Suspension repair in Millbrook. We find the knock, then quote it.
DVSA Approved MOT Test Station · Example demo station
A clunk over bumps, a rattle at low speed, one corner sitting low, uneven tyre wear, or a suspension advisory on your MOT. Suspension is the second biggest MOT fail category nationally and most of it wears slowly enough that you stop noticing. We put the car on the ramp, find the noise and photograph the part.
Symptoms and what they usually mean
- Knock or clonk over bumps — anti-roll bar drop links or bushes most often; cheap and quick.
- Rattle at low speed on rough roads — worn bushes, a tired top mount, or a broken spring end.
- Car sits lower on one corner — a broken coil spring. Very common on British roads and a dangerous MOT defect if the break is where the tester can see it.
- Bouncing after a bump, nose-dive under braking, a wallowing feel — shock absorbers past their best.
- Uneven or inside-edge tyre wear — geometry out, usually because a component has worn or been knocked.
- A creak when turning at low speed — ball joints or bushes.
What we do
- Ramp inspection with the wheels loaded and unloaded, and a pry-bar check of every joint and bush. Noises are found, not guessed.
- Every worn part is photographed on your quote so you can see what we've seen.
- Springs and shock absorbers are replaced in pairs across an axle where it matters for handling; drop links and bushes individually.
- Geometry checked or adjusted afterwards where the job affects it, so the new parts and your tyres last.
Price: quoted per part after inspection. Coil springs, shock absorbers and drop links are usually same-day. Why suspension fails MOTs →
Suspension questions
Is a knocking noise dangerous?
It depends what's knocking. A drop link is a nuisance; a broken spring or a worn ball joint can let go. Don't leave a new knock: book a check and we'll tell you straight whether it can wait.
Do shock absorbers have to be done in pairs?
Across an axle, yes — a new damper on one side and a tired one on the other makes the car handle unevenly, especially in the wet. Springs likewise. Drop links, bushes and joints can be done singly.
My MOT advisory says "suspension arm bush deteriorated". Do I need to fix it?
Not to pass this year, but it will be a fail before long and it affects tyre wear and steering feel now. We'll quote it and you can decide. Paste the advisory into Ask Lois for a plain-English explanation of how urgent it is.
Will you check the tracking afterwards?
Where the job affects it, yes — replacing arms, joints or springs changes the geometry, and we'll tell you if it needs setting so you don't wear out a set of tyres.