Gas or oil - choose racks. How to choose shock absorbers for your car

A very popular question among motorists is which shock absorbers are better: gas or oil, or gas-oil? And he is interested not only in lovers of a comfortable ride, but also in those who consider themselves to be "racers". In fact, shock absorbers provide many important parameters of the car, and above all - handling and directional stability.

Why do we need shock absorbers in a car, how they are arranged and work, what types of shock absorbers are and what are their advantages and disadvantages - the answers to these questions will help you make the right choice among a large number of manufacturers of these products on the Russian market.

At the end of the article, as usual, you can watch a video in which the author tells and shows which shock absorbers are better to choose (gas, oil or gas-oil) and how they differ from each other.

A shock absorber is an integral part of what provides comfort in the car body (sprung mass in technical terminology). The opposite of this term can be clearly illustrated with an old village cart on wooden wheels with a metal rim. It is easy to imagine how the passengers in such a wagon shake when driving on a rough dirt road.

To smooth out this shaking from potholes and potholes (or in technical terms, to damp vibrations in the vertical plane arising from road obstacles) is the main function of shock absorbers. Schematically, the shock absorber can be represented as a spring located between the wheels of the car (the tire, by the way, is also a kind of spring in this diagram) and the body.

In general, to assess the response to vertical impacts of the road, a car can be represented as a mechanical system consisting of many weights, springs and friction knots, interconnected in a complex way and providing the required smoothness. And shock absorbers play an important role in this scheme.

The principle of operation and the main types of shock absorbers (oil, gas, gas-oil)

You can illustrate the principle of the shock absorber with a simple example (see the pictures above):

• The lower part of the spring-loaded suspension strut is connected to the wheel through the shock absorber rod, and the upper part is connected to the car body.
• The impact from unevenness through the wheel is transmitted to the rod, which moves the piston inside the cylinder.
• There are two bypass valves in the piston (simplified - holes of different diameters), which allow almost incompressible oil to pass at a higher speed when the rod (and hence the wheel) moves up, and at a lower speed down.

Thus, the hydraulic part of the shock absorber works as a conditionally soft spring for compression, and a hard one for tension (“rebound” in technical terminology).

The mechanical spring in the figure is shown to a greater extent for clarity, but in practice it expands the possibilities of settings and serves as a kind of limiter when the shock absorber hydraulic cylinder fails.

The definition of "oil shock absorber" implies that only hydraulic oil is used as a working material in the cylinder. The dynamics of the oil shock absorber is entirely determined by the work (performance) of the bypass valves.

To expand the dynamic range and adjustment possibilities of oil shock absorbers, a kind of gas "cushion" was invented. The fact is that gases, unlike liquids, are compressed, and non-linearly (not proportional to the movement of the rod). This means that being "attached" to the "oil" part of the cylinder, they will make the dynamics of such a system richer.

The figure below shows a simplified design of a single-tube gas shock absorber.

Scheme of a single-tube gas shock absorber

It is clear that without the lower (gas) part, it becomes oily (only the squeezed out excess must be put somewhere, but more on that below).

And since shock absorbers filled exclusively with gas are not yet found on production cars, it is more correct to call such a design a “gas-oil shock absorber”.

For oil and gas-oil shock absorbers, the working cylinder of the device is usually two-pipe:

1. In oil shock absorbers, excess oil comes out into the second (larger diameter) pipe through additional valves during compression, “pressed” in the second pipe by air.
2. In gas-oil shock absorbers, a gas cushion (usually nitrogen under pressure) is pumped into the second pipe instead of air.

Sometimes the gas cushion in gas-oil shock absorbers is structurally located on the side of the cylinder.

Main types of shock absorbers

In addition to a narrower range of elasticity characteristics, the cushion of air in the oil shock absorber does not effectively dissipate the heat energy released during intensive work, which sometimes leads to the boiling of the working fluid. In a gas-oil shock absorber, this effect is excluded.

Like any hydraulic technique, shock absorber cylinders require high-precision (precision) machining, a complex system of valves and seals, and for gas-oil shock absorbers this system only becomes more complicated.

Since the gas-filled part of the shock absorber significantly expands the dynamic range of the system, in general, the device assumes a softer response to road bumps than in the "oil" version - it's like a series connection of two springs: soft and hard, which in total gives a softer response than just a hard one. spring.

