Performance shock absorbers are stiffer than standard ones and are most often fitted to cars which have had their springs replaced. The cheaper versions are not adjustable, but you can also buy more expensive ones, which are, and which are used to tune the car's handling.

The more basic ones have one adjustment which changes the compression and rebound rates at the same time, and this is at least as much as most road users and many competition drivers will need. Shock absorbers with separate adjustment for bump and rebound are much more expensive, and the level of tuning they provide is only really necessary for a race or rally car.

The ultimate shock absorbers have separate chambers for the hydraulic medium, which at this level usually means gas. The idea is to keep the gas cooler and allow the shock absorbers to work for longer before their effectiveness is compromised by overheating. There is very little chance of this being an issue in a road car.

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