Suspension, Shocks & Steering

Overview

Suspension and steering components quietly wear out over time. A bouncy ride or a loose-feeling steering wheel isn't normal — it's the car telling you something's tired. Worn shocks, bushes, ball joints and tie-rod ends not only feel bad, they also chew through tyres and make the brakes work harder.

We inspect the whole front and rear suspension as standard whenever we have the wheels off, and we measure wear in components rather than just eyeballing them. A 4-wheel laser alignment is included with any major suspension repair, because changing the geometry means re-setting it properly afterwards.

What we cover

• Shock absorber and strut replacement
• Coil spring and air-suspension component work
• Lower and upper control arm bushes
• Ball joints, tie-rod ends and steering rack ends
• Anti-roll (sway) bar bushes and end links
• Power steering pump, hose and rack repairs
• 4-wheel laser alignment included as standard on suspension repairs

Get the suspension looked at if…

• Steering feels loose, vague or wanders on the highway
• Knocking or clunking over bumps or speed humps
• Car nose-dives heavily under braking
• Tyres wearing unevenly — feathered, cupped, or one edge first
• Bouncing more than 2-3 times after hitting a bump
• Car pulls to one side on level ground

Our approach

We do a full road test and a hoist inspection — measuring component wear, not guessing. You get a written report on what's worn, what's still OK, and what's safety-critical. From there you decide what's done now and what waits.

Why us, here in Kapiti

We always quote with a 4-wheel alignment included. Replacing the suspension and skipping the alignment is how you wreck a fresh set of tyres in 12 months.