Back to all

A Bumpy Ride (Strut Assembly Replacement)

November 17, 2024

If you’ve noticed your vehicle’s ride has lately been bumpy or you’re hearing strange noises when you drive over bumps, you may need new struts.   The strut assembly is part of your vehicle’s suspension system that’s used to absorb the irregularities on the surfaces you drive on.

You have probably heard of shocks or shock absorbers.  A shock is a piston with gas or liquid inside.  When you hit a bump, that shock absorbs the blow. Struts are similar to shocks but they also have a coil spring for extra strength.  They’re often used in the front of the vehicle because of the engine’s extra weight. 

As you might imagine, your struts take a beating every day.  Eventually, they will wear out, and your wheels and tires won’t stay connected to the road as well as they used to. In addition to a bumpier ride, you may notice your tires starting to wear with failing struts because those tires aren’t in contact with the road surface as evenly as they used to be. 

When you bring your vehicle in to us, we’ll run some tests to determine what’s going on and what condition your suspension components are in.  Your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends struts to be replaced at certain intervals, and it’s important to change them out with the same type of equipment.  They should always be replaced in pairs on the same axle. 

After your struts are replaced, your suspension should be aligned so everything is headed down the road in the right direction. After that, driving should be smooth sailing.

Tuffy Grand Haven
435 N. Beacon Blvd.
Grand Haven , Michigan 49417
616.844.5557

More articles from Tuffy Grand Haven

Staying In Charge (Alternator Repair)

July 27, 2025

Seems like these days, we're hearing about more and more electric or hybrid vehicles. Keep in mind that conventional gasoline internal combustion vehicles have important electrical components, too, and it's important to make sure they're operating at their peak. In a vehicle with a gasoline engi... More

Give it the Boot (Ball Joint Boot Replacement)

July 20, 2025

Your vehicle may be wearing boots right now and you might not even know it. They're called ball joint boots. They're actually protective, flexible things that protect parts of your suspension (called ball joints) from all the hazards the road can fling at them. If one of those ball joint boots... More

Refresh Your Brakes (Brake Fluid Exchange)

July 13, 2025

Brakes are one of your vehicle's most important safety components, and you may have noticed that they don't stop as surely as they used to. Maybe it takes you applying a little more pressure to them than before, or perhaps you get the feeling that they're not stopping you as quickly. Those could... More