How does a shock absorber work?

[dardal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

A common misconception about shocks is that they affect the ride height.  As DB 
said, they only apply force when you are trying to move the piston, and they 
have no effect on ride height (except for some gas shocks, the gas can act like 
a spring).

The reason why shocks are needed is the following.  The typical coil spring (or 
torsion bar) will deflect when disturbed, but it will keep on bouncing up and 
down like a pendulum.  So, you need something to absorb this mechanical energy 
(convert it nnto heat) and stop the up and down motion.  This is what the shock 
does.  It resists proportionally to how fast the suspension moves.  
The "harder" the shock, the faster it will eliminate the up and down motion, or 
eal low frequency vibration.  When the vibration stops, the shock is doing 
nothing, its there for the ride!
D^2

Quoting Dick Benjamin <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ASHISH RIKHIE" <ashish_rikhie@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > can u please send me something about the shock absorber in technical
> terms
> &
> > how it works?
> > Ashish Rikhie
> 
> when you try to pump it - it will go down while you push on it, and
> stay
> where you leave it when you quit pushing.