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This is what blown shocks look like. [video]

Thursday, October 11, 2012 21:53

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(Before It's News)

By Zack Klapman

“Unless a dampening structure is present, a car spring will extend and release the energy it absorbs from a bump at an uncontrolled rate. The spring will continue to bounce at its natural frequency until all of the energy originally put into it is used up. A suspension built on springs alone would make for an extremely bouncy ride and, depending on the terrain, an uncontrollable car. “ – How Stuff Works

And that’s exactly what happens when rally/Texas Mile/SCCA and hill climb driver Brianne Corn bought a Subaru Impreza for $600, and went over some bumps. As you’ll see after the jump, she expertly demonstrates what an un-restrained coil spring will do to a car. It’s like Myth Busters, but without the 25 minute cheesy buildup.

The spring is like a bouncy rubber ball; throw it at the ground and it will go up and down until all the initial energy is used up. The shock is like a tether, that slows the compression and expansion of the springs. Granted, hitting a bump and then tapping the brakes just so is like continuing to hit said ball at the ground with a racket, but wouldn’t you do that with your $600 car too? Driving extremely cheap, questionable vehicles is something to be cherished. The amount of laughter you get from a car that’s behaving like a drunk dog on an ice rink is immense. And you don’t know fun until death is an actual possibility, but you say, “Ah who cares, this will be so funny.” Make the jump to watch Brianne bounce high enough to make Snoop Doggliontabbycatwhatever proud.