Learn about what car shock absorbers are. Types and maintenance.

Shock absorbers are essential devices in the car suspension system, performing a crucial role in its correct functioning and in on-board traveler safety. Being responsible to control the carbody movement and wheel oscillations, shock absorbers ensure a stable and comfortable ride both on flat, smooth and irregular terrains.

They also influence significantly to braking speed, maneuvering and vehicle stability in critical conditions. In this sense, they also play a central role in accident prevention and protection of the lives of vehicle occupants.

What are car shock absorbers?

This device, key of the vehicle suspension system, has as main function controlling and absorbing car body movements and wheel oscillations resulting in stability, comfort and driving safety. Shock absorbers specifically take the energy generated by terrain irregularities and braking forces, preventing them of being transmitted abruptly from the vehicle chassis to the occupants. This contributes to keep the wheels down on the road surface which improves traction, maneuvering and braking capacity. To sum up, shock absorbers play a fundamental role in assuring a soft, stable and safe driving.

Types of car shock absorbers

There are several types of shock absorbers for vehicles, each of them offers specific features and applications. Some of the most common ones are:

1. Hydraulic shock absorbers. They are the most traditional and also the ones used the most. A hydraulic fluid pass through a system of valves which controls the piston movement inside the cylinder providing a safe, soft and stable driving.
2. Gas shock absorbers. They are also known as gas pressure dampers. They have built-in compressed nitrogen to improve their response and make them exhaustion-resistant. They are also more efficient in critical driving conditions such as winding roads and irregular terrains.
3. Twin-tube shock absorbers. They offer a doble-tube design with an internal tube which contains a hydraulic fluid and an external tube acting as a back-up deposit. This configuration provides a higher heat dissipation capacity which improves performance and durability.
4. Mono-tube shock absorbers. Different from twin-tube shock absorbers, mono-tube shock absorbers have a more compact design with a single tube containing both the hydraulic fluid and the compressed gas. It allows them to offer a faster response and a better heat dissipation which is ideal for high performance applications.
5. Torsional dampers. This shock absorber is a device absorbing crankshaft vibrations and is used in certain vehicle types to prevent annoyances, damages and loosening caused by vibrations.

These are just some examples of shock absorbers used in cars. Anyway, choosing the proper shock absorber will depend on diverse factors such as driving style, terrain conditions, driver preferences and their product quality.

Choosing the best car shock absorbers 

Choosing good shock absorbers require to keep in mind several considerations such as adaptation to the final client’s conduction type and terrain conditions to be driven. We offer you hear some suggestions:

• Driving type. Road trips demand the use of shock absorbers offering a balance between comfort and stability. Driving on irregular terrains or performing off-road activities will demand more robust shock absorbers providing a higher impact absorption
• Terrain conditions. Traveling through muddy areas requires shock absorbers ready to face adverse conditions and provide a consistent performance.

Lastly, choosing shock absorbers also requires to follow recommendations from different models and brands. At Autoparts From Spain, we offer a variety of Spanish brands manufacturing shock absorbers with quality and reliability. These are some of the associated brands that stand out because of their great quality in this type of car components:

• Amadeo Martí Carbonell, company with presence in the five continents with exports to more than 72 countries, is a specialized in supports and torsional vibration dampers and offers solutions to improve driving stability and comfort.
• Autofren Seinsa, leading company in manufacturing brake, transmission, steering and suspension systems for main original equipment manufacturers, offers protection kits for shock absorbers including bumpers and trunk reinforcements, assuring a larger durability and protection for their shock absorbers.
• At Talosa, they are devoted to manufacturing and distributing shock absorber components, offering a wide range of products to ensure an optimum performance and a safe driving.

How to detect shock absorber problems in the car?

Detecting shock absorber problems in a car is vital to maintain safety and vehicle performance. Here, we show you some of the wearing or damage signals in shock absorbers. 

• Excessive sway: if the vehicle sways more than usual in turns or lane changes, this is evidence of worn or damaged shock absorbers.
• Excessive bouncing: If a car bounces several times after going over a bump, it might be an evidence of shock absorber wearing.
• Uneven tyre wearing: worn absorbers may cause an uneven tyre wearing, especially in the thread.
• Unusual noises: noises or cracks coming from the suspension may signal shock absorber issues.

To sum up, shock absorbers carry out an indispensable job regarding stability, control and vehicle response to face different driving conditions essential for assuring a safe and comfortable trip. 

This is why at Autoparts From Spain,  we are committed to quality and reliability of our automotive components -including shock absorbers- to offer a driving experience with quality in the car.