Service Maintenance and Repair ROI_October 2021

AROUND THE WHEEL

CORTECO TOP STRUT MOUNT

SACHS SPRINGS CORROSION PREVENTION

Like any replacement part the suspension strut mount can wear. But what are the symptoms to look out for in case of wear? ■ Loose, stiff or noisy steering ■ Vibrations ■ Poor steering return ■ Roll, sway, slide or bounce while cornering or driving on winding roads ■ Increased stopping distance ■ ABS and Traction Control systems affected ■ Clunking noises while driving in normal conditions ■ Tyre alignment - the vehicle can no Ionger be aligned to OE specifications ■ Abnormal rear ‘squat’ while accelerating or front ‘dive’ while braking. CHECK THE SUSPENSION STRUT MOUNTS EVERY 12,000 MILES AND REPLACE THEM EVERY 56,000 MILES Always check the suspension strut mounts during inspection and make sure to renew them in pairs.

As country begin to take the necessary step of treating road surfaces with grit salt. Although very important, this is one of the leading causes of coil spring corrosion, leading to damage and eventual breakage. Essential checking of a vehicle when in your workshop, means problems can be identified early and rectified for your customer. By fitting Sachs, you and your customers can be assured you’re getting a superior product with production steps that ensure a long spring life whatever the conditions. As automotive coil springs are an integral part of a vehicle’s suspension system, constantly moving and working whilst battling the elements, eventual corrosion can’t be avoided. As the outer lacquered layer of the spring becomes chipped or damaged, without additional protection creep corrosion will set in quickly, spreading rapidly and significantly increasing the risk of breakage.

■ Sachs combats this corrosion through the use of Zinc Phosphating, adding an additional layer of protection between the paint and the spring ■ In addition to this protection, Sachs produces all springs from parallel steel ‘spring wire’, with a consistent wire diameter throughout the length of the spring, as opposed to tapered wire which thins out towards the ends of the spring ■ A corrosion attack on the end coils of a tapered spring will lead more quickly to breakage, as the reduced diameter increases the level of stress, especially when compared with parallel wire ■ Sachs are firmly committed to providing the highest quality products, able to withstand the worst conditions effortlessly, without affecting performance ■ All Sachs springs come with a 2-year warranty/ 20,000 miles and are certified ‘Matching Quality,’ allowing fitment without warranty restrictions.

Reasons for these symptoms If the bearing portion of the mount wears, the density of the insulating material changes, which results in more noise and vibration being transmitted into the vehicle. A simple rule to follow is if the struts or springs are being replaced because of age or wear, then you should also replace the mounts. During a rebound stop, the strut mount Iimits the shock absorber's rebound path and must absorb substantial forces over a short distance. These parts wear until they fail completely because of the constantly changing factors which are more common with poor road conditions. Strut mounts should be checked every 12,000 miles and replaced every 56,000 miles. They should always be checked during an inspection, and then replaced if necessary but always in pairs – something that’s particularly important when replacing the shock absorbers.

ARNOTT AIR SUSPENSION

GARAGE SERVICES – WHEEL ALIGNMENT

Air Suspension Installation Tips Being the aftermarket air suspension specialist, Arnott is keen to make sure all installers feel confident and are well informed when carrying out an air suspension repair.

With more than 30 years of experience in engineering, designing and manufacturing high quality air suspension components for the aftermarket, Arnott is the technical expert when it comes to air suspension systems. Arnott’s products are produced with high-quality OE components offering exact form, fit and function. Each product is extensively tested in Arnott American and European facilities and custom-tuned to suit the specific vehicle make and model before being produced, and they come with a 2-year warranty.

Why do you need wheel alignment? Most sources recommend an alignment service every 10,000 miles; one to three years; with each new set of tyres; or when replacing steering and suspension components. It only takes ten minutes to perform a wheel alignment check and It is estimated that one in five cars coming into a workshop will have an alignment issue. On average every fourteenth check will highlight vehicle issues which will require additional parts and labour work to be carried out. ■ Regular wheel alignment checks are recommended ■ If you replace steering or suspension components ■ If you replace tyres ■ One in five vehicles will require alignment.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

Find out more about installation tips and tricks

GARAGE SERVICES

Regularalignmentchecksareanessentialpartofavehicle’sservicemaintenance schedule.Everydaydrivingaffectswheelalignmentandover time,wheelscan becomemisaligned.Poor roadconditions,potholes,kerbingavehicleandworn suspensioncomponentswillalso impactonavehicleswheelalignment. WHEELALIGNMENT

Ifyou’recurrently turningawayorsendingwork toanothergaragebecauseyoudon’thave the rightequipment atyourgarage todo the job,youshouldconsideraddingwheelalignmentasaservice. BENEFITS ■ Additional revenuestreams foryourworkshop ■ Avoid losingacustomerorwork toanothergarage ■ Increasedcustomersatisfactionand retention ■ Minimal time required Mostsources recommendanalignmentserviceevery 10,000miles, 1 to3years,witheachnewsetof tyresorwhen replacingsteeringand suspensioncomponents. Itonly takes 10mins toperformawheelalignmentcheckand It’sestimated that 1 in5carscoming intoaworkshop willhaveanalignment issueandonaverageevery fourteenthcheckwillhighlightvehicle issues thatwill requireadditionalpartsand labour work tobecarriedout. WHYALIGNMENT ■ Regularwheelalignmentchecksare recommended ■ Ifyou replacesteeringorsuspensioncomponents ■ Ifyou replace tyres ■ One in5vehicleswill requirealignment

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