Suspension & Steering

Between the deep freeze-thaw cycles that crack and heave our pavement, the dirt and gravel roads leading to every trailhead, and the sheer number of miles Jackson drivers put on their vehicles, suspension components here take a beating. Shocks and struts that might last 80,000 miles elsewhere often wear sooner on our roads. Hitting a hidden pothole at speed can knock your alignment out or bend a component in an instant.

Because worn suspension degrades gradually, most drivers don't notice how much handling they've lost until it's fixed. A proper inspection tells you exactly where you stand.

• Rough or bouncy ride — the vehicle keeps bobbing after a bump, a classic sign of worn shocks or struts.
• Pulling to one side — often an alignment issue, and hard on your tires.
• Uneven tire wear — feathering or cupping points to alignment or worn components.
• Clunking or knocking over bumps — worn ball joints, tie rods, or bushings.
• Loose or wandering steering — the vehicle doesn't track straight and needs constant correction.

Wheel alignment is one of the most cost-effective services you can get, because it protects the expensive part — your tires. A vehicle that's out of alignment scrubs tread off unevenly and can ruin a good set of tires in a few thousand miles. We recommend an alignment check after any suspension or steering work, after a hard pothole strike, and whenever you notice a pull or uneven wear. On our roads, it pays for itself in tire life alone.