Chassis training for Stahlgruber customers

Chassis training for Stahlgruber customers

A sudden onset of ESP, unevenly worn tires, uncomfortable driving characteristics, crooked steering - all symptoms of an adjusted or defective chassis. As part of a technical training course, Stahlgruber invites its customers to be informed by professionals about the latest developments in the field of chassis. Sven Adam, technical consultant for the Bilsteingroup, is an experienced automotive service technician himself and knows exactly what is important when it comes to a chassis: “It is often the little things that cause major damage.” Unbalanced tires or warped brake discs can be enough to transmit noticeable vibrations to chassis parts such as strut bearings, coupling rods, ball joints and wishbones. The effects can lead to material fatigue.

AWARENESS

“I would like to raise your awareness to pay close attention to the subject of the chassis,” says Adam in Saxon dialect. In addition, wheel alignment is extremely important, especially when parts are replaced, especially on one side. Minimal manufacturing tolerances are enough to actually have to correct the axis setting values ​​– if possible. Adam explains the spring breakages that are occurring more and more frequently in a very practical way: "The springs are at their limit these days. In the past, people used to drive with 175 tires, today they hardly ever go below 225. The wider the tire, the more dirt gets into the wheel arches." This also applies to pebbles that burst the powdered plastic protective layers on the spring. Over time, water gets on the spring and it begins to rust.

The expert does not want to accept poor spring quality. Interesting: The springs almost always break in the same places depending on the model. The same applies to coupling rods: splash water and road dirt clog the rubber bellows. If this leaks, water penetrates into the grease and prevents optimal lubrication of the ball bolts in the shell. Result: defective connecting rods.

CAUTION DURING ASSEMBLY

Since chassis components are exposed to the weather almost unprotected, screws and nuts are prone to rusting. Without Flex it is often no longer possible. To simplify the tedious task of ordering each nut, screw and washer individually, Febi Bilstein has put together the Prokits. The kits with just one order number contain the desired chassis replacement part including all assembly parts. Sven Adam also advises the workshops to make a wheel alignment report including the toe difference angle and spread after chassis modifications and to give it to the customer. “If the customer stands at the yard a few weeks later and complains that something is wrong, but he doesn’t mention that he has hit a curb or something similar in the meantime, the workshop can refer to the measurement report and prove that the vehicle was handed over properly and correctly adjusted.” In addition, care should be taken during assembly: on some models with electric steering gears, turning the wheel too quickly when unloaded can lead to damage to the steering gear and the relevant control unit. A large number of such practical examples supplement the theory with modern chassis technology. Finally, a tip from the professional: It's best to replace chassis components on both sides of each axle. And when components are replaced, make sure you purchase the latest versions of the replacement parts. Even in older vehicles, chassis components continue to be developed and improved over the years.