The wheels only roll correctly and confidently on the road when they have constant contact with the ground. This is exactly what shock absorbers are designed for, or rather «vibration dampers». Impacts from uneven ground are absorbed by tires and springs.
Shock absorbers, on the other hand, must suppress vibrations of the suspension and car body - only under this condition the wheels do not lose contact with the ground. Defective shock absorbers allow the wheels to bounce uncontrollably on uneven ground and, as a result, the machine is often thrown to the sides, which significantly reduces traffic safety. The Renault 19 has so-called telescopic shock absorbers. They consist of a working cylinder in which a working piston moves up and down connected to a rod. The slave cylinder is built into a second cylinder which serves as the reservoir for the hydraulic shock absorber oil. When the suspension spring oscillates, the piston in the cylinder moves; the oil set in motion is slowly squeezed out through the valves, which slows down the movement of the piston and at the same time dampens the vibrations of the wheel. The reinforced chassis of the 16-valve Renault 19 is equipped with more powerful shock absorbers.