INSPECTING SHOCKS AND STRUTS Car Park Test First check the vehicle’s mileage. When a vehicle has just 20,000 km or more, there could be some internal wear and new shocks and struts may be needed. Also, check the manufacturer’s recommended service interval in the owner’s manual. Remember, a shock absorber provides resistance to bounce, roll […]
WHAT IS RIDE CONTROL Many things affect vehicles in motion. Weight, weight distribution, speed, road conditions, and wind are some of the factors that affect how a vehicle rolls down the highway. Under all these variables, however, the vehicle’s suspension system – including the shocks, struts and springs – must be in good condition. Worn
Gas Charged Shocks & Struts Gas charged shocks and struts are available for most passenger cars and light trucks. These units are the most popular shocks and struts sold today. A gas charge helps keep fluid inside the shock or strut from foaming. So, the unit performs better over a wider range of road conditions.
SHOCK ABSORBER CONSTRUCTION Bore Size Bore size is the diameter of the piston and the inside of the pressure tube. Generally, the larger the unit, the higher the potential control levels because of the larger piston displacements and pressure areas. The larger the piston area, the lower the internal operating pressures and temperatures. This provides
SHOCK ABSORBER DESIGN There are two basic shock absorber designs in use today: the two-tube design and the mono-tube design. The conventional shock absorber is illustrated in Fig. 2. Notice that it has two tubes. The inner tube is known as the pressure or working cylinder, while the outer tube is known as the reserve
WHAT SHOCK ABSORBERS DO Let’s start our discussion of shock absorbers with one very important point: Despite what many people think, conventional shock absorbers do not support vehicle weight. Instead, the primary purpose of the shock absorber is to control spring and suspension movement. Shock absorbers are basically oil pumps. As shown in Fig. 1,
STRUT DESIGN Typically, struts consist of a coil spring to support the vehicle’s weight, a strut housing to provide structural support for the assembly, and a damping unit within the strut housing to control spring and suspension movement. The bottom of the strut usually attaches to the steering knuckle, and the top of the strut
WHAT STRUTS DO Purpose of Struts In the mid 1970s, domestic automakers began the transition from producing large rear-wheel drive vehicles to producing lighter, more fuel-efficient front-wheel drive vehicles. Along with this transition came many changes to the typical suspension system. For decades, the majority of passenger cars came equipped with short-arm/long-arm suspension systems, which
STEERING SYSTEMS The typical steering system used on passenger cars and light trucks is called a parallelogram system because all the pivot points are paralleled. This allows each wheel to be flexible and to travel independently. The conventional parallelogram system consists of the following: pitman arm idler arm tie-rod ends centre link adjusting sleeves Another
SPRING DESIGN Before discussing spring design, it is important to understand sprung and unsprung weight. Sprung weight is the weight supported by the springs. For example, the vehicle’s body, frame, motor, and transmission would be sprung weight. Unsprung weight is the weight that is not carried by the springs, such as the tyres, wheels and
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