Interestingly, manufacturers do exactly the opposite and adjust gas shock absorbers to a greater extent for an aggressive driving style and sports cars. More precisely, on well-paved roads, the gas dampers are set to a softer response from vertical influences, and on bad roads with the same settings they become stiffer.

It must be emphasized that in sports driving smoothness is far from in the first place: parameters such as handling and directional stability are much more important, which gas shock absorbers provide better than oil ones.

The Russian market of shock absorbers for foreign cars with a share of the main players of 10 percent or more, according to the Autoinstruction magazine, is represented by several well-known companies (diagram in the figure above):

• KYB (Kayaba) - 35%;
• Boge (God) - 16%;
• Fenox (Phenox) - 15%;
• Monroe (Monroe) - 14%;
• Bilstein (Bilstein) - 11%;
• Other firms - 9%.

It is interesting that during a survey of service centers conducted by the publication "Kuzov", for the recommendations of professionals on the choice of a manufacturer of high-quality shock absorbers, the picture turned out to be somewhat different.

With firms such as KYB, Bilstein, and Boge leading the way, Monroe is only 5% of the time pros recommend it, even though the firm's market share is nearly three times higher. And they practically do not recommend the Belarusian brand Fenox, the share of products of which is very significant - 15%.

To figure out which shock absorbers are better to put, it is necessary to briefly dwell on the characteristics of the leading players in the Russian market.

• KYB(Kayaba) - the products of the Japanese concern are popular not only in Russia, but also in Europe due to their high quality and reliability at a relatively low price level. Shock absorbers of this company can be found on the conveyors of well-known European automakers. The gas-oil shock absorber of the Ultra SR series is especially popular with Russian sports driving enthusiasts;
• Bilstein(Bilstein) is a world famous German company that has been manufacturing shock absorbers for over 50 years. It was here that the design of a single-tube gas-filled shock absorber was developed. Bilstein products are installed on European premium brands: BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Maseratti, Jaguar;
• God(Boge) - the brand belongs to the concern ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany) - one of the world's oldest manufacturers of shock absorbers. Recently moved to another well-known brand - SACHS and now the same type of products are produced under two trademarks. The concern's products cover more than 90% of the range of world automakers. On the Russian market, a 1-year warranty is provided, regardless of mileage;
• Monroe(Monroe) is an American company whose products are probably the most famous in Europe and are intended for 99% of the world's makes and models of cars. Monroe's latest developments - Sensatrac series gas shock absorbers provide high controllability and instant response to changing driving conditions;
• Koni(Horses) - shock absorbers - this is the only product of the Dutch company for almost 70 years. The main distinguishing feature of Koni shock absorbers is the ability to adjust the stiffness parameters, adapting the car both to external conditions and to the individual characteristics of the driver and the manner of driving the car.

But are all major manufacturers of shock absorbers widely represented on the Russian market? The figure below shows the top six players in this market in the US according to a survey by Ranker.

The first three consists of participants in the Russian rating. But the products of the American fox racing and Swedish Ohlins specific - it is designed for motorcycles, ATVs and SUVs. American Rancho Suspension in Russia is quite well-known and specializes in the supply of products for pickups and large SUVs popular in the USA. A few years ago, Rancho was acquired by Tenneco, which in turn owns the Monroe trademark.

Thus, the first three manufacturers of shock absorbers with a high reputation for Russia are KYB, Monroe And Bilstein.

As for the objective characteristics provided by shock absorbers and affecting the safety, handling and comfort of the car, they look like the following according to the manufacturers themselves.

Braking distance at a speed of 40 km / h:

• Bilstein - 8.0 meters;
• Monroe - 8.5 meters;
• KYB - 9.0 meters.

The differences are quite significant, if you remember that in a critical situation, centimeters of stopping distance are important.

Rear axle drift 90° (tight turn mode):

• Bilstein - 59 km / h;
• Monroe - 52 km / h;
• KYB - 48 km / h.

Tests for smoothness (characteristics closely related to subjective comfort) and directional stability are carried out in relation to each specific car model, therefore, it is possible to compare shock absorbers from different manufacturers only for specific cars.

Interestingly, such tests sometimes give paradoxical results: venerable firms can lose out to outsiders, both in individual indicators and in aggregate test results.

And yet, which shock absorbers to choose? Given the variety of designs, a wide range of loads and significant differences in the characteristics of different models of cars, as well as individual characteristics of the driving style, one should not expect monosyllabic answers to this question.

