CAR SHOCKS VS. STRUTS

ROLE OF CAR SHOCKS AND STRUTS

A key part of your vehicle’s suspension system, car shock absorbers and struts help keep your vehicle’s tires in contact with the road. Why is it so important? If your vehicle doesnot maintain close contact with the road, steering, handling and braking may be affected. Quality ride monitoring products perform many vital functions:

• Control excessive body and tire movement.

• Reduced bouncing, swaying and rolling of the car, as well as its subsidence when braking and squatting with acceleration.

• Helps maintain stable handling and braking

• Helps maintain wheel alignment

• Help reduce the chance of premature wear on tires and other suspension components.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHOCK ABSORBERS AND STRUT

Many times you will hear people refer to car shocks and struts as interchangeable. However, shock absorbers and struts are two different parts with different functions. While both can help with driving and driving, these parts work in different ways. Shock absorbers are separate components of the suspension system, while struts are the main structural element of the chassis and suspension system.

WHAT SHOCKS DO

Despite what many people think, conventional shock absorbers cannot support the weight of a car. Instead, the primary purpose of a shock absorber is to control the movement of the spring and suspension. This is achieved by converting the kinetic energy of suspension movement into thermal energy, or heat, which is dissipated through the hydraulic fluid.

The amount of drag developed by a car shock absorber depends on the speed of the suspension and the number and size of small holes or holes in the piston. All modern shock absorbers are speed-sensitive hydraulic damping devices, meaning that the faster the suspension travels, the more resistance the shock absorber provides. Thanks to this feature, the shock absorbers adapt to different road conditions and reduce speed:

• bounce

• Rolling and rocking due to worn car shock absorbers that lose their ability to control the rate of weight transfer.

• Jump with braking and squat with acceleration

Shock absorbers operate on the principle of fluid displacement in both compression and rebound cycles. A typical car or light truck will have more resistance during a stretch cycle than during a compression cycle. The compression cycle controls the movement of the vehicle’s unsprung mass, while the stretch cycle controls the heavier sprung mass.

SHOCK ABSORBER COMPONENTS

Shock absorbers are essentially oil pumps. The piston is attached to the end of the piston rod and works against the hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube. As the suspension is raised and lowered, hydraulic fluid is forced through holes inside the piston. However, these holes allow only a small amount of liquid to pass through the piston. This slows down the piston, which in turn slows down the movement of the spring and suspension.

WHAT STRUTS DO

A strut is a common type of shock absorber found in many modern front-wheel drive independent suspension vehicles, as well as some rear-wheel drive vehicles.

The strut is an important structural part of the suspension. Replaces upper suspension arm and upper ball joint used in conventional suspensions. Due to its design, the strut is lighter and takes up less space than shock absorbers in conventional suspension systems.

Racks perform two main functions. Firstly, the racks perform a shock-absorbing function like shock absorbers. Inside, the strut is like a shock absorber. The piston is attached to the end of the piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid to control the movement of the spring and suspension. Like shock absorbers, valves create resistance to the forces created by the up and down movement of the suspension. Just like shock absorbers, the strut is speed sensitive, meaning it has a valve, so the amount of resistance can increase or decrease depending on how fast the suspension is moving.

Racks also do a second job. Unlike shock absorbers, struts provide structural support to a car’s suspension by supporting the spring and keeping the tire in the correct position. In addition, they take up most of the lateral load on the vehicle’s suspension. As a result, the struts affect ride comfort and handling as well as handling.