When it comes to absorbing the shocks of the road, you'd think the shock absorbers would take care of everything. But you'd only be half right. Actually, coil or leaf springs handle the abuse of the road. Your shock absorbers handle the abuse caused by the rebound of the springs. They both work together to keep your vehicle under control. And those two components, plus a variety of control arms, shafts, rods, bushings, joints, and knuckles make up what's commonly called a conventional car suspension. Many larger SUVs and pickup trucks still use this time-tested design.

Many of today's front-wheel drive cars have a strut suspension system that combines the control arms and shock absorbers of a conventional car suspension into one unit, eliminating the need for a lot of other components. Struts cost more, but they do more than conventional shock absorbers and have fewer components to maintain.

Does your car dip or rock when you go over bumps or drift around corners even at low speeds?

Whether your car or truck has shock absorbers or a strut-based system typical in many front-wheel-drive cars, your local AutoFix store has the car suspension know-how to diagnose and repair any problem and get you back on the road with a smooth ride.