There
are several different styles of steering and suspension systems on the
market today. The following is a brief description of them.
SALA/Parallel Link Steering:
In the top half of the image to the right is an example of the SALA
(Short Arm Long arm) suspension system also known as the dual control arm
system and is typically found on rear wheel drive vehicles. This system is commonly comprised of the following components:
#1.
Steering Box
#2. Center Link
#3. Pitman Arm
#4. Idler Arm
#5. Tie Rod Assembly
#9. Upper Control Arm/Ball Joint
#10. Lower Control Arm/Ball Joint
#11. Coil Spring
#12. Shock Absorber
The bottom half of the image depicts a typical
MacPherson Strut/Rack and Pinion Steering configuration with the
following components:
#6. Rack and Pinion unit
#7. Inner Tie Rod/Boot
#8. Outer Tie Rod
#9. Lower Control Arm
#10. Lower
Ball Joint
#11. Coil Spring
#13. Macpherson Strut
Parallel Link steering systems are becoming
relatively rare mostly because of weight concerns, space requirements,
precision, and the amount of moving parts.
This
picture shows a suspension configuration
which
is becoming more and more common. It is a combination of the SALA and
the Macpherson Strut suspension. With this arrangement, the spring and
the shock are one unit. This type of suspension has been used for quite
some time on import passenger cars. But during the last few years it has
made its way into many foreign and domestic trucks as well.
At Bay Town Tire Center, we provide complete front and rear
suspension and steering service. We cure rattles, squeaks,
instability and tire wear.
