You might have heard of a front end inspection and be not quite sure what it means. Let us guide you through the process.
When your front end components are worn-out or damaged, your vehicle may produce noises or feel unstable and out of control. This is going to make you feel every single pothole and bump on the road or make it difficult to steer. The good news is that a front end inspection will reveal any issues and allow a technician to make the necessary repairs and replacements to leave your car driving like new.
The front end assembly on your vehicle consists of two primary components, namely the steering and the suspension. The steering assembly is designed to steer the vehicle, while the suspension allows the vehicle to absorb the shocks from the road and make the vehicle stable.
- The Steering System: It contains numerous linkages, some joints, such as the tie rod ends and a steering box, and the mechanical device, which converts rotation of the steering wheel into movement of the car's wheels. Generally, components such as tie rod ends and steering boxes eventually wear out. In vehicles equipped with hydraulic power rack-and-pinion steering system, the steering system is the most failure prone.
- The Suspension System: Modern suspension systems vary in their design and are composed of hundreds of different parts, but every suspension has certain components that are more prone to failure than others, such as bushings, ball joints, control arms or track bars, and shock or struts.
The wear and tear of all the above can be simplified into the following rule of thumb: The softer parts wear out faster than the harder ones, and the wet parts are more prone to failure than the dry ones. So a soft rubber bushing that has to change shape with every bump will probably need replacement sooner than a solid metal rod, and a fluid-filled shock absorber will more likely fail faster than a metal spring. Therefore, it is incredibly important to inspect the front end on a regular basis.
After the inspection of the steering and suspension systems or the installing of new suspension components, your vehicle will need a wheel alignment. A proper wheel alignment needs to be done on a computerized wheel alignment machine to get all the angles to the right specifications to keep your wheels safely tracking straight.
If your car feels out of control or produces suspicious noises, please contact us online or call us at (905) 381-9285. Our qualified technicians will perform a comprehensive visual inspection, diagnose the problem area, and generate quick and effective solutions.