Tyres, Tracking & Suspension

For a competitive quote on Tyres, Tracking & Suspension repair in Ellesmere Port, please call on 0151 356 4757 or email us here with you vehicle details.

Tyres

At Cheshire Oaks Service Station we offer a huge range of tyres including car tyres, van tyres and 4×4 tyres, with a choice of big brand names or budget tyre brands, all with different performance characteristics; whether it’s an economical tyre for your family car, low mileage for executive motoring or performance tyres for high speed driving, Cheshire Oaks Service Station has the right tyres for you.

Wheel alignment

Incorrect alignment can result in rapid irregular tyre wear and can even affect the handling and safety of the vehicle.

Wheel alignment can be affected by driving against a kerb, hitting a pothole in the road or by excessive wear to steering or suspension components. Alignment of wheels and tyres to the specification required by your vehicle is an important way to guarantee a smooth ride and to get the most out of your tyres.

The direction and angle at which tyres are set are both important. Wheel alignment or ‘tracking’ involves checking the direction and angle against vehicle manufacturers’ specifications. These are often described as toe in, toe out, positive camber or negative camber.

“Toe” refers to whether the front of the tyres are closer or further apart than the rear of the tyres. Different types of vehicles need different toe settings to allow for the way that wheels pull either towards each other or apart.

“Camber” is the inward or outward tilt of a tyre. The camber is set by the vehicle manufacturer, and can be affected by potholes in the road and may need to be adjusted periodically.

What do the Suspension components do?

Your vehicle’s suspension system is effectively a complex series of components designed to work together to limit the vibrations and undulations from the road surface, providing a smooth, controlled and comfortable driving experience. Great brakes and tyres need to be in full contact with the road to work most effectively. In fact, at 30mph, worn shock absorbers can add up to 2 metres to your braking distance!

The principle suspension components include a coil spring and shock absorber or dampener as it is sometimes referred to. These components work together to dampen down and cushion the vehicle by absorbing the impact from potholes and other minor imperfections in the road. This keeps your vehicle stable and your tyres firmly in contact with the road surface for the maximum amount of time. Maintaining a healthy vehicle suspension system is vital if you are to gain the optimum comfort, stability and handling characteristics from your vehicle

It is not always obvious that a problem in your vehicle suspension system is present. This is generally due to a gradual loss of performance in the principle suspension parts and because this happens over time a motorist may not always feel the gradual decrease in suspension performance.

The main components are:

• Shock Absorbers- The shock absorber is a vital part of the vehicle suspension, its prime function is to keep your wheels in contact with the ground at all times by absorbing the energy from the coil spring.If your car is too tight, too stiff and too bouncy even or if you find that your car isn’t handling as well as it should, hugging the road or taking corners easily then you could have a shock absorber problem.
• Coil Springs- coil springs play a major role in any car’s suspension system. Coil springs are the metal coils which allows movement between the chassis and the wheels as the car is driven. The way coil spring is built allows it to ensure the smoothest ride even on good roads.
• Suspension arms / Wishbones-The suspension arm / wishbones are an integral part of your car’s suspension system and helps support the vehicle body above the chassis and axles. It is important that your suspension arms are working efficiently as they play a vitally important role in helping dissipate shock and making sure that your car is handling properly.
• Anti roll bar linkages- these are designed to minimise body roll and improve the overall handling of your car, also known as a stabiliser link, anti roll bars consist of a bar fixed to the anti roll bar then either attached to the lower control arms or both shock absorbers.
• Suspension Bushes- these are usually made from rubber and are in between the suspension components allowing components to move without metal to metal contact and ensure a smoother ride.
• Suspension Arms- The suspension arms are usually connected to the vehicles chassis and the wheel hub, these allow the vehicle to keep in contact with the road whilst providing a smooth ride.
• Suspension Top Mounts- These rubber coated mountings are usually made from steel or alloy connect the suspension shock or strut to the body of the vehicle, top mounts are also fitted with bearings to allow the steered wheels to move from left to right.