It is necessary to rely, first of all, on the recommendations of the car manufacturer, both in terms of characteristics and in terms of shock absorber manufacturers. If the owner wants to change the dynamics of the car due to shock absorbers (or there is no way to follow the manufacturer's recommendations exactly), general considerations on how to choose shock absorbers for a car can be formulated as follows:

Selection by type (oil, gas, gas-oil):

• For those who prefer comfort, a quiet ride, reliability and affordable prices, two-pipe oil shock absorbers are suitable;
• If you want comfort requirements combined with improved cornering dynamics, and the cost and reliability of the part are in a reasonable range, then twin-tube gas-oil shock absorbers are the right choice;
• Single-tube gas shock absorbers are designed for aggressive driving enthusiasts who prefer the handling of the car to a smooth ride.

By the way, the age of the car is also an important factor in making a decision. It is hardly advisable to install expensive gas shock absorbers on cars of venerable age with high mileage: the elastic characteristics of the suspension and body strength indicators deteriorate over time, and instead of the expected one, you can get the opposite effect.

Choice by manufacturer (which company shock absorbers are better):

• If the car belongs to the budget segment, and there is no need to test it in sports modes, and funds for maintenance are limited, shock absorbers from the Russian company SAAZ or the Belarusian Fenox may well be suitable;
• Those who appreciate quality and are ready to pay for it (even if the car does not belong to expensive foreign cars) should pay attention to the products of KYB, Monroe and Boge (Sachs);
• The products of Bilstein and KONI (the aristocrats in the world of shock absorbers) are recommended by experts for both sports driving enthusiasts and owners of premium cars.

And, of course, you need to beware of fakes: if the price for Bilstein products in the store is the same as for the Belarusian Fenox, then something is wrong with such a seller (and not with respect to Fenox). And the recipe for verification is the presence of a certificate of conformity, a warranty card and the correspondence of a unique serial number to the data on the official website of the manufacturer.

Differences between gas, gas-oil and oil shock absorbers, their pros and cons

The shock absorber is an indispensable part of the suspension of a modern car. Without it, the operation of the machine in conditions of constant vertical swing will be impossible.

Shock absorbers reduce the vibration frequency of the springs that support the car body and make it move more smoothly over uneven roads.

To date, the shock absorber market is represented by the widest range of products, so the question of which shock absorbers are the most reliable and safe - hydraulic or gas - does not lose its relevance. Each type of shock absorber has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Hydraulic shock absorbers perform the function of significantly reducing the amplitude of suspension oscillations during compression or relaxation. The hydraulic shock absorber consists of a working cylinder, a compensation chamber, a rod with a piston, a guide sleeve and a damping fluid - oil. The effect of vibration damping is achieved due to the oil, which, moving from one part of the shock absorber to another, takes on the resistance of the springs, thereby extinguishing their destructive force.

Disadvantages of hydraulic shock absorbers:

• Low heat dissipation: during prolonged driving, the oily fluid in the shock absorber can overheat and lose its cohesive properties, resulting in loss of efficiency.
• Low efficiency when operating a car on rough roads with frequent sudden movement of the piston, the oil mixes with air bubbles, its viscosity decreases, which negatively affects the operation of the shock absorber and can damage it

The main advantages of hydraulic shock absorbers are their affordable price and small size.

Gas-filled shock absorbers differ from hydraulic ones in that the compensation chamber in them is filled with gas, which is pumped there under high pressure. This is the reason for the significant advantage of gas shock absorbers over oil shock absorbers - high pressure forces the piston to always be in a preloaded state, due to which, when overcoming road irregularities, the shock absorber stiffness changes non-linearly, thereby providing better vehicle controllability.

When choosing a shock absorber, you can be guided by different criteria, the operating conditions of the car, driving style, views on the level of rigidity and comfort.

The serviceability of any shock absorber must be monitored, because in the event of its failure, the quality of adhesion of the car's tires to the roadway deteriorates significantly, which reduces its stability and controllability when driving on uneven roads, in corners, and also increases the braking distance. In addition, the wear of all suspension parts and brake mechanisms is accelerated.

In order to avoid negative consequences, faulty shock absorbers must be replaced or repaired.

To extend the life of the rubber shock absorber seals, it is recommended to treat with a silicone oil-based compound. This lubricant prevents rubber from drying out and cracking and is resistant to water and most chemicals.

EFELE materials are effectively used for mounting / dismounting shock absorbers.

