How adjustable shocks work

How adjustable shocks work

Just like the title says, i'd like to know how adjustable shocks work...

I know you turn a dial one direction and it becomes stiffer and you turn it another direction and it becomes softer. But I wanna know the mechanics behind it. How does it become stiffer or how does it become softer?

Also, will, for example, leaving it on the stiffest setting all the time (or softest setting) effect the life of the shock itself?

i think it tightens a spring.

^I dont know of any shock that has a spring within it...they just have some type of fluid (oil) in one chamber and air in another....unless its a dry system I suppose, where it's just two gas filled chambers...or (correct me if im making this up) a fluid system which has two fluid filled chambers..

I never knew the shocks them selves were adjustable that easily. I know a system like coilovers, you can adjust the spring to raise/lower ride height and stiffness. All the shock really does is damper how fast the suspension moves.

The fluid (or gas) moves from one chamber to the other by passing thru a hole (or series of holes) in a seal. the smaller the holes and thicker the fluid, the harder its gunna be to move. the bigger the hole and thinner the fluid, the easier it will move.

If youre talking about adjusting a screw, it *might* adjust the size of the hole. Im not entirely sure. When I used to race Nitro powered RC trucks, thats how I would adjust the suspension. Change out the pison plates in the shocks and the thickness of the fluid.

Edit with pictures:


Link: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension1.htm

yes having it on the softer setting will cause it to have shorter life, it mainly depends on the the shock/strut was manufactured. the twin tube has two struts but if you pay attention they go against each other, some like cadillacs use electrical magnets and metal shavings inside and stiffen up with stronger current for a harder ride. and some use hydraulic oil and the more you compress it the stiffer the setting will be.

Depends on the type of adjustable strut. Struts can be broken down into three main types - twin tube hydraulic (non-gas), twin-tube low pressure gas, and mono-tube high pressure gas, you can find adjustable variants of all types - no real advantage of one type over another, as they can be tuned various ways. Most adjustable struts have two rotatable pistons (has holes for metering whatevern medium the strut uses) inside - as you adjust the damping, you will get more or less overlap between the two pistons. Works on the same princle as a regular valve that can be adjusted externally.

icic, im speaking of an externally adjustable damper. I mean, yes, when you turn the dial in either direction, you will get more or less overlap betwee the two pistons, like you said, which in turn results in a stiffer or softer ride. But other than the dial, what regulates whether you will get more/less overlap between said pistons?? is it that the holes adjust size to regulate the amount of medium passing through it, it that was adjusts??

For the record, I plan on getting Koni Yellows and this will be going on an 02 civic...

You pretty much nailed it

But I disagree with you that there is no advantages to monotube and twin tube design. Many racing setups perfer monotube over twin tube because 1) they can be inverted to decrease unsprung weight and 2) they disapate heat better because the fluid is not stored/insulated in a tube wityhin a tube. IMO although more expensive, monotube is the way to go.


And to the first reply: no, adjusting a shock does not affect spring rate.. that is just wrong on so many levels.