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Jonathan Westwood

Chief Compliance Officer

Jonathan Westwood | Author

Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

Eduardo Rodrigues

Content Writer

Eduardo Rodrigues | Author

Claudia Tuñón

Claudia Tuñón | Author

Isobel Coughlan

Isobel Coughlan | Author

Joseph Law

Bumper Content Writer

Joseph Law | Author

Alastair Shephard

Alastair Shephard | Author

, tyres can be one of the largest costs after fuel. It’s tempting then to look into so-called “part-worn” tyres to save money. Is this a genuine money-saving trick, or do you get what you pay for? 

are second-hand tyres that have already been used on the road. They are often sold by smaller independent tyre fitters and are generally cheaper than new tyres. 

Some part-worn tyres come from breakers yards, where crash-damaged or scrapped cars are dismantled for parts. This only accounts for a small amount of the part worns sold in the UK, most come from continental Europe, specifically Germany. 

Also, part-worn tyres are shipped in from Germany en masse as tyres that are considered completely worn in Germany are still legal here. The legal limit for tread depth in Germany is 3mm, whereas in the UK it is 1.6mm.

The UK government has set rules for the sale of part-worn tyres, namely 

The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994

 if these rules are adhered to, then there is no reason why part-worn tyres could not be considered safe. 

Tyres are generally rated to last 6-8 years,

 so as long as they are under this age, and don’t show signs of damage, as per the government rules, they should be as reliable and safe as new tyres. However, it’s a common complaint that part-worn tyre sellers do not follow these rules. 

Statistical evidence shows that part-worn tyre shops often flout the rules on selling “part worns”. This 

 post, reports the findings of the DVSA and Trading Standards tests on part-worn tyre garages. 

The report does not look good on the standards of part-worn tyre shops, over 10% of the tyres checked were over 10 years old, and some had noticeable physical defects such as cuts, bulges or foreign objects in the tread. 

This is especially alarming as most tyre manufacturers recommend not using tyres past 8 years old, and the average part-worn tyre buyer is not likely to be able to inspect their tyres as well as the DVSA, with their expertise and dedicated facilities. 

Something noted in the DVSA/Trading Standards tests is the lack of indelible markings present on the tyres, all part-worn tyres must have “PART-WORN” marked on the outer face. 85% of the tyres tested did not have these markings. 

The legislation sets out the minimum condition tyres are to adhere to, but from our experience, there are a few other considerations to make before having back-street tyre shops fit part-worns to your car. 

Fasteners should be tightened to a specific torque level, set by the manufacturer, to ensure bolts don’t come loose, and that the material isn’t being damaged through over-tightening. 

Wheel bolts are no different, but many garages charging only £20-30 per tyre, don’t spend the time to tighten bolts properly. What’s worse is that many use high-powered impact guns instead, over-tightening the nuts and putting stress on the fastener. 

As well as torquing the wheel nuts properly, a wheel and tyre should be 

 whenever changed or repaired. This prevents vibration at high speeds, which can cause various knock-on effects. 

In our experience, some cheaper part-worn tyre shops do not bother to balance after fitting different tyres, which is something to look out for. 

Unless you can specify which exact tyre you want, from their stock, most part worn tyre places fit whatever tyre fits your car, and is on top of the stack, regardless of level of wear or 

It is not recommended to fit mismatched tyres on your car, and the consequences can be even worse if it is a 4-wheel drive vehicle. In heavy braking or cornering mismatched tyres can make the car unpredictable and seriously affect control. 

Wear level too can have a negative effect, when fitting new tyres to a 

 (e.g. changing both front tyres on a front-wheel drive car), they wear at even rates, with the rolling radius decreasing evenly across the axle. 

Part-worn tyres are likely to have differing levels of wear initially, and if the tyre model is different, this problem may worsen as one wears faster than the other. 

This can cause serious problems with your car's differential, as one wheel will be spinning faster than the other, all the time. This will be worse in cars with a Limited Slip differential, such as sports or off-road vehicles. 

The Department for Transport reported that 25% of the accidents on UK roads in 2022 were caused by poor or worn-out tyres. We don’t know how many of these were bought part-worn, but it does prove tyres have a big impact on road safety. 