For example, universal grease is ideal for dismantling shock absorbers.
. This agent forms a stable moisture-repellent film on the surfaces, perfectly displaces water. EFELE UNI-M SPRAY universal grease is a dispersion of solid lubricants in mineral oil. It has high penetrating properties and softens rust well, which greatly facilitates dismantling. At the same time, EFELE UNI-M SPRAY has good lubricating properties, which protects shock absorbers from wear.

EFELE UNI-M Spray universal grease combines properties that other universal greases cannot combine. On the one hand, it easily penetrates to the most inaccessible nodes, on the other hand, it does not flow out of the friction zone.

The bearing capacity and anti-wear properties of EFELE UNI-M Spray universal grease are enhanced by the introduction of solid anti-friction fillers into its composition. The presence of corrosion inhibitors provides dispersions with excellent anti-corrosion properties.

It is one of the elements of the car's suspension that affects its behavior while driving and is closely related to safe driving. Therefore, if the question is which shock absorbers are better to put, then you need to focus not on the company or price, but on the tests and recommendations of the automaker.

Exactly the same situation with the choice of the type of amortization - gas or oil - is recommended put only those that are provided at the car factory. Others can influence the behavior of the machine and not always for the better, deviating from the desired result.

From this article you will learn:

Weighty indicators of the choice of shock absorbers

When considering what to look for when choosing the best shock absorbers, the first thing to do is emphasize on:

1. Braking distances, as strange as it sounds. After all, shock absorbers resist rocking, which greatly affects the speed of stopping the car during emergency braking. That is, the softer the shock absorber strut, the greater the amplitude of oscillation during braking of a car with an ABS system.
2. Sagging on sharp turns. Due to the centrifugal force, body roll is created when the car enters a turn at speed and, as a result, adhesion to the road surface deteriorates, which, in turn, threatens to lose the trajectory of movement. The stiffness of the shock absorber is also responsible for this indicator.
3. Stability on broken roads depends on the ability of shock absorbers to quickly dampen vibrations when passing bumps. The resistance of the shock absorber is responsible for this indicator.

controllability vs. smoothness graph

An unbiased comparison of the three most famous shock absorber manufacturers led to the following subjective conclusions:

• shock absorbers Bilstein will be a good choice for fast and sharply controlled driving, but at the same time you will have to endure shaking and stiff suspension work;
• with not fast and comfortable driving, installation of shock absorbers Monroe- the best option;
• for mixed cycles of movement recommend the installation Kayaba.

Choosing the best shock absorber for your riding style

Which shock absorber is best for your car depends largely on the intended purpose, the quality of the roads, the stiffness of the tires and your inherent driving style. Therefore, the same car can hold the road well at speed, but will be annoying shaking even on small bumps, and another car, which behaves inertly and sluggishly when cornering, will perfectly hold even deep potholes. And all because the characteristics of shock absorbers depend on the type and serviceability.

When deciding which shock to put on, you need to decide which indicator you prefer: fast handling or soft comfort. After all, unfortunately, when one indicator increases, the other falls.

If there are no special requirements for operation, then it is advisable not to be smart and follow the recommendations of the automaker when buying regular shock absorbers. Their technical indicators are compatible with the normal operating conditions of a car - they have reliable stability, controllability, take into account the characteristics of the suspension and the strength of the body.

Too powerful shock absorbers can tear out the attachment points to the body or suspension.

When the car is often and heavily loaded or there is an additional cylinder from gas-balloon equipment in the trunk, it is recommended to buy and install percent racks 30-40 stronger. And drivers who like to press down on the gas pedal put on shock absorbers with increased resistance in order to reduce body roll.

All shock absorbers divided into types according to these two parameters:

• the composition of the working substance (it can be oil, gas or gas-oil);
• number of pipes (2-pipe or single-pipe).

How driving style affects shock absorbers

Discussion of the eternal question "Which shock absorbers are better"

Gas or oil shock absorbers - which is better to put

As we already know, car shock absorbers are divided into three types according to the type of working substance. Next, consider in what situations they show themselves from the best side.

Install oil shock absorbers are better if:

• the budget is limited, because due to the main disadvantages, such as poor efficiency on rough roads and unstable operation in the cold season, the price of such shock absorbers is much lower than others.

Choose gas-oil shock absorbers are better if car owner:

• prefers a calm driving style;
• not ready to frequently repair the suspension of the car.

As a rule, it is precisely such shock absorbers that the bulk of drivers install.

