Many drivers dream of their car being comfortable and holding the road perfectly. These dreams can be realized by choosing a car with multi-link rear axle suspension or multi-link suspension on both axles. However, it is necessary to remember the old rule - you have to pay for comfort. Sometimes a lot. Although, if you order repairs in UPservice Pro, then you can save quite a bit.

Table of Contents:

1. How does a multi-link suspension work?
2. What are the malfunctions of the multi-link suspension?
3. What's breaking?
4. What does the renovation look like?
5. Сonclusion

About a dozen years ago, this type of suspension was available only in cars of a higher and premium class. Then it appeared on some compact cars (in this case, the multi-link suspension was used only on the rear axle). Sometimes such a solution is found in factory B-class sports cars with powerful engines, that is, in so-called hot hatches. The multi-link suspension of the rear axle provides excellent driving comfort, which is especially appreciated by passengers in the back seats. In addition, thanks to it, the car has excellent driving characteristics, which makes it easy to drive the car.

How does a multi-link suspension work?

There is no single fixed structure. Each car manufacturer uses its own layout. The multi-link suspension of the rear axle consists of many components. These are longitudinal control arms, transverse control arms, inclined arms and rods and, of course, shock absorbers. Suspension elements are most often attached to the subframe. It, in turn, is attached to the car body. The multi-link suspension is actually more convenient, but obviously complicates the design of the car. This again affects the cost of maintenance, repair and service.

Obviously, the high cost of repairing the suspension will not make any impression on a person who buys a premium car and is already somewhat prepared for the fact that an expensive car will require expensive repairs to maintain the required level of comfort and economy. On the other hand, the high cost of suspension repairs surprised the owners of compact cars with such a suspension. Unfortunately, the multi-link suspension of the rear axle in most cases was not as strong as the typical solution used in compact cars, that is, the rear torsion beam. And its repair requires significant costs.

In some very popular cars, it was not enough to replace the elements, for example, after exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers. Problems arose very often. There are many analogues on the market. Fortunately, there are quality products that are cheaper than original spare parts, but at the same time have great durability. You can also buy a cheap, but, unfortunately, low-quality replacement. Since the work of an auto mechanic is also expensive, it is more profitable to purchase components of higher quality, so that the effects of the repair are more durable.

What are the malfunctions of the multi-link suspension?

The first sign is noise when overcoming bumps - a rather distinct knock caused by backlash. The second symptom is a loss of driving accuracy. The car starts to howl or drifts back.

What's breaking?

First of all, the transverse arm and the bushing of the transverse arm are subject to wear. These are elements whose task is to connect the levers to each other and to the subframe.

What does the renovation look like?

There are two different theories here. The first assumes that you do not need to replace the levers as a whole, simply remove and replace the worn fingers and bushings in them. To be able to install a new bushing in the cross arm, the mechanic must have a hydraulic press. Bushings are usually sold in sets. Unfortunately, these are not always cheap items.

The second theory is that the wishbone assembly should be replaced with new ones, not repaired. Why experts recommend replacing the entire set of control levers, and not only the worn ones.

The entire multi-link suspension of the rear axle is a set of connected hinges. One damaged (worn) rocker arm causes accelerated wear of the others. What will happen if only one worn part is replaced? Now the rest, already working in the system, will cause its accelerated wear. Therefore, the entire set should be replaced, which, unfortunately, is very expensive. In some car models, one non-original control lever can cost several thousand rubles, and the original one is much more expensive.

Сonclusion

Multi-link suspension provides high comfort while driving and significantly improves driving quality. Unfortunately, in return it is necessary to be prepared for shorter durability of suspension components and high repair costs.