Suspension failure Who is to Blame

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Armored vehicle suspension components, including springs, shock absorbers (or struts on some vehicles), anti-roll bars, control arms and bump stops, are like combat troops serving on the front lines: They take a pounding daily from pot holed streets, railroad tracks, rain, snow, road salt, gravel, all manner of dirt and grime, and the occasional piece of scrap metal or other debris that drivers see too late to avoid.

Under those conditions, just about any suspension component can be damaged or worn out from abuse.

·        Bump stops: Bump stops are designed to improve your ride while protecting your vehicle’s suspension. Ignoring bumps stops is no problem to the armored vehicle manufacture until somebody or something gets hurt. And, if you’ve ever bottomed out, you know the damage that can do to your vehicle as well as to your back. But, you can soften the blow with a high-quality Out Back Armor progressive bumps stops. Commonly known as a “bump stop,” the jounce bumper was initially used to prevent the abrupt bottoming-out of the suspension under full compression.

·    Shock absorbers: They really should be called “dampers,” and when they wear out, you should notice more bouncing after a bump and a whole lot of shaking going on over rough roads because they can’t keep the tires planted on the pavement. Shocks contain fluid that dampens the bouncing, and once they start to leak, performance will deteriorate.

·    Springs: These are what hold the weight of the car, and as they wear they can sag or break. If your car is on level ground but one corner is lower than the others, that’s a sign of a damaged spring. You can measure the height of the corners to confirm your visual cue. You might also hear clunking noises over bumps, and the car may not corner with confidence because a damaged spring can’t control the weight it’s supporting.

·    Ball joints: These are pivot points that attach the suspension to the wheels, and they absorb some of the shock from up-down movement and rotate as the steering angle changes. You’ll know they need replacing when you can hear them squeaking and creaking, especially when turning. You’ll know you waited too long if a ball joint breaks and suspension parts are dragging on the pavement. A mechanic can tell if they need replacing by the amount of wheel movement they can force by hand or, in some cases, by wear indicators on the ball joints.

·    Control arms: These are hinges that hold the wheels to the frame and connect the steering to the wheels, so when you turn one, the other responds. Lower control arm bushings are more prone to wear out on front-wheel-drive cars than on rear-wheel-drive cars. Bushings are rubber and/or metal parts that help absorb shock, and when they wear, they can cause ride and handling problems and accelerate tire wear.

The suspension that keeps your vehicle running smooth over bumps, negotiate turns and travel safely from point "A" to point "B" is comprised of multiple components that work in conjunction to accomplish these tasks.

One of the most important and durable parts is the suspension springs or commonly referred to as suspension coil springs. The coil spring itself is manufactured with high-grade steel and is designed to act as a buffer between the shocks and struts, the vehicle frame, and lower suspension components.

 Using coil springs that are cheap to purchase is the first mistake made by Armored vehicle manufactures although they may look the same as a more expensive coil spring doesn’t mean it performs the same. Many distributors of Armored vehicle suspension are still pushing suspension that is so cheap to purchase and have high profits for these distributors.

Armor vehicle manufactures are slow to adjust to the ever-changing environment of criminal activity, terrorism, kid napping, government coup, humanitarian disasters, politics, economics and war zones all these are the stage of armored vehicles, yet the armor vehicle manufactures still operate under the same mind set from decades past where the armor vehicle outside of the military arena was dictated by the manufacture because it was a rarity to have the need of such specialized vehicles.

In the minds of many armor vehicle manufactures the suspension is the last thing they think about and there is very little thought put into the suspension if it keeps the body from sitting on the tires well then it must be ok. It is this narrow-minded thinking that is causing so many investigations into the failure of armored vehicles and causing many armor vehicles manufactures to close their doors forever.

The suspension is the one place that many armor vehicles manufactures attempt to cut corners and maximize their profits this is the biggest mistake made and the reason clients never return for future purchases.

What makes a great suspension for armored vehicles? It is no secret nor is it difficult to understand. The following is the correct components that must be used to make the armored vehicle safer for the occupants of the vehicle anything less is a sign of a poor vehicle and careless manufacture.

·       Coil springs specifically designed for the weight of the vehicle.

·       Shock absorbers and struts specifically designed for armor vehicles.

·       Bump stops specifically designed for armored vehicles “without these you will see spring binding”.

·       Sway bars specifically designed for armored vehicles.

The above components are essential to making the armor vehicle perform correctly leaving just one of these components out will cause failure and the one major component always over looked are the Bump stops below is the result of this careless mistake.