Shocks
Shock absorbers
or shocks were built to help absorb the up-and-down shock created by
the springs whenever a vehicle hits a bump. Aside from absorbing the
impact, they also keep the car or truck easily maneuverable even after
a bumpy ride.
The absence of shock
absorbers would definitely result to a bouncing ride as energy is stored
in the spring and then released to the vehicle, oftentimes exceeding
the permitted range of suspension movement. Most spring-based shock
absorbers employ coil springs or leaf springs, though torsion bars can
be used in torsion shocks as well.
Springs alone are
not shock absorbers as they only store and do not distribute or absorb
energy. Modern vehicles typically use both springs or torsion bars along
with hydraulic shock absorbers. With this setup, the shock absorber
is reserved specifically for the hydraulic piston that takes in the
vibration.
Today's technologically-advanced
shock absorbers are fitted with velocity hydraulic damping devices which
provide increased speed in the movement of the suspension to attain
greater resistance. The result is a versatile shock absorber that can
easily adopt to various road conditions. The effects of constant bounce,
sway, brake dive and acceleration squat are thus significantly reduced.
Current designs
of shock absorbers are either in twin tube designs and mono tube designs.
A twin tube shock absorber is made up of an inner and outer tube that
work seamlessly together to achieve its intended purpose while a mono
tube is made up of one tube mounted in an upside down position to help
reduce the load.
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