What Are the Dangers of Driving a Car With a Broken Suspension?

Every car has a suspension. It is the collection of parts that keep the car off the ground, cushions the cargo and passengers from bumps, and allows the car to turn. The suspension is composed of the wheels and tires, shocks and springs, joints and linkages, as well as the steering system. Like all parts of a vehicle, suspension can wear out over time. A car with a broken suspension will need to be replaced or repaired before driving it again since the dangers of driving in that condition can be fatal.

Common Breakages And Their Effects

Flat Tire

Tires are indeed part of the suspension, but you can’t drive safely for more than a short distance with a flat tire. The danger of this could mean destroying the wheel completely. It also means that you wouldn’t be able to stop quickly if you had to, and the car will pull to one side hard. You need to change the tire as soon as you can.

Broken Wheel

You usually won’t know when a wheel is broken until it completely fails, making your vehicle unable to move. However, a wheel could be cracked, and this can be diagnosed at a shop. You technically can drive on a cracked wheel, but any crack can quickly turn into a total break. This can lead to a catastrophic crash. You have to replace a cracked wheel immediately.

Broken Shock Absorber

A vehicle with a shock absorber out of commission can bounce a lot and even roll, dive or squat excessively. This can make your car ride very uncomfortable and it can make your can more difficult to control at high speeds. You should never drive with a broken shock absorber at high speeds and you should avoid sudden stops or turns. A broken shock has to be replaced in the long run.

Broken Spring

A vehicle with a collapsed or broken spring can be driven sometimes, however, the ride will be rough. Bumps can damage other parts of the vehicle, and it will be hard to control the car in case of an emergency.  If a car has collapsed enough that the body is resting in a tire, all driving is totally unsafe and it’s only a matter of time before the tire comes apart completely.

Broken Strut

A strut is a shock absorber basically and carries part of the car’s weight as well. Having a broken strut can act like a combination of collapsed spring and broken shock which can make driving uncomfortable. It can damage the rest of the vehicle and can be really unsafe in case of an emergency. If you have a broken strut it needs to be repaired as quickly as possible.

Broken Steering Linkage

You can’t rely on driving your car if it has a broken steering linkage. Whether the failure is in a tie rod end or the ball joint, or even a joint, don’t do it.

Broken Sway Bar

A sway bar or anti-sway bar is one of the few suspension failures that can be left alone safely for a little bite. The sway bar actually functions when the car rolls to the side during cornering, a broken sway bar hurts the car’s ability to corner by allowing it to roll even more, but it’s not unsafe to drive as long as the wheels are on the ground. Sadly, a vehicle with a broken sway bar can be less able to make sudden turns, so it’s dangerous to maneuver in an emergency. So drive slowly and get that broken sway bar replaced.

Failed Power Steering

Whether your power steering system is hydraulic or electric, it can fail. When the power steering fails it often renders the car very hard to steer. Because of this effort, you want to get this problem fixed as soon as possible. You can still drive your car, but go slowly and expect to turn your car with difficulty.

Car suspensions are composed of many different parts to list them all, but almost every single one of them needs to be replaced for safe driving if they fail. Any broken part of your suspension will have a negative impact on your car at many levels. 

Broken Suspension Solutions In Las Vegas

At Sudden Impact Auto, our most popular service booked by our clients is brakes, suspension, and steering inspection. Once we diagnose your issue, we will provide you with a quote for the recommended repair. Our technicians will perform this job with the utmost professionalism. Call 702-457-3002 for an appointment today!