If you’re like most of us, you want your car to handle well.  That’s the job of your suspension system.

There are different types of suspension systems, but they all work on the same basic principles.  First, there are the springs, which bear the weight of the car.  The most common springs are coil or leaf – although we see air springs and torsion bars more often. The springs do most of the work.

But if all you had were springs, your vehicle would be bouncing around like a bobble head. That’s where the shocks come in.  They control the rebound of the springs and smooth out the up and down motions.  They also keep the tires on the road, and you in control. Some cars use struts.  Struts are a combination of shocks and springs, together in a more compact system.

Shocks wear out slowly over time, so it’s hard to notice when they get badly worn. One way to tell is to look for an uneven, cupping wear on your tires.  If the shock or strut is leaking fluid, it needs to be replaced.  If your car feels floaty in turns or if the front end dips a lot when you stop, it is time to get your shocks checked. Your owners’ manual will tell you when your shocks should be checked – it’s usually between 15,000 and 30,000 miles or 24,000 and 50,000 kilometers .

When you replace a shock, be sure to replace all four.  Then your car will have an even suspension and will handle much better. Talk with your service advisor about how you drive.  No, not your traffic violations, but how often you carry heavy loads, tow a trailer or drive in rough terrain.  If you do a bunch of that, you’ll need a heavy duty shock.

Regular shocks use hydraulic fluid and air as their dampening system.  Premium quality shocks and struts use compressed nitrogen gas instead of air.  Gas shocks don’t get air bubbles that affect the performance of regular shocks.  If you do a lot of high performance driving, off-roading or just want added comfort and control, think about getting premium gas shocks or struts.

Replacing your struts may take your car out of alignment, so be sure to get an alignment at the same time. So, to smooth out the bumps on the road of life, change your shocks and struts when they need it.

It seems like everywhere you go you see custom wheels.  Big trucks, little cars, mini-vans – it doesn’t matter, people are expressing themselves with custom wheels. Some people want smaller tires and wheels – some want larger – and some want them enormous.  So where do you start if you want new wheels?

We suggest you start with your budget.  We know, that sounds so practical.  But if the look you’re after goes beyond just new tires and wheels and enters into the world of suspension modifications, you need to be prepared for the additional cost.

Let’s start with something easy – you want to give your ride a unique look and the stock wheel size is just right for you.  One of the concerns you will have is that the new wheels have the same offset as your factory wheels.

First, what is offset?  The wheel bolts onto the hub on the car’s axel.  The distance from the inside edge of the wheel to the point at which it bolts on, is the offset.  If the new wheel has a different offset from the factory, the tires may rub on the inside or outside of the wheel well.  That could lead to catastrophic tire failure.

Your tire and wheel professional can help you find the right size wheel – or install adapters to make your new wheels fit.  All you have to do is pick from the hundreds of styles available.

So, what if you want to upsize?  Well, if it is just bigger wheels you want, but you want to keep the same overall tire diameter, that’s pretty easy.  The same offset concerns apply.  You need to know that the tires will likely be a little bit wider than the originals and could rub when you make sharp turns. Your tire profession will help you avoid this.

It is also important to keep the same overall tire diameter because changing the rolling diameter can mess with your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems.  Are you starting to see why you want to consult with a tire and wheel expert?

Is “super-size me” your motto?  If it is, you are going to have to lift your vehicle to make room for those huge tires.  A mild lift doesn’t require extensive modifications.  An extreme lift means a lot of new hardware under the vehicle.  It also means a lot of stock electronic systems need to be recalibrated to the new tire size.  For example, your speedometer and odometer will give false readings if they aren’t recalibrated.

You should also be aware of possible performance issues.  Bigger tires and wheels weigh more.  Experts refer to this as unsprung weight because it isn’t held up by your suspension system.  Increased unsprung weight affects performance in different ways than an equivalent amount of groceries or little soccer players in the passenger compartment. Acceleration is negatively affected.  Stopping distances may also be increased – sometimes dramatically.  If you want really big tires and wheels, you might need to upgrade your brakes to compensate.

Heading the other direction, some folks like to run smaller than standard wheels and lower the suspension.  All of the same fitment issues still apply as well as calibration issues. Don’t think that suspension modifications are a bad thing.  Many systems actually improve ride, function and performance over the stock set-up.

Regardless of your budget, you want your vehicle to continue to do all the things you need it to do.  Some of those show cars and trucks you see on TV look fantastic, but have been modified in ways that may not suit your needs. For example, if you put large rims on your SUV with low profile tires, you may be in for busted rims if you go off-roading a lot.  There just isn’t enough sidewall to absorb the impact of thumping over rocks.

Some people stuff the largest tires and wheels possible in their vehicles but have to severely restrict suspension travel so that the tires aren’t rubbing all day.  That can lead to a very harsh ride. Again, talk with your wheel professional about all of these things: how you drive, what look you are going for, your budget and what compromises you are willing to make.

At the end of the day, you’re going to be rollin’ out of there with one sweet ride.