You could have the reaction times of Lewis Hamilton, and the brakes from his Formula 1 car, but if your tyres are old, worn out or of poor quality, you are more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision. 

Make sure to inspect part-worn tyres thoroughly for damage, age and the performance of the tyre when new, as the stats above prove not all garages selling part-worn tyres can be trusted to do so.

Part-worn tyres are definitely cheaper than any new tyre, many places only charge £20 or so per tyre including fitting. The cheapest new tyres, even budget ones, average around £60. 

However, one important thing to remember is that part-worn tyres usually only have around 3mm of tread left, while new tyres have around 9mm. With the legal limit being 1.6mm, that's only 1.4mm of use left. 

So for £20, you are getting 15-20% of a tyre that may have only cost £60 new. That doesn’t sound like great value to us! 

There are part-worn tyre shops up and down the country, with many selling new tyres too, and some even offering further services such as tracking, exhausts or 

To have the best shot at getting tyres that are safe, find a garage with a good rating online, and that states it conforms to the British standards for used tyre safety. 

If you can get near to the tyres that are for sale - and in many part-worn tyre shops you can - try to inspect and advocate for the best tyres available, using the following criteria: 

Should I Buy Budget Tyres or Part Worn Tyres? 

We’re not oblivious to the cost of living crisis, and driving on safe part-worn tyres is better than prolonging your worn-out current tyres, but we would always encourage drivers to buy new, well-rated tyres where possible. 

The upfront cost is cheaper, most part-worns cost 30-50% of a new tyre. 

As the statistics show, many part worms sold in the UK do not meet the legal requirements, and as such their safety cannot be guaranteed. 

Whilst the initial cost of buying part-worn tyres is lower, you don’t actually get very good value for your money, furthermore they will need replacing much sooner than new tyres. 

Generally, the upfront cost of new tyres is the main factor, as part worms can be less than half the cost. 

Budget tyres can be bought for many smaller cars for less than £60 a corner, some more premium brands can cost up to £150 for the same size. 

Whilst budget tyres are a good option, and we’d probably lean towards that over risky part-worns, some budget tyres offer substandard levels of performance in both efficiency and braking/handling. 

One of the best alternatives to buying part-worn tyres is paying for your tyres in monthly payments. This way you get branded, well-rated tyres but don’t have to pay a large amount upfront. 

Split the cost of tyres into interest-free monthly instalments with 

. Choose from 1,000s of trusted tyre fitters and apply online before you visit. 

 has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

Part Worn Tyres: Are They Safe To Buy & Drive?

The Golden Gate Bridge is an American Icon. Stretching 1.7 miles long, the San Francisco-based suspension bridge has appeared in countless films – Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and even DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens. 

If these movies are anything to go off one thing’s for sure, if you’re a would-be, Earth-destroying, giant monster from outer space you simply must make a stop to destroy the Golden Gate Bridge. Possibly on your way to the Eiffel Tower or Sydney Opera House. 

However, despite its limited luck on the silver screen, the Golden Gate Bridge has endured the years. 

But it hasn’t always been plain sailing. During the bridge’s construction in 1935, terrified workers clung to the top as an earthquake caused the bridge to sway up to 16 feet. 

You might be surprised to learn, given the period in which the bridge was built, that there were some safety precautions in place.

A giant safety net had been deployed to catch anyone who accidentally slipped. The net saved the lives of 19 workers during the construction of the suspension bridge. 

In an iconic orange, the US Navy had originally demanded the bridge be painted in blue and yellow to increase its visibility. 

However, when the steel arrived in the now-familiar orange the architect decided it looked better as it was. Sorry, US Navy, your concerns over visibility and safety will have to wait! 

But what about the bridge sagging? Well, I won’t keep you in “suspense” any longer. 

 anniversary of the bridge was celebrated. To mark the momentous occasion, San Francisco organised a bridge walk. 

Thousands showed up to take part in the walk with an estimated 300,000 pedestrians marching across in celebration. 

Then, what seemed like a big success suddenly turned into a big concern for safety. 

