Electric vehicles are getting more popular every year. However, they still use the same parts as hybrid vehicles and conventional vehicles. And they are more likely to use the same parts for a very long time. Suspension, steering components, brakes, and tyres are some of the parts common to all vehicles.

Sophisticated onboard computers control many of the parts of these vehicles. Therefore, the sophisticated onboard computers constantly asses the current driving conditions and liaise with the parts in real time to respond appropriately. For example, there is an electronic system in a vehicle, known as electronic stability control (ESC), which prevents vehicles from skidding. Before going further into the article check out tuning 4 performance.

What Can Cause a Vehicle to Skid?

Driving a vehicle too fast and going beyond the traction limits can lead to understeer or oversteer, which can cause serious accidents on the road. The vehicle can spin around due to oversteering since the rear will want to overtake the front. And the vehicle will not turn effectively due to understeering.

What Does Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Do?

ESC helps to reduce skidding since it can sense when the tyres start to lose traction or when the car is ‘rolling’ too far or leaning. It can, therefore, reduce the engine speed instantly and apply enough brakes on an individual wheel to help keep the car under control. Keeping the car under can help prevent the car from skidding.

ESC is currently the most common safety feature on many vehicles in the UK. However, the effectiveness of ESC depends on the condition of the suspension and tyres of the vehicle.

That is why ESC assumes that the tyres and suspension are in good condition in determining the corrective measures to prevent a car from skidding. ESC sends a signal to apply the brake if it detects a traction problem. However, if the tyres are not in good condition, the car might go into a dangerous skid. This is because the car does not have enough grip to prevent it from skidding. It is, therefore, crucial to monitor and maintain the tyres. Proper maintenance of tyres can help prevent a car from skidding.

How Do Shock Absorbers Work?

Do not just keep the tyres in good condition. It is more important to keep shock absorbers in good condition. Why? Shock absorbers keep the tyres of the vehicle firmly in contact with the road surface. Increasing the surface area of the tyre that is in contact with the road surface can increase traction and prevent the vehicle from skidding.

The coil springs of a vehicle compress to reduce or remove the vibrations from the bumps. The shock absorbers allow the coil springs to extend or compress to keep the maximum contact between the road surface and the tyre.

Therefore, if the shock absorbers are not in good condition and electronic stability control (ESC) sends a signal to apply the brake, then the vehicle will not have enough traction to prevent it from skidding.

The performance of the parts of a vehicle will deteriorate over time. The performance of the tyres and shock absorbers will, therefore, deteriorate over time. The ‘gas’ shock absorbers still use hydraulic oil. The hydraulic oil passes through the metal valves as the shock absorber extends and compresses. This can cause wear over time since the oil passes through the valves around 400 times per mile. The valves will let more oil pass through due to fatigue, reducing fluid resistance. So, the shock absorbers will no longer be effective. And the vehicle will no longer have the same handling qualities. It is crucial to keep the shock absorbers in good condition.