Ground Control - Suspension

Hello and welcome to the suspension discussion of our blog, so lets jump in. In todays technological vehicles the suspension system is a vital part in getting the power to the ground. Or, if you would rather ride in comfort there are plenty of air bag options to smooth out that rough ride.

With todays technology the options for suspension upgrades are limitless. If your looking to get the power to the ground here are some options to consider. Coil over shocks are a great upgrade for any old school ride, not only will the vehicles not bounce everywhere but it will help stabilize the car for better handling and control. A bigger sway bar will also help with traction control, keeping the car from twisting and swaying in the turns or off the line. A four link in the rear end keeps the rear end from twisting and will help with keeping the power to the ground.

If comfort is more your style, air bags are the way to go. There fairly easy to install and give your vehicle the smooth but not bumpy ride your looking for and are great for long road trips. When it comes to improving your vehicle's performance, shock absorbers are probably one of the last things you consider. However, shock absorbers as an integral part of your vehicle's suspension, work to maximize the ability of your tires to perform.
The springs in your suspension hold up the weight of your vehicle and help resist pitch to the front and rear, and (in conjunction with the vehicle's sway bars) resist lean to the side. Your shock absorbers are the primary suspension components that actually help "absorb shock" preventing continued bounce every time you accelerate, stop, corner or hit a bump. Shock absorbers are designed to slow and reduce these movements to help control the weight of the vehicle during transitions and allow your tires to perform better as they accept your input.

When shock absorbers wear (often very slowly over tens of thousands of miles, making the deterioration less noticeable), their resistance to movement weakens, your vehicle's handling suffers, and tires and suspension components wear abnormally. New shock absorbers can restore the performance that has been surrendered by weak shock absorbers on used cars. Even new cars can improve their performance by upgrading their shock absorbers.

Shock absorbers work by converting suspension movement (kinetic energy) into heat (thermal energy). Fluid in a telescopic shock absorber is forced to pass through restrictive valves as the shock's piston is compressed (bump stroke) and extended (rebound stroke). Many shock absorbers are gas-filled to reduce foaming as their piston is forced through the fluid, and have a "floating" piston to separate the fluid from the gas. This helps eliminate performance fade to maintain good ride and handling characteristics, even in demanding driving conditions.

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AFTER [LOWERED]

Most "heavy-duty" shock absorbers, by means of larger diameter rods and pistons, better seals and valves, more fluid, and stronger mounting points, are stronger and better suited to the demands of hard driving, than are Original Equipment shocks. Some performance shock absorbers are adjustable allowing the driver to tune the behavior of the vehicle to meet their preferences for ride comfort and handling balance. This feature also allows the driver to adjust the shock absorber's dampening to compensate for the wear that occurs over tens of thousands of miles.