With so many people on the bridge, the structure began to sag, dipping in the middle so much that the bridge's iconic curve flattened out.

As well as the bridge beginning to dip, organisers were concerned about people becoming trapped in the middle. If there had been an emergency there would have been no escape.

Organisers decided to cancel the event, preventing a further 600,000 pedestrians from marching onto the bridge and perhaps stopping what could have been a very big catastrophe. 

Luckily, nobody was hurt and engineers said the bridge had never been under threat of collapse, with the weight exerted on it only being a small fraction of the load it had been designed to hold. 

Even if the weight had been too much, suspension bridges are designed to dip in the middle rather than completely collapse. 

I wonder what they have planned for this surprisingly bendy bridge’s upcoming 90

 anniversary? Whatever it is, I think I might “dip” out of that one.

That time the Golden Gate Bridge sagged 7 feet 

Audi vehicles have been a common sight on UK roads since their introduction to Blighty in 1965. They regularly reach the top 10 sales charts, with the most recent being the Audi A3 in 2024. 

But you don’t need to pay new car prices to experience the combination of German engineering and style that Audi provides. The used market is a wash with great deals, from small city cars to 

, but which of those are the most reliable? 

 is known as the 8V, and is the third generation in the series. It was offered not only in the commonly seen hatchback version, but also in a saloon and convertible body style.

Engine offerings include the 1.5 and 2.0 TFSI (

) as well as the 2.0 TDI engine. The latter is our pick, as used in many VW, Audi and 

 vehicles with great reliability scores. We’d recommend looking at 2015-era cars that generally sell for around £5,500. 

We consider this to be the most reliable 

 as it has the perfect combination of a tried and tested engine, without as many of the complexities of the larger more luxurious models, helping with overall reliability. 

The Audi A5 uses the same platform as the A4 saloon and estate (Avant) but is available with a larger 3.0 TDi engine. Whilst not suitable for everyone, this larger powerplant has a great track record for reliability if serviced correctly. 

What's more, the A5 gives that little bit more space than the A3, carrying 4 adults with a relatively large boot too. A 2016 A5 can be bought for around £9,000, a car of this age will be 

If you need even more space or just prefer the luxury of a larger more plus vehicle, the A6 Saloon may be just what you need. Available with the same 3.0 TDI engine the A5 received, it uses an even larger platform offering far more space inside. 

From 2011 to 2018 they were known as the C7 A6 and racked up good reliability figures. One reason might be that because the car costs at least £54,000 when new, owners are more likely to have kept up with the 

A6s offer great value, as despite their high sticker price when new, secondhand ones can be picked up for around £6,500. 

The A4 Avant is the smallest estate car Audi makes. The generation from 2008 to 2016 is known as the BK variant. Coming optioned with all the usual engine choices, from the 2.0 TFSI petrol to the 2.0 or 3.0 

Values have held relatively strong compared to the larger saloon models, partly due to the lesser number of Avants made, but a good condition 2015 car can still be bought for £7,500. 

If you’re looking for a more stylish vehicle, the black edition comes with larger wheels and no chrome trim, making it look a lot more modern, even though many of them are over 10 years old! 

From the front the A6 Avant looks just like the A6 saloon, but it offers that bit more passenger space over the A4, and substantially more boot capacity for carrying luggage, sports equipment or your pets. 

Available with both the 2.0 and 3.0 TDI engines, we think the 3.0 is the best bet, in part because the Avant weighs another 230kg more than the already chunky A6. With the smooth and powerful diesel engine, motorway journeys are refined and swift, with ample overtaking torque. 

Launched in 2008, the Q5 was the smaller brother to Audi's first SUV, the Q7. It was sold with multiple engine options including petrol and diesel variants ranging from 2.0 to 3.2 Litre, with the sporty SQ5 having a 3.0 Litre supercharged unit. 

Offering a higher driving position and extra comfort over the lower A5 saloon, the Q5 is aimed specifically at the luxury end of the SUV market. Prices when new were well over £45,000, but 6-year-old models can be found for £13,000. 

The Q7 was Audi’s first SUV, debuting in 2005 it shared many of its components with the VW 

, itself a burly substantial SUV. Over time the Q7 has developed into a luxury 

, featuring a plush leather interior and huge amounts of tech. 

