Winter in Richmond is an abuser. It beats the heck out of the roads and they pass along the beating to your car, truck or SUV. These are good reasons to have your steering and suspension checked when winter is over – to see what kind of damage winter roads have done to your vehicle. However, you may not want to wait for spring to ensure your steering and suspension are in good working order.

Winter driving on the roads in and around Richmond comes with hazards, hazards created by all that ‘stuff’ winter throws at the roads. For instance, there’s ice and snow that make the roads slippery. A slippery road could cause an accident. But, while you may not get in an accident when you find the car slipping, you may slide into a curb or slide off the road where other issues can test the durability of your steering and suspension.

You’ll also come across blocks of ice on a Richmond winter road. Hit that block of ice hard and a weakness in your steering or suspension could break. You could lose control of the vehicle because of a broken tie rod. Even if you don’t completely lose the ability to steer the car, you could find that your ability to steer is impaired.

What should you or your auto repair technician check to ensure that you and your car, truck or SUV are safe on Richmond roads this winter:

• Tires and brakes – though these aren’t necessarily part of the steering and suspension, they play significant collaborating roles
• Shocks and struts
• Coil springs and leaf springs and U-bolts
• Tie rods, ball joints, control arms, sway bars, C.V. shafts and drive shafts, stabilizers, idler arms, Pitman arm, steering arm
• All connections

Ensuring that your car, truck or SUV’s steering and suspension are in optimal working condition gives the parts a better chance of surviving the winter in good working order. It also ensures that you have the best chance of controlling your vehicle if winter conditions test your driving ability.