Off-roading enthusiasts should have their suspension inspected and serviced once a year. As your Jeep’s suspension and tires handle the myriad bumps and dips of rough off-road tracks, they’re put under more strain than usual. Proper maintenance ensures that the struts, shocks, springs, and joints of your Jeep’s suspension stay in great shape, evening out your ride no matter the terrain. Here are some important Jeep suspension maintenance guidelines to follow, plus warning signs that your suspension needs attention.
Check Air Pressure in Each Tire Monthly
Your suspension connects the wheels to the car, absorbing bumps, dips, and irregularities in the road, providing constant stability and control. For this reason, a large part of suspension maintenance is looking after your tires; the two components have a huge impact on each other.
With this in mind, always keep your tires at the PSI recommended in your owner’s manual. Improperly inflated tires harm the suspension and put you at risk on the road. It’s best to check air pressure once a month or more.
Measure Wheel Alignment Twice a Year
When off-roading, your tires continuously hit rocks, boulders, tree roots, ruts, and all kinds of rough terrain elements. All these impacts can slowly push wheels out of alignment, which means the suspension has become slightly crooked. Such misalignment is no good for your Jeep. Have your alignment measured twice a year, even more frequently if you off-road regularly, and corrected whenever necessary.
Check the Tread Depths of Your Tires
Make sure your tires always have sufficient tread depth for your off-road adventures. This is more than the usual 2/32 of an inch in tread depth. It’s often recommended to have at least 5/32 of an inch in depth on each wheel for optimal off-road traction.
Keep Your Tires Even With Regular Rotations
Your Jeep’s tires should also be rotated twice a year. This keeps them uniform. Without regular rotations, tires tend to wear down unevenly, putting awkward pressure on the suspension.
Schedule Routine Jeep Suspension Maintenance
Once a year or more, ask one of our technicians to inspect and test each suspension shock, strut, spring, joint, rod, bar, and arm. We can make adjustments and tighten things up where necessary, and replace any worn-out components.
Look Out for Signs of Worn-Out Suspension Parts
In addition to the above tips, always respond promptly to indications that your suspension is overly worn. Signs of a developing suspension fault include bouncing after dips and bumps, excessive vibrations, the vehicle leaning toward one corner, and the front dipping excessively when you brake.
Visit Ed Martin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Anderson, IN, for premium customer service, whatever your automotive needs.
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