Thanks to the large engine bay, the engine options range beyond the 3.0 TDI of the Q5, and some models came with a 6.0 Litre V12 Diesel. If you’re at all concerned about MPG or servicing costs, we would not recommend that version! Instead, the 3.0TDI V6 gives a good compromise between reliability and efficiency. 

As the first-generation cars are becoming a little long in the tooth now, we’d suggest getting a facelift model from 2010 to 2015 for a compromise between age, reliability and style. A 2012 car can be purchased for around £7,500. 

An icon of early 2000s car styling, the first Audi TT was a great combination of German reliability and sophistication, with the fun and dynamism of a 2 door sports car. Whilst the first generation “Type 8N” cars make great modern classics, we’d recommend a 2nd generation, made from 2006 to 2014. 

As we’re focussing on reliability, we’ve tended to suggest diesel engines so far in this list, but a diesel engine (although available from 2008) isn’t the best fit for a sports car. As such we’d recommend the fizzy 2.0 petrol turbo, as found in the hot Audi S3 and VW Golf GTI. 

Audi and VW term this engine the TFSI, meaning “Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection”. While these are generally a strong engine, they can be known to have issues with timing chains, so aim for lower mileage cars or ensure the timing chain has been replaced recently. 

Budget around £4-5,000 for a 2010-era car with under 90.000 miles. As they’re bought mainly for leisure, TTs of this age retain their value well. 

Using the same engine as the aforementioned Audi TT, the S3 is a hot hatch version of the A3, boasting impressive 0-60 and power figures for what was a small hatchback. The suspension is tweaked too from the original A3, with the car riding lower, wider and with bigger brakes. 

Engine reliability is very much the same as the Audi TT, with the 2.0 TFSI being relatively strong aside from a few common issues pertaining to timing chains and turbos. A well-maintained example though should see many miles of use. 

A 2010 car, a second generation “8P” S3 will set you back around £5,500. As with the TT, make sure to check the timing chain status and listen carefully for any rattles. 

Have Your Audi Repaired With Zero Interest Finance from Bumper 

German cars tend to be more expensive to repair, as their parts cost more and work can be more complex. If you have an expensive bill on the horizon, 

offers zero-interest finance through thousands of 

9 Of The Most Reliable Used Audi Models In 2024 

, your car's wheels and tyres take more punishment than any other part. It may make sense then to specifically insure for the cost of repairing them, but is tyre and alloy insurance really worth it? 

We take a look at how wheel and tyre insurance works, what it covers, and most importantly, does it make financial sense? 

Like any other insurance policy, tyre insurance providers charge an 

 premium to cover any damage, accidental or malicious, to your tyres. These are usually bought as a one-off payment, lasting for 12 months. 

In the event you damage something by hitting a kerb or pothole, the insurance company will pay to replace the tyre, usually up to a certain value. 

Typical policies will cost between £60 to £150 per year and usually offer 2-4 claims in that period.

There are two main ways to get tyre insurance, one is per-tyre cover, often sold by tyre shops, and the other is a yearly cover, available from multiple online insurance companies. 

 cover called things like TyreCare (offered by UK garage KwikFit) or an Extended Warranty (offered by Halfords). These will often be presented to you at the tyre garage when paying for your tyres. 

Costing from £5.99 to £12.00 per wheel, this cover only usually covers one tyre replacement - the one that you bought - this is why some retailers call them extended warranties. 

Annual policies are offered by many online 

 brokers and are usually sold as a “productised” item, i.e. a one-off cost somewhat regardless of tyre type and size, instead of being calculated on a case-by-case basis such as car and home insurance. 

, location and car type are not specifically considered in the same way traditional car insurance is. Most insurers offer tiers such as up to 17” 17” to 20” etc. 

How Does Alloy Wheel Insurance Work in the UK? 

Much like Tyre insurance, you pay a yearly premium, the cost of which depends on the size and type of your alloy wheels. If your wheels get damaged, the insurance company will cover the 

Alloy wheel insurance costs between £70 and £300 per year. Some companies take payment upfront, and some offer monthly payments. 

