Car suspension: an example of double wishbone suspension from Lexus.
I just bought a 3-year-old car with 28,000km on the odometer.
It looks good and runs fine.
However, I think there is an issue with the car suspension.
It is not comfortable to drive. It gets worse when the road surface is not smooth.
In fact, the bad car suspension and ride quality strains my neck when I drive over poor roads.
Even my passengers complain.
The previous owner did tell me that he had “upgraded” the car’s suspension.
What can I do the car suspension to have a smooth and comfortable ride?
Should I change the shock absorbers?
Obviously, the upgraded suspension has compromised ride comfort.
Some owners upgrade their suspension to have them sit lower and “look sportier”.
Lowering the suspension means reducing the total vertical distance the wheel can travel and increases the ride stiffness at the same time.
In addition, if the dampers were also replaced with sportier (stiffer) ones, the overall quality of the car’s ride will undoubtedly suffer.
The car might handle very well but only on smooth surfaces, like on a race track.
On all other types of road, the car would get unmanageable, especially over uneven tarmac.
It may not be possible to improve the ride by just replacing the dampers.
You may also have to replace the springs.
Any workshop with a garage hoist will be able to check which suspension components are not original.
For a car that is just three years old, it is best to take it back to the dealer.
Finally, although some upgraded suspensions are adjustable, there is little that can be done to significantly reduce the ride harshness.
