What is the Function of a Shock Absorber?

[McRemington]

The function of a shock absorber is to dampen the oscillations from the spring's rebound after absorbing shocks and the impacts from the road surface. When driving over uneven roads, although the suspension spring can filter out road vibrations, the spring itself still undergoes reciprocating motion. The shock absorber is designed to suppress this spring bouncing. If the shock absorber is too soft, the vehicle body will bounce up and down excessively. Conversely, if the shock absorber is too stiff, it will create excessive resistance, hindering the spring's normal operation. During modifications to the suspension system, stiff shock absorbers should be paired with stiff springs. The stiffness of the spring is closely related to the vehicle's weight, which is why heavier vehicles typically use stiffer shock absorbers.