Shock Absorbers for Passenger Cars
Shock absorbers transform the vibrational energy of the chassis and wheels into heat. This sounds simple, but it has serious consequences for driving safety and comfort as well as vehicle wear. With respect to safety, shock absorbers have the job of preventing the wheels from "hopping" on uneven surfaces and thus being unable to transmit braking, traction, or lateral forces when they temporarily lose contact with the road.
Suspension comfort suffers when chassis movements caused by driving over uneven surfaces, changing directions, braking, and accelerating are transmitted "unfiltered", so to speak, to the passengers. Shock absorbers substantially reduce this effect and thus contribute substantially to passenger comfort. Moreover, hopping wheels and strong chassis vibrations due to improperly functioning shock absorbers lead to increased wear on the tires and chassis components.
