Whether you currently live, have lived, or have driven on an unpaved road, you know what the discomfort of having a bumpy ride is. If you don’t live on such a road, then you might not be as concerned with the way your car drives. But if you are, then you may have noticed that your vehicle isn’t driving quite as smoothly as you want, even on the paved roads and highways!
After a bumpy 2020, it’s essential to find comfort and ease anywhere you can in your life for 2021, starting with your vehicle. Cars require a lot of maintenance, which can mostly become a DIY project, but you may forget, overlook, or even miscomprehend different maintenance requirements for your car and how often. Is your car’s maintenance up to date? Here’s what to look for this time to guarantee yourself smooth sailing.
Shock Absorbers
The number one component likely to be causing a bouncy drive, which should be checked immediately if you are experiencing unusually bumpy trips, is the shock absorbers.
Shock absorbers reduce the impact of your suspension as it rebounds. Shocks are hydraulic, meaning reliant on oil. These important components keep your care in contact with the ground and control the impact if it goes off and comes back down with strong force.
If your suspension is moving quickly, penetrating oil through various parts and into the shocks, the shocks will build resistance to secure your car. There are various types of shocks: telescopic, strut type, and spring seat.
Telescopic shock absorbers are the most common, most affordable, and are hard to repair, so they often get replaced if there is an issue.
Struts, although they can be found on small and medium cars, are designated to larger vehicles carrying larger loads and exerting more force. Some struts are designed for repair, while others just expect a replacement.
Spring seat shocks are similar to telescopic shocks but have similarities with struts. They are not for large loads and do require a total replacement.
If you are driving a Chevy or GMC truck, you might consider coil-overs, rather than shocks. Coil-overs provide more stability on wide turns. Upgrade your suspension to include c10 parts, which can be applied to your suspensions yourself. Having these will give you a much smoother driving experience on the road, no matter the conditions.
Tires
Flat tires can cause a really bumpy trip, and the tires don’t have to be floppy to be considered flat! Checking your air pressure in each tire is going to ensure your car tires are not too high or low, and that they are all equally the same pressure amount.
Having one or more tires that are less than another is going to result in a lop-sided effect, the same bouncy feeling you might experience going off-roading.
Unlike a tire that is completely flat, imbalanced tires are harder to detect and may be the source of the bumpiness you are experiencing on your drive.
One way to prevent low air pressure is by reducing the amount of weight in your car as much and as often as you can.
The type of tires and their quality, are also important to what kind of road you drive on. If you have 4-wheel-drive and can take your car off-roading, you still aren’t guaranteed an easy and smooth ride. High-quality tires for all seasons will give you a better chance for a more comfortable ride.
Weight
Excess weight is likely to weigh your car down, use more gas, and mess with your tire pressure. While it may not be a direct source of your bumpy-road syndrome, it is correlated if it is reducing your tire pressure unevenly. As mentioned above, uneven tire pressure can result in a bumpy ride.
Although your car may seem like the perfect portable storage unit and how convenient it may seem to have your camping gear on deck at all times, removing any unnecessary things from your car’s trunk and the floor will reduce this effect on your tires, resulting in a smoother drive and less work on maintaining your tire pressure and shocks.
Once you have experienced the bumpiness of any of these issues, you will never want to go back. It’s important to upkeep your car’s maintenance to avoid major expenses later on down the road. Finding solutions and prevention strategies now will save you a lot of hassle in the long run, so you can enjoy smoother rides more often.
