It is usually
not the shocks
Everybody who hears a knock over a speed bump assumes shock absorbers. In practice it is far more often a drop link or a bush, both of which are cheaper and quicker than the thing people brace themselves for.
Book it in
60 secondssuspension and steering · client photography
What the noise actually means
Suspension diagnosis is mostly about when the noise happens rather than what it sounds like.
A light knock over speed bumps at low speed is typically a drop link, the small part joining the anti-roll bar to the suspension. They are inexpensive, quick to change and the first thing we check.
A heavier, duller thud with vague steering points more towards a control arm bush. Worn shocks tend to float and bounce rather than knock, and usually show themselves by the car carrying on moving after a bump.
Uneven tyre wear is the other clue worth reading. Wear on one edge usually means geometry rather than suspension, and replacing parts without correcting alignment just wears the new ones the same way.
What comes with the job
Full inspection
Links, bushes, joints, boots and mounts.
IncludedRoad test
Before and after, not just after.
BothTorque to spec
Suspension fasteners done properly.
RecordedAlignment advice
We flag it if the job needs geometry after.
FlaggedTyre wear read
What the wear pattern is telling us.
IncludedHonest scope
We fix the noise, not the whole corner.
No upsellHow the job actually runs
Noise described
When it happens, at what speed, over what.
Road tested
With you if possible, so we hear the same thing.
Inspected
Wheels off, joints and bushes checked by hand.
Price agreed
Fixed, before anything comes apart.
Road tested again
To confirm the noise has actually gone.
What does your car need?
Registration and postcode. We will tell you what the car is, which service it is due on its own mileage, what that costs and when a van can get to you.
From £189, about three hours on your driveway
Your vehicle
Petrol · 1800cc · first registered 2010
Its mileage
47,125 at its last MOT, worked out across 6 tests
Prices are what the job starts at for a car this size; anything the van finds is quoted before it is done. Vehicle and mileage information comes from the DVSA record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Asked about suspension
Can suspension work be done mobile?
Links, bushes, shocks and springs, yes, on a flat surface with rated stands. Four-wheel alignment cannot, and we will tell you if the job needs it afterwards.
Do I need to replace both sides?
For shocks and springs, yes - they wear as a pair and mismatched ones handle badly. For a drop link or a joint, not necessarily, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Will it need aligning afterwards?
Anything involving track rod ends or control arms, yes. We will say so when we quote and point you somewhere with a proper alignment rig.
Is a knock dangerous?
Usually not immediately, but it is wear and it gets worse. A failed ball joint or a broken spring is a different matter and worth getting looked at quickly.
Suspension anywhere
Suspension work runs mobile across the whole patch, provided the surface is flat enough to work on safely.
