Friday, December 6, 2013

EZAccessory Now Offers Suspension Components

EZAccessory now has a full line of premium manufactured suspension parts for foreign and domestic cars and trucks. EZAccessory has years of experience in offering lug bolts and nuts, wheel adapters, wheel spacers and wheel caps and more. We provide everything you need to properly install and maintain your wheels; and now we’ve expanded our selection of products to include all the parts you need for steering and suspension. 

With a direct line to manufacturers, EZAccessory offers the most competitive prices and quality products on the market today. Much like our wheel adapters, EZAccessory’s suspension components are made with the highest quality materials, precision engineering, and a commitment to quality. We understand that your cars performance, and safety, is critical; and our suspension components allow your vehicle even better performance, more secure steering and more. Here are just some of the new suspension parts in our lineup.

Ball Joints
Ball joints are round bearings that connect the steering knuckles to the control arms. They allow pivoting action between the suspension and the wheel. They resemble most closely the ball and socket hip joint of a human, and function much in the same way. Primarily used on the front of the vehicle, they can also be found on the rear in some high performance models. The ball joint is a stud and socket/bearing combination that has a rubber boot protecting it from dirt and moisture. The lower ball joint allows the wheel to turn and bears most of the vehicle weight while the upper ball joint keeps everything tight and inline. The lower ball joint wears out much faster than the upper because of the increased load. Either ball joint can wear out if the rubber boot fails, allowing contamination into the bearing surface. The most common signs of failure will be a loud clunking noise when turning or riding over a bump. Worn ball joints can also put the wheels out of alignment and wear out tires prematurely. Our selection of ball joints includes OEM replacements for a wide range of models to keep your alignment, tires and steering systems working as intended.

Front and Rear Control Arms

Control arms, also called wishbones or A-arms, are roughly triangular in shape. The lower base of the triangle attaches to the frame and swivels on a bushing. The narrow end of the triangle connects to the steering knuckle and pivots at the ball joint connection. Two triangular control arms are called a wishbone suspension; one control arm per wheel is usually connected to a MacPherson strut suspension assembly. Either the bushing or ball joint can wear and allow excess play in the suspension, typically in the form of clanking or clunking noises while the steering wheel is turned in either direction. Alignment problems and tire wear are the chief results of worn front or rear control arms. EZAccessory offers replacement control arms for almost every model on the market to ensure your car or truck steers perfectly.

Tie Rod Ends and Pitman Arm
Tie rods are long, slender rods that are part of the steering system in a vehicle. They transmit turning force from the center link or the steering gear to the steering knuckle. This causes the wheel to turn in either direction. The rod has an inner and outer connection joint (ends), with the outer rod possessing an adjusting sleeve to set the wheel within alignment specifications, specifically the “toe” angle. The most common connection mechanism is that of a stud and half-ball swivel which allows rotation. The connection is either factory sealed or fitted with a zerk fitting for lubrication. Worn tie rod ends can result in heavy clicking and snapping sounds while turning the wheel through a complete rotation. If a tie rod end breaks from wear, steering can be momentarily lost.

The pitman arm connects the steering box to a transfer rod and then couples with the idler arm. Upon turning the wheel, gears in the steering shaft column pivot the pitman arm, which in turn puts force on the steering linkage to turn the wheels. The pitman arm is the secondary component to receive the turning command other than the steering wheel. Functioning properly, it smoothly transfers turning force to all the other steering linkages, in addition to cutting down on vibration on rough road surfaces and negating wheel wobble. Defective pitman arms can produce slack in the steering, or sometimes partially freeze and making steering difficult. Properly functioning, it provides complete turning radius in both directions and cuts down on steering wheel vibration.

Idler Arms

The idler arm is a type of rod made up of a pivot bushing and ball joint, usually located on the passenger side and attached to the frame. The ball joint end connects at the opposite end of the center link from the pitman arm. The other end has a swivel bushing that attaches to the frame. Its main function is to give support to the center link and keep it at the correct height, acting like a stabilizer. Idler arms wear out faster than pitman arms because of their double pivot feature. If not properly lubricated, they wear and allow excessive slack and height variation in the center link. This causes a sluggish or noisy steering response, a pull to one side or abnormal wear on one tire.

Sway Bars

Sway bars, or anti-roll bars, are long steel rods that act as torsion springs. They have different shapes and bends, but primarily have a U-shaped design. They attach to the vehicle body at two locations, and at the right and left sides of the suspension. Each end of the sway bar is attached to an end link via a flex joint. When the wheels rotate relative to each other, the bar is forced to twist, absorbing the pressure. If the right and left wheels move in unison, the bar rotates at its mounting points. This action reduces lean and roll in the vehicle while making a sudden or sharp turn. Sway bars also provide resistance to a lean in a long, extended turn. In addition to adding total roll stiffness, they enhance the handling balance of the chassis. By adjusting the front or rear sway bar, the under-steer or over-steer characteristics of the vehicle can be changed. Sway bars that have worn or broken at the bushing connection can cause a noticeable lean on one side of the vehicle. Steering may become irradiate in recovering from a skid or sharp turn. Excessive leaning and rollover on uneven terrain may occur with worn bushings, bent or damaged bars.

Proper working suspension parts are an important factor in a vehicle’s ride, handling, performance and comfort. Suspension parts should be routinely checked for integrity and condition every time the vehicle is serviced. Premature tire wear and safety to the occupants are two primary concerns when it comes to sound steering and suspension components.

From the rubber to the steering wheel, EZAccessory offers everything you need to keep your car’s steering performance strong, allowing you to drive with confidence. From wheel spacers to control arms, we’re your one source for everything needed to keep your car’s tires and suspension in great shape.

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