Car Shock Absorber, Function, How It Works & Signs of Damage

When driving a car, the safety of the driver and passengers is the top priority. Therefore, car manufacturers create features and components to enhance comfort and safety while driving. One of these components is the shock absorber.

If you are not yet familiar with the function of this component, you can pay attention to the review below regarding the function, how it works, and the signs of damage to the shock absorber. Here is the complete review.

Overview of Shock Absorbers

The shock absorber is a car component that plays a role in maintaining the safety of the driver and passengers while driving. This component has a shape similar to car suspension. This component is also often referred to by another term, which is shock breaker.

Function of Shock Absorbers

The shock absorber itself has several crucial functions that you need to know. Here are the complete functions.

1. Shock Dampening

The main function of the shock absorber is to dampen shocks when the car is passing over damaged or uneven roads. When the car goes over a damaged road, the car tires will transmit vibrations or shocks to the vehicle.

The worse the road, the greater the shock or vibration you feel. However, with the presence of a shock absorber, the shock from the tires is dampened.

2. Providing Comfort and Safety While Driving

As previously explained, strong shocks in the cabin will certainly disturb your comfort and that of your passengers while driving. The shock absorber will perform a compression system following the shocks from the car tires. This condition makes the severe shocks feel smaller and less noticeable.

Thus, you will still feel comfortable and safe inside the car. Just imagine, if this component were absent, the car could overturn when passing over damaged roads due to excessive shocks.

How Shock Absorbers Work

The working mechanism of the shock absorber is divided into two methods. Here are the complete working methods.

1. Compression

Uneven or damaged roads will certainly cause the car to shake violently. When this shaking occurs, the car tires will automatically apply pressure to the shock absorber.

This pressure causes the shock absorber to appear shorter and pushes the piston to move upward. This condition causes the piston valve to open only one and limits the piston’s movement space.

As a result, the movement of fluid from the top of the piston to the bottom of the piston gradually slows down. Thus, the movement of the piston moving upward also becomes slower. This slow movement is what allows the shocks from the car tires to be dampened.

2. Expansion

The second method is expansion (the condition where the spring force reverses to its original state). In this condition, the shock absorber that has shortened returns to its initial position or appears to lengthen.

This condition causes the piston to descend, and causes the fluid to move up to the piston. Thus, the movement of the fluid will slow down the movement of the piston so that the shock absorber can perfectly dampen shocks.

Signs of Damage to Shock Absorbers

A damaged shock absorber has the following signs of damage.

1. The Car's Position Becomes Tilted

The first sign of a damaged shock absorber is when the car's position becomes tilted or unbalanced while being driven. When parked on a flat surface, the car usually tilts to one side.

2. Oil Leakage from the Shock Absorber

The second sign, a damaged shock absorber will cause oil leakage from the shock absorber tube.

3. The Car Feels Bouncy and Makes a Bumping Sound While Driving

The third sign, when you are driving, the car feels bouncy so that the shocks felt when passing over damaged roads feel even greater. This causes the piston to hit the shock breaker, resulting in a sound like a bump.

If these signs occur in your car, immediately replace the component at the nearest Daihatsu workshop.

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