What is the best shock absorber for our car?
Many drivers, despite the fact that they try to take care of their vehicles, often do not have an idea and a complete set of information about the important role of shock absorbers for driving comfort and safety. The wrong choice or lack of proper care for this mechanism often contributes to serious car breakdowns and, importantly, traffic accidents.
First of all, every car user must be fully aware of what a shock absorber is and what it is for. 
necessary for the operation of the vehicle. It is a multi-tasking running gear. The most important of these, as the name implies, is damping, i.e. transmission, minimizing all vibrations from elastic elements, such as springs. On the other hand, the shock absorber must also provide driving comfort, be as soft and flexible as possible,” explains Adam Klimek, Motoricus.com expert.
Shock absorbers are divided into two main types: oil and gas. The first of them works on the principle of two valves through which a liquid flows that eliminates vibrations. The second one, now definitely more popular, works on a similar principle, only instead of the liquid itself, it is a mixture of gas and liquid. In an era of dynamic automotive development, when cars are faster and more powerful, they are more efficient (gas works better than oil alone), so they are now the standard. However, it should be remembered that gas shock absorbers are not completely fluid-free - this is necessary due to the need to eliminate friction in the piston rods.
On the other hand, oil-filled shock absorbers can provide greater driving comfort at the expense of less damping force, traction, and response time. The latter reason was the reason for working on a gas shock absorber. This, in turn, makes the car stiffer, provides better traction, but has the so-called duck walk of the car. The undoubted advantage of gas shock absorbers, however, is that they are less susceptible to prevailing weather conditions - gas does not change its parameters as clearly as oil, under the influence of temperature. In addition, gas shock absorbers can be partially adjusted by determining the operating parameters.
Facts and myths
Drivers often think that the average life of shock absorbers is 3 years. This is absolutely not true. Due to the fact that people drive very differently - some avoid hatches, others do not, you can’t tell about the years of operation. Remember that for 20-30 kilometers traveled, the shock absorber makes thousands of cycles! Few people realize that this is one of the most exploited elements of the chassis. That is why I believe that every car should undergo a depreciation test once a year,” explains Adam Klimek.
It is worth regenerating shock absorbers. This is also, unfortunately, not true. In the long run, this, unfortunately, will never pay off economically and qualitatively. Shock absorbers have a relatively short life and the regeneration process will not be completely satisfactory. Regeneration of shock absorbers only makes sense in the case of vintage cars for which there are simply no substitutes, explains Adam Klimek.
The damper never works 100%. It's true. No damper can be defined in this way. Percentage efficiency is measured by counting the wheel-to-ground contact time during the test, so even a new shock won't achieve that result. It should be remembered that a result of 70% is very good, and we may consider substitutions below 40%,” explains Adam Klimek of Motoricus.com.
Oil dampers are always softer than gas dampers. - It is not true. Several other factors influence the final impression. With gas shock absorbers, you can ride "softer" than in the case of oil counterparts. The seats themselves, the tires and the level of pressure in them, as well as small patents on shock absorber and suspension designs used by individual concerns, are very important, says Adam Klimek from Motoricus.com.
How to choose the right shock absorber
Drivers often like to tinker with their vehicles and even conscientiously replace individual parts so that the car is “more efficient”. It is worth emphasizing that in the case of shock absorbers and most other elements, it is worth adhering to the manufacturer's recommendations. I am against any modifications. Many people ask that, for example, parts from Octavia be installed on Skoda Fabia - after all, they are identical, for example, in mounting. However, I would advise against it. I consider sacred what is written in the car manual, says Adam Klimek. However, if you have already decided to change the shock absorbers, then you need to choose from among the recognized brands. Although they are expensive, they are guaranteed to serve you well. In the case of cheap substitutes, besides the fact that they have a much shorter service life, there is a problem with the recognition of their warranties by service centers. It should be remembered that Polish law does not oblige service stations to provide customers with replacement cars, as a result of which we may be left without a car for 2-3 weeks. Another problem with cheap non-brand shock absorbers is that there is usually a long wait for new ones to be delivered, which is inconvenient for both the driver and the service. “As they say: cunning loses twice, and in this case it is exactly so,” emphasizes Adam Klimek.
In Poland, we will also find many drivers who want to change the spring rate without replacing the entire shock absorbers, for example, to lower the car by 2 cm. – Unfortunately, this is a road to nowhere. Thus, you can only lose the comfort of use without gaining any driving performance. The result of such experiments may additionally be damage to the car body or cracked glass, Adam Klimek warns.
Why is it so important
Concern for the quality and condition of shock absorbers in a broad sense can be defined as savings. Any omissions in this regard will only result in additional errors and costs. A broken shock absorber damages the entire suspension. In addition, we can be sure that soon we will have to replace the tires as a result of their so-called teething.
Also remember that shock absorbers should always be replaced in pairs, with particular attention to the rear axle. – Drivers often forget about it, focusing only on the front. I came across a situation where many times buyers did not change the rear shock absorbers for 10 years, and the third set was already on the front. Such negligence will inevitably lead to the fact that eventually the rear axle will begin to bend, Adam Klimek warns. This is also very important due to the fact that the driver in the car does not have the opportunity to assess the performance of the rear axle, and this can be very difficult and dangerous.
It is important to note that the entire suspension should be considered as tightly connected vessels. “If we have play on the rocker arm, the handle works differently, the cushion works differently, there is more deflection… The cushion and McPherson bearing wear out in the blink of an eye. If there is a replacement, then it must be complete, including thrust bearings. These parts must always be replaced, the Motoricus.com expert adds. However, such repairs or replacements should not be carried out by yourself. The reason is that without the help of a professional service, it is impossible to set the appropriate geometry yourself, which is crucial in the case of a correctly replaced shock absorber.
Other solutions
The automotive market, as one of the fastest growing, is constantly evolving and trying to introduce new technological solutions on a large scale. Currently, cars of some manufacturers are replacing classic shock absorbers with airbags. – This solution gives excellent results in the field of comfort. However, in this case, I would recommend regenerating the system if necessary, rather than replacing it. The main reason is that the cost of buying and installing new airbags is about the same as 10 replacements of classic suspension systems, says Adam Klimek of Motoricus.com. However, I personally do not expect many such new products to appear in the future. Classic shock absorbers will probably still dominate, but their structure and appearance will change. It is also to be expected that electronics will play an increasingly important role in this regard. It is the computer, not the person, who will adjust the stiffness, clearance or deflection according to the prevailing conditions. We can say that it will be electronics, not mechanics, the Motoricus.com expert adds.
Security again!
The technical condition of shock absorbers has a significant impact on active and passive safety. Defective, worn-out shock absorbers do not provide good enough grip of the tire to the road, which significantly impairs braking performance. It can also disrupt the operation of, for example, the ABS system, one of the key systems that improve braking performance. A poorly damped shock absorber also contributes to significant vibrations in the vehicle and therefore in the headlights. This results in dazzling oncoming drivers, which can also lead to very dangerous traffic situations.
