Shock Absorbers Explained! - Tech Talk with Mic from Ironman 4x4

A big topic in the 4x4 fitment industry. Shock Absorbers. Mic van Zyl, Director of Ironman 4x4 Africa gives us the details into Shock Absorbers.

The function of the shock absorber is to, as far as possible, keep the tyres in contact with the road surface thus ensuring safe and controlled vehicle handling. It does this by controlling the action of the spring and suspension movement. There are several types of shock absorbers but for the purposes of this video, we will only be looking at telescopic, hydraulic shock absorbers as used on our 4x4’s. Some of these are plain hydraulic shocks, many have gas charging (“gas shocks”) and a few have foam cell technology. They can also be either Mono-tube or Twin-tube in design.

The word “shock absorber” is a bit of a misnomer. It is actually a damper or dampener. The shock dampens the spring and suspension movement by restricting the flow of hydraulic fluid inside the shock when the shock is compressed or extended through the suspension movement. The hydraulic fluid flows through restrictive orifices and valves within the working piston and the foot valve. It is this restriction that generates the damping resistance. This varying resistance gives the shock its dampening ability. The shock absorber, therefore, does not absorb road shock but rather the energy transferred into the spring by the road irregularities.

Read more: https://www.ironman4x4.co.za/the-func...

The majority of shocks available for our 4wds are Twin-Tube shocks. They have an outer tube or canister and an inner working or pressure tube. The piston moves up and down within this inner tube. It is a snug fit and the hydraulic fluid or shock oil is forced to pass through the piston. Excessive oil is stored in the outer chamber between the inner and outer tubes. There is an air space above this oil level in the outer chamber to allow for fluid to move between the inner and the outer tubes. This is necessary due to the fact that the oil cannot be compressed.

In both Standard Oil and Nitrogen Gas-charged shocks, however, the oil and air or gas is in constant contact with each other which accelerates aeration. To counter this, foam cell shocks do not have any air or gas within the body of the shock. Instead, a foam cell tube is inserted around the outside of the inner tube. This foam cell is made from a material similar to wet suit foam rubber and contains enclosed air cells. When excess oil is forced into the outer camber during shock compression, the foam cell is compressed. Foam Cell shocks usually have a larger bore size than gas shocks and a much higher oil capacity. They may however not be available for all vehicles due to their size.
In short, Nitro Gas charged shocks are better than plain Oil shocks and are a great all-around performer. In severe conditions, the larger capacity Heavy Duty Foam Cells are worth a closer look

Read more: https://www.ironman4x4.co.za/shocks-t...

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