Suspension deserves closer attention, not only to help boost shop revenue, but more importantly to ensure the safe handling of a customer’s vehicle.

“Suspension is a neglected category when it comes to vehicle maintenance,” says Patrick Saint-Pierre, Sales Director at Groupe Monaco and an expert in automotive suspension. “People immediately think of ride comfort, but suspension is what keeps the car firmly on the road. It directly affects braking performance and vehicle stability. As vehicles become more sophisticated, having the suspension in good condition becomes increasingly important. ” That being said, Mr. Saint-Pierre is the first to admit that suspension wear is almost imperceptible. It happens gradually, over thousands of kilometres, and drivers rarely notice the change. This is what makes suspension problems hard to identify in the shop, unless a major breakdown occurs. “With air suspensions, which are becoming more common on light trucks and large SUVs, it’s obvious. If something breaks, the vehicle sags,” adds Mr. Saint-Pierre. “It’s much harder with a conventional suspension. Unless a shock absorber is leaking, it’s difficult to judge its condition with a quick visual check.”

Understanding the tire
Mr. Saint-Pierre notes that suspension fatigue can reveal itself through uneven tire wear at changeover, forward dive under braking, extended bouncing over bumps, or exaggerated body roll in turns. “And it doesn’t do the customer any good to mount a new set of tires on a worn-out suspension that will destroy them prematurely.” In short, technicians should always be on the lookout for unusual tire wear patterns that may indicate alignment or suspension issues.

Richard Shumko, a trainer with Garage Guru, DRiV’s training division, offers the same advice. “Two-thirds of passenger vehicles that end up at the scrapyard still have their original suspension. That alone shows the potential for suspension replacement in our industry.”

According to Mr. Shumko, any car with more than 100,000 km on the odometer and no longer under warranty deserves a test drive at the shop. An experienced technician can evaluate handling, braking, steering response, and suspension performance, while also listening carefully for noises that may point to problems. A visual inspection should follow, which may reveal a broken spring or a leaking shock absorber.

“Shops need to educate their teams so they can explain to customers why a suspension replacement is necessary,” the trainer adds. “Communication with customers is critical, because they almost never realize how worn their suspension is or how important it is to their safety. Since wear is gradual, an early diagnosis also gives the customer time to plan the expense in their budget.”

What the customer wants
Patrick Saint-Pierre points out that the aftermarket now offers kits that replace an air suspension with a conventional setup at a much lower cost, though it won’t deliver the same plush ride.

As Raymond Proulx from KYB also noted in a recent interview, customer expectations and vehicle use must always be considered. Mr. Shumko agrees. “A pickup that sees heavy-duty use on worksites needs a much stiffer and more durable suspension than a truck of the same category that only goes out for Sunday drives. Installing suspension that’s too stiff on a leisure vehicle won’t make that owner happy, just as a contractor won’t be pleased with a setup that isn’t strong enough and fails prematurely.”

As Patrick Saint-Pierre noted at the start, suspension work isn’t exactly a favourite for most repair shops. Yet about 90% of systems rely on assemblies that are straightforward to install. “That’s because OEMs want quick-to-assemble parts on their production lines. Independent shops should take advantage of that as well,” concludes Mr. Saint-Pierre.