Electric vehicles are gaining market shares all over the world. There are, however, many parts of electric vehicles that are common to hybrid vehicles and conventional vehicles. All of these vehicles will probably use the same parts for a long time. The parts common to many vehicles are steering components, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres.

Modern vehicles have sophisticated computers. The sophisticated computer is in charge of controlling the parts of the vehicle. It assesses the driving conditions and liaises with components to allow the vehicle to respond appropriately. For instance, electronic stability control (ESC), an electronic system, prevents cars from skidding.

Why Does a Vehicle Skid?

A vehicle skids due to driving behaviours, including oversteering or understeering. So, do not drive your car too fast and go beyond its traction limits. Oversteering or understeering can lead to a severe accident. Oversteering can cause your vehicle to spin around. And understeering can cause your vehicle to skid straight forward instead of turning.

What Does ESC Do?

ESC reduces engine speed and applies the brake to prevent skidding. This is because ESC has speed sensors and independent braking for every wheel. ESC can, therefore, sense when your tyres are beginning to lose traction with the surface of the road. ESC stabilises the vehicle and applies enough brakes to keep it under control.

One of the most important safety features for most vehicles is ESC. However, ESC's effectiveness is limited to the condition of the tyres and the suspension of the vehicle.

ESC assumes your tyres and suspension are in good condition to calculate the necessary corrective measures to prevent your vehicle from skidding. If your vehicle loses traction and begins to skid, ESC sends a signal to apply brakes to the wheels. If, however, your vehicle does not have the required grip, then ESC will not be able to prevent your vehicle from skidding. That is why it is crucial to monitor and maintain the tyres of your vehicle.

How Do Shock Absorbers Work?

Shock absorbers absorb the shocks and keep the tyres firmly in contact with the surface of the road. It is, therefore, imperative to keep your tyres in good condition. High-quality shock absorbers such as Koni's sport shocks stabilise the overall car ride. They can help hold the wheels of your vehicles against the surface of the road to increase traction and control. They, therefore, maximise the contact between your vehicle's tyres and the road surface to prevent your vehicle from skidding.

It is also imperative to maintain your vehicle's shock absorption system in good condition. Why? If your vehicle’s shock absorbers are in poor condition, your vehicle will not have enough traction to avoid skidding. Therefore, if ESC sends a signal to apply the brake on your wheel, your vehicle might still get into a dangerous skid.

The parts on any car will not last forever. The performance of these parts will deteriorate. You should, therefore, expect your vehicle’s shock absorbers to deteriorate.

In fact, the hydraulic oil in ‘gas’ shock absorbers will pass through metal valves that are inside the shock absorber. The hydraulic oil can cause wear over time since the oil passes through the valves around 400 times each mile.

Once the metal valves deteriorate, they will let in more hydraulic oil to pass through. And if more oil passes through the valves, it can lead to fluid resistance, which weakens the ability of your shock absorbers to absorb the shocks from the coil springs of your vehicle. Your vehicle will, therefore, not have the same handling qualities to avoid a skid.

You will need to keep your vehicle’s shock absorbers in good condition.