This presentation will answer some of your suspension questions. If you need to more auto presentations checkout the rest of what BuyAutoParts has to offer.

1. Suspension Questions?
We Got Answers!
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/repair-suspension.htm

2. What is
Vehicle
Suspension
source:
http://www.buyautop
arts.com/howto/what
-is-a-vehicle-
suspension.htm

3. What is Vehicle Suspension?
• Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and
linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a
dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and
braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle
occupants comfortable and reasonably well isolated from road noise,
bumps, and vibrations,etc.
• These goals are generally at odds, so the tuning of suspensions involves
finding the right compromise. It is important for the suspension to keep
the road wheel in contact with the road surface as much as possible,
because all the forces acting on the vehicle do so through the contact
patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle itself and
any cargo or luggage from damage and wear. The design of front and rear
suspension of a car may be different depending on the layout of the
vehicle drive line and purpose.
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/what-is-a-vehicle-suspension.htm

4. How Can You Tell if Your Shocks and
Struts are Worn Out?

5. How Can You Tell if Your Shocks or Struts
are Worn Out?
• Stability and Control
– Worn out shocks or struts will feel loose and the vehicle will become hard to control.
The vehicle may also start to tilt when you make turns. When driving over bumps, or
road conditions which are less than perfect the ride will be harsh and uncomfortable if
the shocks are worn down.
• Steering Response
– Another sign that your shocks are worn down is if you find yourself constantly having to
make steering adjustments to keep your vehicle moving in a straight line. This will cause
your steering responses to be less timely, and more risky.
• Stopping Distance
– The most dangerous part of worn out shocks is increased stopping distance. The rear
end of the vehicle will rise up and the front of the car will lower while breaking. This
means there is excessive play in your shocks and they can no longer keeper the tires on
the road as they should. When the tires are not fully on the road, stopping distance
increases. This also puts a lot of pressure on your brakes.
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/how-can-you-tell-if-your-shocks-and-struts-are-
worn-out.htm

6. What is Electronic Stability Control?

7. What is Electronic Stability Control?
• Electronic Stability Control is an advanced safety system that detects any loss of control
on curves and avoids accidents by instantly applying individual brakes and slowing
engine speed. Depending on type of vehicle you drive you may know it as DSC –
Dynamic Stability Control, or ABC – Active Body Control. Electronic Stability Control was
available as an added feature in 2000 vehicles, came in 50% of 2007s, and is now
required in all new vehicles. What does ESC actually do? If you are driving your car on a
windy road and you take one of the turns too fast, ESC will brake an individual wheel to
keep your car from losing control and spinning off the road. ESC implements a number
of different sensors that allow it to detect when the driver has lost control. If the ESC
detects that the vehicle has lost control, it immediately reduces engine speed, applies
the brakes, and controls the transmission.
• ESC makes cars safer. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that ESC can save 10,000 lives
per year by avoiding 600,000 single vehicle crashes and 75% of roll-overs. That is why the government has
mandated that ESC become a required feature on all new cars after 2012.
• Why is ESC important for buying shocks? There are a lot of shocks and struts being made out there that
are not compatible with ESC systems. If you put a new shock or strut on your car that is not compatible
with ESC, the car will not be drivable. It is important to know whether or not the shocks that you are
putting on your vehicle are compatible with your car. All KYB shocks are compatible with ESC. It makes
sense that all KYB shocks work with ESC because all new cars are required to have ESC.KYB has made
buying replacement shocks and struts simple for the consumer. You don’t have to ask—if you see the KYB
name then you know that the KYB shocks are going to work. Buy Auto Parts is proud to carry KYB shocks
because it contributes to our mission as a company—to make it easy for you to buy auto parts.
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/what-is-electronic-stability-control.htm

8. What is A Mercedes ABC System?

9. What is A Mercedes ABC System?
• Active Body Control, or ABC, is the Mercedes-Benz brand name used to describe fully active suspension, that
allows control of the vehicle body motions and therefore virtually eliminates body roll in many driving situations
including cornering, accelerating, and braking.
• In the ABC system, a computer detects body movement from sensors located throughout the vehicle, and controls
the action of the active suspension with the use of hydraulic servomechanisms. The hydraulic pressure to the
servos is supplied by a high pressure radial piston hydraulic pump. A total of 13 sensors continually monitor body
movement and vehicle level and supply the ABC controller with new data every ten milliseconds. Four level
sensors, one at each wheel measure the ride level of the vehicle, three accelerometers measure the vertical body
acceleration, one acceleration sensor measures the longitudinal and one sensor the transverse body acceleration.
At each hydraulic cylinder, a pressure sensor monitors the hydraulic pressure. As the ABC controller receives and
processes data, it operates four hydraulic servos, each mounted in series on a spring strut, beside each wheel.
Almost instantaneously, the servo regulated suspension generates counter forces to body lean, dive, and squat
during various driving maneuvers. A suspension strut, consisting of a steel coil spring and a shock absorber are
connected in parallel, as well as a hydraulically controlled adjusting cylinder, are located between the vehicle body
and wheel. These components are prone to failure, hazardous when fail, but adjust the cylinder in the direction of
the suspension strut, and change the suspension length. This creates a force which acts on the suspension and
dampening of the vehicle in the frequency range up to five hertz. The system also incorporates height adjustable
suspension, which in this case lowers the vehicle up to 11 mm (0.43 in) between the speeds of 60–160 km/h (37–
99 mph) for better aerodynamics, fuel consumption, and handling.
• The ABC system also allows self-levelling suspension, which raises or lowers the vehicle in response to changing
load (i.e. the loading or unloading of passengers or cargo). Each vehicle equipped with ABC has an “ABC Sport”
button that allows the driver to adjust the suspension range for different driving style preferences. This feature
allows the driver to adjust the suspension to maintain a more level ride in more demanding driving conditions. It
was introduced in 1999 on the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz CL-Class. This system is standard on all Mercedes-
Benz SL (except for SL350) and CL Class models and on S Class (only S600, S55 AMG and S65 AMG) models sold in
the U.S..
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/what-is-a-mercedes-abc-suspension.htm

10. Does My S-Class Have
Airmatic or ABC?

11. S-Class Airmatic or ABC
• Newer Mercedes Benz S-Class models had 2 options for the type of
suspension used. There are two ways to tell what type of system was used
on your car. If your car has ABC then there will be a button on the center
console marked "ABC Sport." If it has standard Airmatic then the button
will show a picture of a spring with arrows. The second method requires
you to inspect the suspension from the engine bay. If your vehicle was
equipped with Airmatic suspension then there will be clear air lines
running to the suspension. Vehicles Equipped with ABC (active body
control) will have electrical plugs leading to the suspension.
source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/mercedes-air-suspension-or-abc.htm

12. Suspension Questions?
The End
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source: http://www.buyautoparts.com/howto/repair-suspension.htm