Their design is similar to conventional hydraulic ones, but due to the fact that they use nitrogen gas instead of air, they last longer, provide better cushioning and more efficient performance in high-speed conditions on the track.

Put gas shock absorbers are better if:

• the car is often used in racing;
• an instant reaction to a change in the mode of movement of the wheels is necessary;
• need improved vehicle handling in all weather conditions (they do not tan in the cold and protect the car from aquaplaning);
• the need to confidently maintain traction at high speed is more important than comfortable driving.

Main lack of such shock absorbers in that, due to the small stroke of the rod, you will not only feel shaking on bumps, but also more frequent suspension repairs, since some chassis nodes will wear out faster.

Operating a vehicle with gas struts on rough roads will accelerate the failure of other suspension components.

When choosing the best shock absorbers, you can be guided by different criteria: both the driving style and the operating conditions of the car, or based on the stiffness and comfort index. But in any case, you need to monitor the health of each type of shock absorber, because when one or more shock absorbers fail, the quality of tire adhesion to the road surface deteriorates significantly, and this will negatively affect the stability and braking distance of the car.

In addition, there is also significant wear on such suspension parts - levers, steering tips, tires, springs and brakes, no matter what firms they are. That is, from all of the above, we can conclude that for the average car owner on his car it would be better to put gas-oil shock absorbers. It remains only to decide on the manufacturer.

Choosing the best shock absorber company - TOP 7

Manufacturers often make shock absorbers that can be installed on most cars, even designed for different driving styles. At the same time, each of the companies still tries to place more emphasis on one particular specification, which is why one or another company has to be preferred, depending on the operating conditions of the car. Next, we will present an overview of such popular companies as: KONI, Bilstein, Boge, Sachs, Monroe, Tokico and KYB, producing shock absorbers that have successfully proven themselves in practice.

shock absorbers Bilstein and KONI are the most expensive and reliable. If the conversation concerns a company KONI, then the manufacturer gives a guarantee for the entire service life of the car. Their shock absorbers are applicable to any car and for any driving style. The type of KONI shock absorbers must be selected depending on the suspension design and operating conditions. With such shock absorbers, the suspensions of Mazerati, Lamborghini, Ferrari cars go. Before packing them, the manufacturer tests the shock absorbers for strict compliance with the specified characteristics.

The German Bilstein will be a little worse because they only have the “coolest” sports series (Sport, Sprint and Rally). Suspension with their single-tube gas shocks will be very stiff.

God also German quality. The shock absorbers of this company, which, by the way, is now owned by Sachs, are installed on conveyor cars of the VAG, BMW and Mercedes concern. The cost is much cheaper than the previous ones, and the technical characteristics of foreign general-purpose cars do not change. They produce shock absorbers with the expectation of 3 basic needs: for a comfortable ride (Pro-gas, Automatic), for sports cars (Turbo-gas) and capable of withstanding increased loads (Nivomat, Turbo24).

shock absorbers Sachs will stand only half a step higher than Kayaba or Tokiko, as they are designed for general accessibility and applicability. Although they are from the same unit along with God, there is no clear distribution according to purpose and operating conditions, depending on the suspension (both for a jeep and for a passenger car are the same). Saks are available in several versions: SuperTouring, Advantage and Sporting Set.

Japanese shock absorbers KYB And TOKICO more or less reliable. Kayaba can be found on cars from the assembly line of Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Renault and many others, because their plants are located in more than 10 countries around the world, but TOKICO is designed exclusively for the Japanese and slightly American automaker. But there are no fakes either, which cannot be said about Kayab.

KAYABA are available in the standard gas-oil and reinforced gas shock absorbers. There is a separate line for all-wheel drive jeeps - MonoMax, sports - Ultra SR and standard operation - Exel-G.

Firm shock absorbers MONROE designed for the aftermarket. Their reliability corresponds to the price, and the service life will be close to 20 thousand km. A car with such racks will sway slightly on a rough road, but will begin to collapse on a turn. The Belgian manufacturer presents its shock absorbers in a wide range. They offer one and two-pipe racks. Previously, they were quite popular and of better quality, but recently they began to take positions. But still, they are somewhat more reliable than Profit or Optimal. Monroe is a normal economy option.

