What Is a Suspension System?

The suspension system is an essential element of your car. It ensures the safety and comfort of you and your passengers, maximizes friction between tires and road surface, and evenly distributes weight over all four wheels for improved handling.

A spring in a suspension system stores energy and dissipates it by compressing its size, converting force into heat. The amount of energy a spring can store depends on several factors such as its length and material composition.

Shock absorbers in a suspension system prevent your wheels from bouncing around too much by absorbing the energy transferred to them. Furthermore, shock absorbers keep the wheels from rubbing against one another while driving, which helps to minimize uneven wear and tear on your vehicle’s tires.

Suspension systems typically consist of three types of shock absorbers: coil springs, leaf springs and dampers. Coil springs are used in front wheel suspension while leaf springs are employed at the rear.

The primary purpose of suspension is to minimize body roll when turning corners. This can occur due to forces applied during a turn or due to how wheels are positioned in an awkward corner.

Most cars feature an anti-roll bar that links the opposite wheels together through short lever arms connected by a torsion spring. This type of suspension is typically found on cars with solid axles, though some high-end vehicles feature interconnected suspension systems using multiple links to transfer kinetic energy between front and back of vehicle.

When a vehicle encounters bumps on the road, its spring compresses and expands, forcing the piston of a shock absorber to move up and down in its pressure tube. Holes at the bottom allow fluid to seep through and slow the movement of the piston down.

Shock absorbers may feature a bump-stop to shield the bottom of the piston from hard landings on the road. This helps avoid suspension from bottoming out, which could result in violent damage to your vehicle’s frame or body.

A suspension system can make your ride more comfortable by maintaining the height of your car at a consistent level. This is done through springs and shocks that allow only the wheels to rise or lower, eliminating tire bounce when hitting bumps in the road.

Suspension is a complex system made up of components that work together to give you and your passengers the best ride. To understand all the functions and parts of your suspension system, it’s essential that you understand its components so you can make informed decisions regarding repairs or replacement.

The two most commonly used suspension components are springs and dampers. But other parts are available too, some of which could make an excellent addition to your vehicle.