Hellow Bhpians..
I own a 2001 OHC 1.5.
mileage - nearing 69000kms
at around 52000 kms upgraded the tires and wheels to 195/55/15"
the tires were YOKOHAMA AVS SPORT ( the wet weather kind of pattern )
( pics in my garage )
as expected, the ride did take a hit after upgrading to these tires..
but off late ( maybe last 3 months ) i am seing ( or maybe imagining ) deterioration ( relatively ) in the ride quality - low speeds especially where i can fee every pebble on the road !
all though im not sure whether this is the case of just the wheels or is my suspension giving away ?
historically no work has been done so far in the stock suspension..
the tierod ends are the only parts that have been changed which are closest to the suspension.
my questions are
1) what typically is the life of the stock suspension for cars like OHC1.5 - i know it depends on the kind of terrain and driving style - to answer that - i have been driving in fairly good roads in cochin, chennai and now in gurgaon. and driving style has been very cautious - i always slow down to almost 0 for even small speedbreakers or bad roads.. do not corner very hard regularly
2) are there any symptoms or visible aspects to check whether suspension is giving away ? - this is to know whether im imagining things or whether suspension is really up for an overhaul
3) if the suspension indeed requires an overhaul - what are the components that would require change ? - my limited knowledge says, there is a gas canister( shock absorber) , a huge spring, and arms that form a part of the suspension. now which of these would "TYPICALLY" need to be changed ?
4) when im in a workshop how do i know whether the mechanic knows whether my suspension is up for a change ? do i just go by what his gut feel is or are there any testing equipment to check the condition of the suspension ? ( just like balancing/alignment is done )
5) I WANT TO AVOID GOING TO HONDA AUTH SERVICE STATION . in that case what are my options in GURGAON/DELHI
Arushbhai - can your workshop do this work ?
6) what are the options i have in terms of suspension upgrades ? i do not want to go for the high performance ones that give superior handling etc etc.. want something thats sturdy and gives a good ride and decent handling. what do these upgrades cost vis a vis stock HONDA parts ? are they cheaper or more expensive ?
7) how complicated is a suspension overhaul job ? is it just a bolt on job or does it need any fine tuning ?
awaiting your inputs..