On the vehicles suspension system, there are many moving parts, some components are rubber that can perish over a period of time. In some situations, the rubber components may split and become defective, with
some of the following effects.
.From a standstill, a knocking noise may be heard from the front of the vehicle.
. Travelling on uneven surfaces or bumpy roads, a knocking noise may be heard from the vehicle and the ride may be very unomfortable.
. On a straight road and at the front of the vehicle, if there is a defective component, the vehicle may drift or may pull to the defective side.
A vehice needs springs, to cushion the bumps in the road, but we must understand the role of a vehices shock absorbers and their importance, in relation to the vehicles stability and safety.
When the vehicles spring is compressed and then released, the energy in the spring continues, causing the spring to move up and down prior to settling, to its original position. Going over a bump in your car compresses the springs, the car would continue to bounce up and down making the car very hard to control. The effect of your cars shock absorbers, is to dampen the spring's natural reaction to bounce.
Contact us for further information or have your vehicle checked by us, at any time, if you notice any changes in the vehicles road holding.
This is partly due to, exhaust gasses containing moisture and forming acid inside the exhaust system.
Leaking gasses, hissing or noise, may indicate small cracks in the exhaust system, due to rust or failing gaskets.
If exhaust hangers or brackets break, this could put the system under stress and may cause the sysem to fail.
A problem can relate to other components wearing out, causing slack in the belt or idler wheel. A water pump bearing can also cause problems, as can contamination of the belt by water or oil, causing the belt to deteriorate quickly.
If you are not sure when the cambelt was replaced, it would be safer to have a replacement belt or kit fitted, to avoid potential heavy engine damage.
At W. Lever and sons, we can advise you on change times and costs, please phone one of our garages for further advice.
Tyres are are your only point of contact, with the road surface.
You cannot neglect the condition of tyres or you may endanger not only yourself and your passengers, but also other road users. We recommend that you should check your tyre condition, on a regular basis or at least once a month.
Every tyre fitted to a motor vehicle or trailer, must be fit for the purpose and be free from any defects which might damage the road or endanger any person. This means the tyre.
.They must be, compatable with the types of tyres fitted to the other wheels.
.They must not, have any lump, bulge or tear, caused by seperation or partial failure of the structure.
.They must not, have a cut or tear in excess of 25mm or 10% of the sectional width of the tyre, whichever is the greater and which is deep enough to reach the ply or cord exposed.
The legal limit for a car tread depth is, 1.6mm across 75% of the tyre. However, the deeper the tread the more grip you have. It is important not to ignore the minimum tread depth, it is illegal. For each illegal tyre a fine of up to £2500 and 3 penalty points per tyre, may be recieved. Call us now for further advice or call in for a free tyre check.
Brake problems, sometimes often occur with prior warning signs. They can include, metalic grinding noises or the vehicle may pull to the left or the right hand sides. A grinding noise, could mean that the brake friction material has worn below the limits ie: metal to metal. When this occurs, damage will be added to your brake discs and braking performance will be at a danger level.
Pulling to the left or right hand side, could indicate sticking hydraulic parts, wheel cylinders etc.
Sometimes a rising and falling motion from the brake pedal may be felt or a spongy feeling when the brakes applied. The rise and fall would indicate that, there could be brake disc distortion and a spongy feeling in the pedal would indicate, air in the system.
In the interest of safety, to yourselves and others, you must have the vehicle braking systems serviced on a regular basis, to maintain a high standard of braking efficiency and effectiveness.
