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Most modern cars use a uni-body construction method, where the chassis is attached to the body. The chassis includes components such as springs, struts, and A-frames, and maintenance should be performed at designated oil change intervals. Upgrading suspension components can improve vehicle handling, but may require replacing other components as well.
A chassis is the part of a car to which the suspension is mounted. Most vehicles built since the 1970s use a uni-body construction method. In this type of design, the chassis is not separate from the body, as it is on a vehicle that uses a separate frame. With unibody vehicles, the chassis is attached to reinforced sheet metal mounting points designed into the body of the vehicle. Some vehicles, such as trucks and heavy vehicles, continue to use a separate frame and chassis, with these types of vehicles mounted directly to the frame.
For the most part, a vehicle’s chassis can be identified as any component that moves, other than the body, when the vehicle bounces. Springs, struts, and A-frames are all chassis components on a vehicle. Other well-known chassis parts are control arms, stabilizer bars, and axle assemblies. Lesser-known chassis components, such as drag links, tie rods, and ball joints, are very important to vehicle handling. These lesser known components are often neglected when a vehicle comes in for service.
Most suspension parts use a Zerk grease that allows the part to be serviced and lubricated. Some pumps from a grease gun will adequately lubricate a suspension component and keep it in top operating order. The proper time to perform suspension maintenance on most vehicles is at designated oil change intervals. Some newly manufactured suspension components come without grease fittings. These components are self-contained and require replacement in the event of part failure, as preventative maintenance cannot be performed without grease fittings.
When replacing a suspension component, vehicle owners should choose to use the highest performing part available. Many vehicles are offered in different option levels or performance packages. The performance packages used much better suspension parts for most of the system components. By replacing standard package parts with performance parts, the ride and handling of the vehicle will be dramatically improved.
It is often necessary to replace various components when upgrading any suspension item. Components like the sway bar bushings are much stiffer if purchased for a performance suspension package; however, they are also designed to fit a much larger diameter sway bar. In a situation like this, upgrading to a stiffer swingarm bushing would also require upgrading the swingarm and swingarm mounts, as well as the mounting bolts. The result, however, will be a vehicle chassis with better handling when negotiating tight turns.
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