Suspension and steering: what knocks and why

Suspension is a comfort-vs-control compromise: springs carry weight, dampers stop oscillation, arms and ball joints guide the wheel. Dampers die slowly: the car “floats”, keeps bouncing after bumps, tyres get patchy wear. Old-school test: push a corner down — more than 1.5 bounces = tired damper. Knocking over bumps = usually drop links or ball joints.

• ●Pulling to one side = alignment, not “fate”
• ●Steering shake at 100–120 = wheel imbalance — ~€10 fix
• ●Squeak when steering at standstill = strut bearing