Chevy Suspension

In rating a test vehicle, vehicle experts would consider the over-all qualities of the vehicle instead of concentrating on a particular characteristic. Power is often enough to entice many sports car enthusiasts, but power is not enough to properly rate a vehicle. Elegance and sleek styling may appeal well to the artistic, but the looks of the vehicle are just not enough to give it a high rating. Equally important characteristics for every vehicle are comfort, functionality, and refinement.

 

One of the components that give every vehicle a refined ride is the suspension. The suspension is the system of shock absorbers and linkages that connects the wheels of your vehicle to its frame. It serves two basic functions: (1) to keep the vehicle’s wheels on the ground where they can provide traction, and (2) to keep passengers comfortable by absorbing much of the noise, shocks and vibrations. To achieve these two goals, car manufacturers would often use various suspension designs, usually with the front suspension design different from the rear suspension design.

There are two basic suspension types used in every vehicle: the dependent suspension, and the independent suspension. Another kind of suspension, the semi-dependent suspension, is also commonly used for various vehicles today. Dependent suspensions often use a live axle to hold the parallel wheels of the vehicles so that the two opposite wheels usually would move on the same manner. Independent suspensions, on the other hand, connect the wheels using universal joints with a swing axle or do not connect the opposite wheels at all. They also differ on the set of linkages used. While dependent suspensions have only a few sets of available linkages, including the trailing arms, Satchell links and others, independent suspensions come with more options, the more common of which are swing axles, torsion beams, semi-trailing arms and MacPherson struts. Both types, however, often share the same kinds of springs and dampers (or shock absorbers).

For Chevrolet vehicles, General Motors would use a variety of Chevy Suspension designs, depending on a lot of things like the type of vehicle, its functions, its price, and others. It is common, however, for most Chevy vehicles to be equipped with an independent front suspension and a dependent or semi-dependent rear suspension. Some Chevy vehicles would also come with independent suspensions for both front and rear wheels. There are also models that come equipped with special and patented Chevy suspensions like the Z71, Z85 and others.

Whenever you have to replace any suspension part of your Chevy vehicle, or the entire front and rear Chevy suspension for that matter, it is advisable that you carefully choose the suspension parts that would match the specifications of your vehicle’s suspension. Better yet, consult experts from your Chevy dealer about the proper Chevy suspension parts needed by your car. While there are various aftermarket and custom suspension parts and kits available in the market, we leave the use of these parts to the experts and to the custom car manufacturers.