What is Covered in Tyre and Alloy Wheel Insurance 

Insurance companies are sure to set out exactly what is and isn’t covered when taking out a policy, but in general, most providers put a clear limit on the cost of each repair or replacement. 

, the vast majority of the providers we checked out, the cheapest tiers of cover offer up to £100 per repair, and a maximum of 4 repairs per year. Higher tiers offer up to £250 per wheel, but most are still capped at 4 repairs per year. 

Tyre insurance works on a similar system, with most covering 2 tyres per year max, with claim limits selectable from £125 to £400 per tyre. Increasing the claim limit from £125 to £400 doubles the yearly premium. 

Things That Aren’t Covered on Tyre and Wheel Insurance 

Whilst damage both accidental and malicious is covered, tyre wear is not. Most insurers we found will not pay to replace anything with less than 2mm of tread. This also applies to tyres that have been damaged. 

So make sure you keep on top of routine tyre replacement, otherwise your tyre insurance won't pay out at all, you’ll need to do this inspection yourself, as 

 testers may only mention your tyres are low when they’re very close to the 

Unlike car insurance, tyre and wheel insurance is not a legal requirement so it is up to drivers to decide if they need cover or not. To figure out if tyre insurance makes sense for you, first consider the following factors: 

The fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to receive a puncture or damaged alloy and therefore need to claim on your tyre or wheel insurance. 

Because the policies very rarely take into account 

 when calculating a premium, the fewer miles you do, the less cost-effective the insurance will be. 

Performance, luxury or larger cars all tend to have more 

. It therefore may make more financial sense to insure wheels and tyres on these kinds of vehicles but not on those with cheaper tyres. 

Many policies put a strict age limit on the vehicles they will insure the wheels of, common ages being 5 or 7 years. If your car is nearing these milestones, consider if the policy will be invalidated during its duration. 

Can Tyre and Alloy Insurance Save You Money? 

you money in the long run; consider that the average driver pays 

 in premium fees in their driving lifetime, but very few drivers will receive that amount in insurance payouts. 

Instead, tyre and alloy insurance helps with cash flow, allowing drivers to avoid footing those big bills that always seem to crop up when you least want them to. 

Using what we’ve covered in this article, we’d say that if your car’s tyres and wheels are expensive, you drive a 

, and you don’t generally have cash on hand, tyre and alloy insurance is probably worth considering. 

However, if you don't do many miles or your tyres are reasonably cheap, we’d recommend (if possible) putting some money aside for emergencies so you’re not caught short. 

Bumper Can Help, Without Having to Pay Any Extra 

 offers zero interest-free car repairs at our many partner garages across the UK, and that extends to tyres too. Enabling you to spread the cost of new tyres, without needing to buy a costly insurance policy. 

has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Is Tyre And Alloy Insurance Worth It?

We’re pleased to announce we’ve raised a further £2 million in a Series B extension round, with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining as investors.

With Suzuki’s strong European dealer network and Marubeni’s RRG Group, HPL Motors Group and Norton Way Motors in the UK, the new investors are strategically important for further accelerating Bumper’s scaled growth across the UK and Europe. 

Suzuki’s UK dealer operation recently ranked as the top-performing automotive brand in the Institute of Customer Service’s 2024 UK Customer Satisfaction Index. 

The latest investment follows last year’s £40 million Series B fundraise with Autotech Ventures, Shell Ventures, JLR’s InMotion Ventures and Porsche Ventures. Total investment in Bumper has now reached £55 million. 

The new investors are joining after a record year of growth for the business with Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growing 100% year on year and customer numbers up 80% in the last 12 months. 

James Jackson, Bumper Co-Founder and CEO said, “With Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining our growing portfolio of major automotive investors, we can accelerate our ambitious plans to be the dominant payment platform for car dealers in the UK and across Europe.

“We’re delighted that Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures see the value of what we’ve already achieved and our future potential. Unexpected and unbudgeted car repair bills are a universal problem requiring flexible payment solutions that benefit customers and dealers. With our investors’ support, we’re now ideally placed to invest in new products and increase our dealer footprint.”

