier. Summit Racing has kits from K-Tool and Astro Pneumatic that include a C-frame press/clamp and a set of adapters to fit most press-fit ball joints. The tools are also handy for removing U-joints and other press-fit parts.

Here are some other handy tools to have around:

• Tie rod end removal tools
• Pry bars
• Jack stand/bottle jack units (every gearhead should have a couple!)
• Rust penetrating spray
• Coil spring compressor tool

And when all else fails, use this.

Resources
• Moog has a big library of helpful articles on all sorts of suspension and steering issues
• Fourwheeler.com has a good story on common 4x4 suspension problems

Our OnAllCylinders blog has some good suspension tech as well:
• Removing ball joints
• Tire inspection
• Diagnosing steering issues
• Diagnosing shock and strut problems