Thread: Dampers, stiffness or comfort?

 
Actually the question put in the title of the article, is not quite correct. Indeed, safety is directly related to the condition of the shock absorbers as an integral part of your vehicle's suspension. But the degree of comfort when the movement value is very subjective and depends on personal preferences of each owner. For some drivers the quality of movement is determined by the smoothness of the machine and the lack of sound effects in bridging the rough sections of road, for others, the crucial will be to have sharp handling, stability in turns, the possibility of hard, aggressive riding. And in each of these cases, suspension settings (including characteristics of the shock absorbers) will be different.



In times not so long ago the choice of the owner was small and often limited to the replacement of old bumpers on new (but only if they are successful acquisitions). Alternative option - restore lost their working properties of elements in terms of total deficit was also quite reasonable.

Now the offer is very diverse and is not limited to the shock absorbers, which are set at the factory and have averaged characteristics. To market the products as well-known brands, and not as a mass or which started its operations recently. In this list, you can mention the European Monroe, Koni, Bilstein, Sachs, Boge, Japanese Kayaba, Tokico, English Ensbi, Australian Tough Dog, American Rancho, also occupy a niche producers from South-East Asia - take, for example, Taiwanese Shinkai and P&J.

What are the main differences in characteristics, and so well represented products we can find?

To understand this, recall that the main objective of the absorber to suppress vibrations of the vehicle caused by road irregularities with uniform motion and forces of inertia during acceleration, braking and maneuvering. Running the shock of their functions leads to the establishment of a reliable contact of the wheels with the road, which, in turn, provides security and comfort.



Structurally, the vast majority of the absorber is divided into two main groups - one-pipe and two-pipe. Depending on the filling they can be oil (or hydraulic) and gas-oil (hydro-pneumatic). The latter can also be referred to as simply gas.

In oil twin-tube shock absorbers damping of the oscillations is due to the flow of working fluid from one reservoir to another through a system of valves. The oil in this design is under atmospheric pressure. The advantages of this design are low cost, simplicity and reliability. The disadvantage is that when the intense vibrations caused by road transport, air spanaway oil, and this leads to failures in the operation of the shock absorber. This not only reduces comfort, but quickly goes down the absorber. Oil shocks before installing on the car you need to pump in order to prevent the entry of air into newportnews space.



Twin-tube gas shock absorbers are similar to oil design. However, instead of air with atmospheric pressure, they pumped nitrogen pressure of from 3 to 10 atmospheres, which forms a so-called gas boosting, providing additional damper and protect the absorber from the breakdown. It also reduces the ability of the oil to foam. These dampers before installing, you also need to pump.

In Monotube gas shock absorbers oil separated from the gas by a floating piston, and the gas is contained under high, up to 60 atmospheres pressure. This eliminates oil foaming and allows you to set the damper in any position, even upside down. Positive qualities of this type of shock absorbers can be considered better cooling and stability characteristics. Unlike the others, these dampers do not require leveling during installation. The disadvantages include their vulnerability - even a small dent on the body leads to jamming of the piston and the outlet of the absorber failure.



Today, these types of shock absorbers are the most common, used in the mass automotive and installed on the vast majority of cars. In addition to the above, there are also other designs of shock absorbers with remote reservoirs, adjustable degree of hardness, pneumatically, electronically controlled magnetic, filled with special magneto-rheological fluid, which instantly changes its characteristics under the action of electromagnetic fields. But they are all significantly more expensive than conventional dampers, which limits their applicability.

So, what to choose?

Most likely for drivers with a calm driving style, prefer a comfortable ride, the best choice will be oil shock absorbers. Gas-oil shock absorbers low pressure, in turn, will better cope with stress when driving on the highway at high speed. Gas-oil damper high pressure, although more expensive, but have a higher strength. They will definitely improve the stability and controllability of the car, although it will have to sacrifice a portion of comfort.



Due to the fact that the operation of the car comes in a very different road conditions, unambiguous guidelines on choosing to give it is impossible. The necessary compromise associated with the prevalence in the movement of any significant factor. Too soft shock can cause the build-up of the vehicle on the rough road and lead to the breakdown of the suspension or the contact of the body with the road. Increased stiffness will accelerate premature wear of suspension components and body parts, and the notion of comfort will make quite conventional.

We can conclude that the best choice would be the shock absorbers, which is closest to the installed on the Assembly line, but at the same time can realize the maximum of the positive properties of the suspension and provide a secure grip of the wheels and the roadway. If the driving characteristics of the car will radically change, in addition to the shock absorbers will need to pick up as springs, suspension parts and brake system.

Now, knowing the basic principles and features of operation of shock absorbers, you can guide them in their choice. Because his proposal is now available for each category of buyers!