Gabriel®, the
originator of the world's first automotive shock absorber in 1907, precision engineers and tests
all its new
ReadyMount™ designs and
components to live up to real-world demands by manually Fit-testing and Ride-testing every new design.
“Our customers have a lot riding on the struts they chose to for their customer’s
vehicles. The strut module assembly is a structural sub-system in the
suspension/steering system of the vehicle so it requires the highest level of
quality and performance to ensure vehicle safety and control,” said Lisa Bahash
president and CEO, Gabriel. “We go to extensive lengths to test our designs so
customers can be confident that the assembled strut they put on a vehicle has
been well designed, uses high quality components and lives up to real-world
performance demands.”
Gabriel engineers, located in the Detroit area, precision engineer each new
ReadyMount application to strict tolerances based on their unique knowledge
and clear understanding of the original equipment part, the vehicle design, and
the performance requirements of the assembly. Only components that meet
Gabriel’s high standards are specified and used in the assembly.
Gabriel starts with a MacPherson strut or coil-over shock design, validated to
1,000,000 cycles, with a super-finished chromed piston rod for superior corrosion
resistance. Gabriel conducts a structural rigidity test is on the strut to ensure that
it meets Gabriel requirements for cornering and braking.
“There’s more that goes into a fully assembled strut design than the strut,”
continues Bahash. “All the other components that make up a ReadyMount
assembly also need to be of equally high quality, durable and specified properly
so they work together to meet the specifications of the vehicle.”
Gabriel then adds a premium strut mount, bearing, jounce bumper, dust boot, coil
spring, and spring isolator(s) before extensively testing each ReadyMount design
and its individual components on a quarter car testing rig to simulate the realworld
articulation of the assembly:
- The assembly is tested to full travel to make sure it lives up to the extreme
demands of North American roads and weather
- Side load compensation is also tested to ensure that friction on the strut is
minimized
- Steering is simulated to ensure durability of the bearings
- Coil springs, which are a key component to the desired ride, are tested to full
travel for performance and durability
- A durometer test checks the rubber isolators load resistance and durability
- Limit load tests, on the rebound springs (or rebound bumper) and on the
jounce bumper, are conducted to extreme loads to simulate deep potholes
and high curb strikes
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Once all quarter car rig testing is assessed, engineers do a complete teardown
analysis of the design and all of the components are examined to certify there is
no excessive wear.
“It’s another way that Gabriel goes the extra mile. We do all this to ensure the
components in the final assembly are integrated for fit, form and function, to work
as a complete suspension system,” said Bahash.
Then Gabriel takes it a step further by Fit-testing each ReadyMount design on
the very vehicle application for which it was designed, verifying first-hand that the
design fits properly and can be easily installed. Finally, Gabriel Answerman™
technicians Ride-test the ReadyMount design on this same vehicle on U.S. roads
to make sure it meets real world performance and Gabriel’s standards.
Undertaking all these steps ensures that each ReadyMount design is free from
noise, fit and ride issues right out of the box and ensures faster, smoother
installations. But if there is a question, the same Gabriel technicians who Fit- and
Ride-test the ReadyMount applications are the Answermen that installers and
customers speak to when they call the Gabriel Tech Line.
“Not all manufacturers Fit- and Ride-test their module assemblies, and not all
manufacturers engineer, design and test their products to the tight tolerances
and precision specifications that Gabriel does for its ReadyMount fully assembled
struts. But it’s the right thing to do and the right way to do it,” continues Bahash.
“Gabriel has a lot of history riding on our products and we think it’s what
customers should expect, especially from the company that designed the first
automotive shock absorber in 1907.”
For more information visit www.gabriel.com.