As you can see, the choice is great, and you should not give unambiguous preference to shock absorbers of one or another company. Rather than just asking people which shock absorbers are best, it’s more about making a choice for reasons of expediency - almost every manufacturer offers its own type of shock absorber that is suitable for any conditions and methods of operation. So, if you have a domestic car, then it makes no sense to buy expensive Koni, Belshtein or God, and Sachs or Monroe would be ideal. But a brand new foreign car of the middle class is better to put God or Kayaba.

Many inexperienced drivers do not see the difference between the functions of suspension springs and shock absorbers. It seems that both those and others are designed to deal with vibrations when the wheels hit the bumps in the road. In this regard, however, an explanation needs to be made. Springs are an elastic element, their task is to absorb energy that is transmitted to the body. However, to ensure that the wheels are constantly in contact with the surface, one more detail is needed: a vibration damper, which will not allow the body (and, accordingly, the wheels) to sway after each impact. It is the role of such a damper that the shock absorber plays.

Shock absorbers can have a different design and differ in the types of working fluid. Double-tube oil shock absorbers have two cylinders: an inner one, in which the piston moves, and an outer one, which is sometimes called compensation. When the wheel moves up, the working fluid is compressed, and it is displaced through the main valves in the piston into the space above it, and through the additional valves in the lower part - into the outer cylinder. On release, the reverse process occurs. The main advantage of this design is its simplicity and efficiency, while the disadvantages include the sensitivity of this type of shock absorbers to their position (installation at large angles to the vertical is not allowed) and the likelihood of foaming of the working fluid during intensive work. Frequent and rapid piston movements lead to air from the compensation cylinder entering the liquid, as a result of which the damping characteristics deteriorate.

To avoid foaming, gas under low pressure was used in twin-tube shock absorbers instead of air. Such shock absorbers are called gas-oil. They, as well as hydraulic ones, cannot be installed “upside down” - the gas must be in the upper part.

But another type of shock absorbers is indifferent to orientation. These are single-tube structures - as the name implies, such a shock absorber has only one cylinder, one cavity. However, it is separated not only by the main piston, but also by an additional, floating one, behind which there is gas under high pressure (about 20 bar). If in a gas-oil double-tube shock absorber gas actually plays the role of a backwater, preventing the oil from foaming, then here it is directly involved in damping vibrations. Moreover, since, unlike a liquid, gas is still compressible, its damping characteristic is nonlinear: with significant piston movements, the shock absorber stiffness will be higher. Such shock absorbers are often called gas shock absorbers, although oil is also present in them, therefore, strictly speaking, it would be correct to call them gas-oil single-tube shock absorbers.

In motorsport, special shock absorbers are used, which have an additional remote reservoir. This solution allows you to increase the total volume of the working fluid and improve its cooling (which is important given the driving to the limit). Note that in normal "civilian" conditions, the use of sports shock absorbers with remote reservoirs does not provide tangible advantages.

Separately, it is worth highlighting expensive adaptive shock absorbers, which, for obvious reasons, have become widespread in premium class cars. They provide the ability to quickly change the characteristics while driving. Such shock absorbers can be electronically controlled (by a signal from the control unit, the resistance of the electric valves changes) or magnetically adjustable. In the latter case, the working fluid contains magnetic particles, and the piston is an electromagnet, which is again controlled by an electronic "brain". By changing the characteristics of the magnetic field, it is possible to change the viscosity of the liquid, and, therefore, the characteristics of the shock absorber. The response time of the electromagnet to the commands of the control unit is about 10 ms, therefore, it can be said that the change in characteristics can occur instantly. The suspension really gets adaptive properties, that is, it automatically adjusts to the current road surface. The disadvantage of controlled shock absorbers is, of course, their price.

Now that we have introduced you to all the main types of shock absorbers, it's time to ask yourself: so which ones to choose for your own car? The choice of shock absorbers is determined by the pros and cons of each design. The easiest option is hydraulic (oil). They are reliable, not afraid of minor damage to the outer case and provide acceptable comfort. However, if you often drive on rough roads, or simply prefer an active driving style, oil shock absorbers are contraindicated for you due to the tendency to foam already discussed above. Gas-oil systems are largely free from this drawback: the gas props up the oil, preventing the formation of bubbles in it. Among the disadvantages of this type of struts, we note the linear damping characteristic: the suspension will be equally soft (or hard) on any surface. But gas single-tube shock absorbers provide not only more efficient shock absorption, both on smooth asphalt and on uneven roads, but also more reliable contact of the wheels with the surface. If handling is important to you, the stability of the car in corners - choose gas. Of course, they will cost you more than oil ones, but the result will be worth it. Gas also has its drawbacks, the main of which is failure if the hull is damaged. However, this rarely happens.

