A car or truck suspension is made to provide both comfort and safety while driving. It's important to have your shocks or struts inspected frequently for proper operation to help extend the life of other parts on the vehicle. The suspension system consists of the following parts:

• Shocks
• Struts
• Strut mounts
• Lower control arm
• Upper control arm
• Tie rods
• Strut bar
• Sway bar
• Sway bar links
• Bushings
• Ball joints
• Springs

When your suspension is worn down from age or other things such as rough terrain, it can create additional issues for several operations of the vehicle. Some of the areas that can be affected by suspension failure are:

• Tires
• Brakes
• Alignment
• Engine mounts

What is the difference between shocks and struts?

A shock absorber is seperate from the springs located on the vehicle. This can be found on trucks specifically and some larger cars. On average, these should be changed every 30,000 miles depending on the vehicle.

A strut assembly is mounted with the spring and a strut mount. This system is used on most cars and some light trucks. On average, these should be changed every 50,000 - 100,000 miles depending on the vehicle.