Common strut design Because shocks and struts have so much to do with the handing of a car, they can be considered critical safety features. Worn shocks and struts can allow excessive vehicle-weight transfer from side to side and front to back. This reduces the fire,s, ability to grip the road, as well as handling and braking Anti-sway Bars Anti-sway bars(also known as anti-roll bars) are used along with shock absorbers or struts to give a moving automobile additional stability An anti-sway bar is a metal rod that spans the entire axle and effectively joins each side of the suspension together. Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Anti When the suspension at one wheel moves up and down, the anti-sway bar transfers movement to the other wheel. This creates a more level ride and reduces vehicle sway. In particular, it combats the roll of a car on its suspension as it corners. For this reason, almost all cars today are fitted with anti-sway bars as standard equipment, although if they re not, kits make it easy to install the bars at any time Suspension Types: Front So far, our discussions have focused on how springs and dampers function on any given wheel. But the four wheels of a car work together in two independent systems-the two wheels connected by the front axle and the two wheels connected by the rear axle. That means that a car can and usually does have a different type of suspension on the front and back. Much is determined by whether a rigid axle binds the wheels or if the wheels are permitted to move independently. The former arrangement is known as a dependent system, while the latter arrangement is known as an independent system. In the following sections, we'll look at some of the common types of front and back suspensions typically used on mainstream cars Front Suspension-Dependent Systems Dependent front suspensions have a rigid front axle that connects the front wheels. Basically, this looksCommon strut design Because shocks and struts have so much to do with the handling of a car, they can be considered critical safety features. Worn shocks and struts can allow excessive vehicle-weight transfer from side to side and front to back. This reduces the tire's ability to grip the road, as well as handling and braking performance. Anti-sway Bars Anti-sway bars (also known as anti-roll bars) are used along with shock absorbers or struts to give a moving automobile additional stability. An anti-sway bar is a metal rod that spans the entire axle and effectively joins each side of the suspension together. Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Anti-sway bars When the suspension at one wheel moves up and down, the anti-sway bar transfers movement to the other wheel. This creates a more level ride and reduces vehicle sway. In particular, it combats the roll of a car on its suspension as it corners. For this reason, almost all cars today are fitted with anti-sway bars as standard equipment, although if they're not, kits make it easy to install the bars at any time. Suspension Types: Front So far, our discussions have focused on how springs and dampers function on any given wheel. But the four wheels of a car work together in two independent systems -- the two wheels connected by the front axle and the two wheels connected by the rear axle. That means that a car can and usually does have a different type of suspension on the front and back. Much is determined by whether a rigid axle binds the wheels or if the wheels are permitted to move independently. The former arrangement is known as a dependent system, while the latter arrangement is known as an independent system. In the following sections, we'll look at some of the common types of front and back suspensions typically used on mainstream cars. Front Suspension - Dependent Systems Dependent front suspensions have a rigid front axle that connects the front wheels. Basically, this looks