Whatever the design of shock absorbers, their service life largely depends on operating conditions and, first of all, on workloads. In order to extend the life of not only shock absorbers, but also most suspension parts, we recommend using one of the effective and safe tuning methods: or the rear suspension.

Question " what's better”, perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions on the Internet. We, people, tend to doubt the choice of this or that product, thing, and anything ... Drivers are people too, so we have no less doubts than a simple layman. We constantly make some kind of choice, starting with the choice of a car, ending. Moreover, every day we imperceptibly make hundreds of vital decisions, for example, performing a complex maneuver, on the correct implementation of which more than one human life sometimes depends...

Structurally, a shock absorber is a cylinder with a piston, on which there are valves with different flow area and different throughput. In the case of oil shock absorbers, it passes through the valve holes, when compressed, it quickly passes through the holes, and the back valves limit the rate of fluid passage, thereby preventing the shock absorber from quickly stretching.

Shock absorbers with gas chambers are called gas shock absorbers. Gas shock absorbers have only one cylinder, in which the pressure is approximately 25 bar. The floating piston separates the gas from the oil, preventing them from mixing, due to this high gas pressure, the oil is not able to foam. As a damping element in gas shock absorbers, the same chambers are used, only instead they use a special gas. According to a non-linear law, the stiffness of a gas shock absorber increases with tension or compression, which, by the way, is not typical for oil shock absorbers.

The main differences between gas-oil shock absorbers

We have already figured out how gas and oil shock absorbers work and what they consist of, the question remains - what kind of "such a beast" gas-oil shock absorber. In a nutshell, the gas-oil shock absorber is a kind of compromise between gas and oil shock absorbers. The gas-oil shock absorber has almost the same design as the oil shock absorber, it also consists of two cylinders. The upper part is filled with nitrogen, the cylinder itself is under a pressure of 2.5-5 bar, which increases the effectiveness of the shock absorbers. The principle is as follows - the higher the gas pressure on the oil, the faster the response of the shock absorbers, while the car's suspension will be stiffer.

Summing up

Oil shock absorbers softer, since they use only oil, which, like all liquids, is almost not subject to compression, as a result, the stroke, as well as the shock absorber force, will directly depend on the check valves in the piston of the shock absorber cylinder. In terms of travel, the oil damper will be softer and more energetic.

Gas shock absorbers can be called more rigid, since the second working medium of the shock absorber is gas, which itself is able to compress, despite the fact that it is under high pressure. As a result, the gas will also take part in softening the ride of the car and the force on the shock absorber rod. All this makes the shock absorber more rigid and less inertial in relation to the movement of the rod. The main "chip" of the gas shock absorber is its ability to change the stiffness properties depending on the road, by means of a gas chamber, which dampens vibrations due to its non-linearity during operation. The gas shock absorber is less soft and less elastic, therefore, during the passage of uneven sections, the suspension with gas shock absorbers can seem very stiff and extremely uncomfortable. However, rigidity is at the same time a plus of this type of strut, since for a frisky ride or maneuvers, a large stroke of the rod and increased softness are simply unacceptable.

So which shock absorbers are better - gas or oil, or is it still gas-oil?

This issue is quite controversial, so it’s impossible to say for sure that this one is better, and that one is worse. Everyone must decide for himself what is more priority for him, based on what is written above. In addition, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of the automaker, it is the manufacturer who knows for sure which shock absorber can provide the necessary resistance, and a comfortable ride for passengers. Another thing is when manufacturers install shock absorbers of a "budget" sample in order to save money, but this does not suit you, in which case you can install your own version. However, those devices that you are going to install should have the parameters as close as possible in order not to disturb the driving performance of the car.

Service life and price of shock absorbers

As you know, gas shock absorbers have a more complex design, primarily due to additional damping chambers filled with gas. In addition, due to the use of seals for working with gas. For the manufacture of such devices, a more radical approach is needed, and the seals themselves must have a more rigid design.

As for the service life, it will primarily depend on the shock absorbers themselves, as well as the roads on which the vehicle will be operated. If the shock absorber is of high quality, it may well serve 60,000 km, or even more. However, if we compare resource of oil and gas devices, under equal operating conditions and quality, the oil shock absorber will last longer due to the simplicity of its design. In addition, the cost of oil shock absorbers will be about 20-30% lower compared to gas ones.