In an automobile, springs support the weight of the vehicle and allow the suspension to move as the car goes over bumps. The problem with springs, however, is that they will continue to oscillate until they run out of energy. Without something to keep them in check, the car will bounce up and down over the slightest of bumps, and the driver will have little or no control.

That’s where dampers come in. Dampers (shocks and struts) keep the springs in check by allowing them to be only as springy as they need to be to provide comfort, but not so springy that the car feels as though it were not connected to the ground.