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| Gabriel Shock Absorbers
We are pleased and proud that Gabriel Adjustomatic
shock absorbers were selected as original equipment for Studebaker's
great new Avanti. But we are not surprised. The car is a magnificent
combination of grace and advanced engineering. Gabriel Adjustomatics
are the ultimate in shock absorber performance. Thus they
are go-togethers. King-size, exclusive Adjustomatics are the
only shock absorbers that enable a driver to select the ride
he needs for the driving he does . . . a choice of three positive
ranges. No car can have finer shocks than these, and you can
have them to sell for any car. And you should. Why? Because
it always has been, always will be, just plain good business
to sell the best. Gabriel Adjustomatics-like 3 shock absorbers
in 1. Ask about them.
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| The primary purpose
of shock absorbers is to control spring and suspension movement.
This is accomplished by turning the kinetic energy of suspension
movement into thermal energy, or heat energy, to be dissipated
through the hydraulic fluid. Shock absorbers reduce the rate
of bounce, roll or sway, brake dive and acceleration squat.
Shock absorbers are basically oil pumps. A piston is attached
to the end of the piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid
in the pressure tube. As the suspension travels up and down,
the hydraulic fluid is forced through tiny holes inside the
piston. However, these orifices let only a small amount of fluid
through the piston. This slows down the piston, which in turn
slows down spring and suspension movement. The amount of resistance
a shock absorber develops depends on the speed of the suspension
and the number and size of the orifices in the piston. During
the compression stroke or downward movement, some fluid flows
through the piston from chamber B to chamber A and some through
the compression valve into the reserve tube. To control the
flow, there are three valving stages each in the piston and
in the compression valve. At the piston, oil flows through the
oil ports, and at slow piston speeds, the first stage bleeds
come into play and restrict the amount of oil flow. This allows
a controlled flow of fluid from chamber B to chamber A. At faster
piston speeds, the increase in fluid pressure below the piston
in chamber B causes the discs to open up away from the valve
seat. At high speeds, the limit of the second stage discs phases
into the third stage orifice restrictions. Compression control,
then, is the force that results from a higher pressure present
in chamber B, which acts on the bottom of the piston and the
piston rod area. As the piston and rod move upward toward the
top of the pressure tube, the volume of chamber A is reduced
and thus is at a higher pressure than chamber B. Because of
this higher pressure, fluid flows down through the piston's
3-stage extension valve into chamber B. However, the piston
rod volume has been withdrawn from chamber B greatly increasing
its volume. Thus the volume of fluid from chamber A is insufficient
to fill chamber B. The pressure in the reserve tube is now greater
than that in chamber B, forcing the compression intake valve
to unseat. Fluid then flows from the reserve tube into chamber
B, keeping the pressure tube full. Extension control is a force
present as a result of the higher pressure in chamber A, acting
on the topside of the piston area. Shown at right are present
day standard rear shocks. |
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