What ho one and all,

Good weather so made a start on seeing what is what under the car. Removed the front wheels and found these two 'things' that I don't understand.

The rubber block is next to the drop-link top bot; what does it do? Seems that it does not make contact with anything, but what do I know?

The other 'thing' has a cable or tube attached but the end, fixed to the strut (as int he photo) is not near anything. My guess, it is a sensor but what is it sensing?

Thanks and toodle pip

 

1st photo is an isolator for NVH ( noise, Vibration, Harshness)

2nd photo is the mount for the ABS sensor wiring loom.

 

Thank you. I'm certainly no engineer and assume that these tings are there for a reason but I fail to comprehend how a block of rubber, just attached to the side of the shock, can isolate noise and/or vibration?

Likewise, how does an ABS sensor that is not exactly in close proximity to the wheel, determine if the wheel is locked?

Greater minds in the design world obviously know more than I do.

 

Sorry to have to cut and paste this but I could not think of a way to shorten the answer
The type of isolator has been used for decades on vehicles mostly on engine and transmission mounts but also for areas that have a higher degree of vibration like engine with balance shaft assemblies like the ones in a Mazda 2.5 Skyactiv engine.

Internet found explanation :
. Rubber vibration isolators are used to prevent vibrations from transferring from one component or material to another by stiffening or absorbing the vibratory forces. Some examples of rubber vibration isolators are hydraulic mounts and anti-vibration mounts in industrial equipment and automotive engines. Rubber vibration dampers or dampeners, on the other hand, are meant to disperse vibratory forces away from the assembly into the environment by having a high damping coefficient, i.e. a strong ability to bounce back from the disturbance to its steady state. Although rubber vibration dampers can reduce vibrations in your system, the vibratory energy is in turn dissipated as heat. Rubber vibration damping pads, vibration dampers for air conditioners, and archery stabilizers aka doinkers are examples of rubber vibration dampers.

 

Thanks; I did not know that. Of course, I understand vibration dampening as isolation mounts, and suspension bushes, etc, but a piece of stand lone solid rubber attached to whatever, that is a new one on me. Surprised that the shock needs it, but what do I know?

 

If you look on the good old WWW under engine mount designs you will find dozens that have extended casting with a rubber part attached seemingly looking like it does nothing. This has been a design type since as far as I can remember the late 90's? But don't hold me to the aprox year I am not a historian of auto parts origins and design releases.

 

I understand engine and body mounts, to isolate vibrations / noise / even frequency sound from the metal. But a bit just stuck on the side of the strut, ..........?

Likewise, the ABS. My previous car (Mondeo Mk3) had ABS plugged into the hub. Part of the bearing had a magnetic strip from which, the sensor detected the wheel rotation (or not0 But the Mazda ABS does not seem to be close to the rotating wheel, so how does t detect rotation. I don't need to know, just interested in understanding how things work.

 

Try using this wording there are several technical information available.

how does the abs sensor work - Search