How Car Suspension Works

While driving your vehicle, you may have come across uneven surfaces and broken roads. As you drive through such path, what keeps you safe and provide a smooth drive is the suspension of your car.

Upward force from road and Car pressure force downwards are in balance, on smooth roads. On uneven paths the upward force may exceed the downward force, leading to toppling of the car. The automobile suspension transforms the direction of the ensuing force from upward direction to the direction that corresponds to movement of the car.

Automobile Suspension increases(maximizes) the friction between tires and the road and to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort of the passengers. In luxury cars, the significance of automobile suspension acquires newer heights since a smooth ride requires complete absorption of bumps.

The Technical Part :

A bump in the road causes the wheel to move up and down perpendicular to the road surface. The magnitude, of course, depends on whether the wheel is striking a giant bump or a tiny speck. Either way, the car wheel experiences a vertical acceleration as it passes over an imperfection.

As the wheel is jumping, it may sometimes lose contact with the road completely. Then, under the downward force of gravity, the wheels can slam back into the road surface. What you need is a system that will absorb the energy of the vertically accelerated wheel, allowing the frame and body to ride undisturbed while the wheels follow bumps in the road.

A suspension system comprises springs, shock absorbers and linkages. This suspension connects an automobile to its wheels. The suspension systems not only help in the proper functioning of the car's handling and braking, but also keep vehicle occupants comfortable and make your drive smooth and pleasant. It also protects the vehicle from wear and tear.

To know more about suspension visit here.

Source: How stuff works