Kinji Saito, Director and Senior Managing Officer at Suzuki said, “Bumper’s unique AI technology enables real-time financing decisions, thereby making it easier for customers to take their cars for repairs and services, and dealers to attract customers. 

“With this investment, made through Suzuki Motor Corporation’s corporate venture capital fund, we aim to enhance the convenience of customers through expanding Bumper’s services.” 

Tristan Jennings, Senior Associate of Marubeni Ventures said, “Bumper has clearly demonstrated an ability to address the unique financing needs of automotive repair customers, reduce friction at point of sale and improve the user experience, while seamlessly integrating into existing dealership IT infrastructure. 

“We aim to leverage Marubeni’s existing businesses in the automotive and auto finance sectors to further expand Bumper’s reach and build upon its outstanding level of customer service.”

Bumper raises £2 million in Series B extension with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures 

Bumper recauda 2 millones de libras en la ampliación de la ronda de financiación serie B gracias a Suzuki Global Ventures y Marubeni Ventures como nuevos inversores.

Bumper sammelt 2 Millionen Pfund in der Erweiterung der Serie B ein, wobei Suzuki Global Ventures und Marubeni Ventures als Investoren einsteigen

We’re excited to announce the Dealership of the Month for February is Acorn Kia Crewe.

The Crewe-based site had a fantastic start to the year and has continued its upward trajectory into February.

One of the longer-standing Bumper partners, Acorn Motor Group adopted PayLater into their aftersales departments back in 2017 and have now gone live with PayNow, processing customers’ one-off payments in just a few taps, and Pay By Bank, an instant account-to-account payment method.

The team also make use of Bumper integrations through popular automotive systems Keyloop and CitNOW, creating a seamless customer experience for drivers.

Their world-class customer experience has impacted their Trustpilot reviews, of which there are plenty!

One customer said, “Seamless, straightforward process, very well explained by Matt. Nothing was too much trouble.” Another stated, “Jay did an amazing check on my car for [my] MOT... great detail on the inspection video”.

Others described Kia Crewe as, “Very helpful”, “Quick”, and “First class”.

Bumper’s Chris Booth (Business Development Team Lead – North) and Islay Horton (Business Development Consultant) visited the site to hand over the award. 

Islay said, “Congratulations to Acorn Kia Crewe on their win. They’ve had an outstanding start to 2024 with Bumper, really embedding PayLater into their aftersales process.

“Having recently taken over the site, it’s been a pleasure to meet with the team here in Crewe today and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can utilise PayLater even further to create an incredible aftersales experience.”

Congratulations to Amy, Rebecca, Chloe, Matt and the whole team at Acorn Kia Crewe.

Acorn Kia Crewe named Dealership of the Month

Mercedes-Benz is the oldest car manufacturer in the world, producing the first ever car in 1885. From there they have developed a great reputation for reliability and build quality. Despite this, modern cars are complex, and there are some common faults recorded among Mercedes owners. 

Mercedes Benz is known for their reliability, with high ratings in WhatCar and Which surveys in recent years. They do not often top the charts, with brands such as 

Like most modern luxury brands, Mercedes are not low-maintenance cars, and you don’t want to skip scheduled maintenance items. With their dual-

 transmissions and complex turbocharged engines, they need the recommended oil and filter changes, at the least, to keep them running smoothly. 

There are not likely to be any definitive timescales to expect your Mercedes-Benz to start developing issues, but as with many cars, problems generally begin after around 7-10 years and around 100,000 miles. This is when items such as suspension arms, hydraulic engine mounts, and timing belts can need replacing.

 is that the ride is quiet, refined and free of vibrations for the passengers. To achieve this most modern premium vehicles have hydraulic engine mounts. These are oil-filled rubber dampers that are integral to the engine mounting brackets. 

Over time, the rubber wears and perishes by absorbing the engine's vibrations, causing the oil inside to leak out and further reduce its damping effect. Symptoms of this issue all relate to excessive vibration and noise from the engine. 

Another fantastic feature that enhances comfort for passengers is Mercedes' sophisticated air suspension system. It uses an air suspension strut in replacement of a traditional 

 and shock absorber to allow better ride quality and handling characteristics. 