Auto Mechanic is a British automotive magazine
Auto Mechanic was founded in April 1958 and was originally published by Mercury House, which and its successors published Auto Mechanic until the notorious Robert Maxwell bought the company in 1989. However, after stealing his pension, he sold AGB Car Publications to EMAP within weeks. EMAP relaunched Auto Mechanic as a performance-oriented magazine, but this […]
Automotive Suspension Technology
The process includes: Choose the system architecture / Choose the location of the “hard point”, or theoretical center of each ball joint or bushing / Choose the rate of the bushing / Analyze the loads in the suspension / Design the spring rate / Design the shock absorber characteristicsDesign the structure of each component to […]
Lever-arm shock absorbers
The lever arm was replaced by the telescopic shock absorber in the 1960s. This was driven by improved road and highway conditions, higher average speeds, and drivers’ expectations for better handling. Telescopic shock absorbers are more efficient at dissipating heat due to their larger volume of working fluid and higher surface area to fluid volume […]
Shock absorbers vs struts
A strut is a structural component that combines the shock absorber with other suspension components such as coil springs and steering knuckles into a compact unit. Unlike shock absorbers, struts have a reinforced body and rod.Struts carry multi-directional loads, while shock absorbers only dampen vibrations and receive loads only along their axis.Struts and shock absorbers […]
Function of shock absorbers
Some shock absorbers allow the ride to be adjusted by controlling the valves through manual adjustments provided on the shock absorbers.In more expensive vehicles, the valves can be adjusted remotely, allowing the driver to control the ride at will while the vehicle is in motion.Additional control can be provided by computer dynamic valve control that […]
Several common principles behind shock absorption
Conventional shock absorbers can be combined with air suspension springs – another way to achieve ride height control and self-leveling suspensions. In electrorheological fluid dampers, an electric field changes the viscosity of the oil. This principle makes semi-active dampers applicable in automotive and various industries.Magnetic field variation: Magnetorheological dampers change the properties of their fluid […]
Shock absorber single tube
Mercedes was the first car manufacturer to install monotube shock absorbers as standard on some of its models, starting in 1958. They were manufactured by Bilstein, who patented the design and debuted in 1954. Because the design was patented, no other manufacturer was able to use it until the patent expired in 1971.A monotube shock […]
The history of shock absorbers
A design with hydraulic damping was proposed in 1901, but it would only work in one direction. It does not seem to have been put into production immediately, and mechanical shock absorbers such as the Gabriel Snubber began to be installed in the late 20th century (there is also the similar Stromberg Anti-Shox). These used […]
Types of vehicle shock absorbers
Basic double barrelThis device, also known as a “twin-tube” shock absorber, consists of two nested cylindrical tubes, the inner tube is called the “working tube” or “pressure tube” and the outer tube is called the “backup tube”. There is a compression valve or foot valve at the bottom inside the unit. As the piston is […]
Shock absorber principle
Shock absorber principleA shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulic device that absorbs and dampens the impact pulse. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the impact into another form of energy, usually heat, which is then dissipated. Most shock absorbers are a type of damper (a type of damper that […]