This system absorbs all deformations of the road, so that they do not reach the body, nor the passengers sit in the passenger compartment.
Shocks? Dampers? Do you remember where you heard these words? Come on, both are part of one of the most important systems of the car: the suspension system, the one that makes our trips comfortable, despite the irregularities of the terrain wherever we go.
Comfortable? Yes, precisely because this system is responsible for absorbing all deformations of the road and that they do not reach the body, nor the passengers sit in the passenger compartment. In addition, it allows the driver to have a better control of the vehicle.
What are its parts? The suspension system consists of the springs, which are placed between the frame and the closest to the tires, and collect directly the irregularities of the terrain, absorbing them in the form of deformation. (These springs can be, in turn, springs, coil springs or torsion bars).
Also involved are the shock absorbers, which can be friction or hydraulic, but currently only the latter. Hydraulics, in turn, can be rotating, piston or telescopic; although all are based on the same foundation. And finally, there are the stabilizer bars, which contain the incline of a vehicle, when they take a curve very quickly.
All right until now, but how does it work? Simple: When the rim hits an uneven terrain, the spring is compressed by absorbing that unevenness. Upon completion of compression, the spring expands ensuring the vehicle’s contact with the ground. When it expands completely, it is compressed again and so on.
Here it is important to emphasize the importance of the shock absorber. Just imagine that the spring works in isolation, would simply bounce to dissipate all the energy accumulated, which would cause excessive rocking to discomfort of the occupants of the vehicle. For that is the shock absorber, to end that rebound of the dock.
And if the suspension system is wrong, how do you notice it? Often the wear of this system is due to the progressive aging of the shock absorbers. When these are worn, the fluid passes quickly from one chamber to another, the spring bounces and rebounds and the vehicle turns into a ball giving endless boats.
This wear is slow, unless you take the car on very hard roads and this jump instead of rolling. To realize that the system is wrong, just notice the following symptoms: irregular wear of the tires, sharp vibration of the lights at night or an excessive inclination of the front of the vehicle when braking.
If we notice something of this, it is better to take the car to a workshop, although the life of the components of the suspension system is around 80 thousand kilometers.