FG7 adds Magnetti Marelli to product portfolio
FG7 has added some exciting new partners to its portfolio over the past few months, including Magneti Marelli, the well-known and much revered Italian OE and Aftermarket supplier.
First to hit the shelves is a full programme of Marelli Shock Absorbers, that were launched for the beginning of 2023. The Marelli range is one of the most comprehensive from a single supplier and in line with the brand’s OE credentials, units are either OE or equivalent quality.
The range covers gas and hydraulic shock absorbers as well as air springs with coverage of 97 per cent of the car parc here.
Marelli Ride Dynamics, the Marelli division responsible for producing shock absorbers for OE, is one of the world’s leading OE manufacturers, producing over 40 million shock absorbers a year.
“There are three different technologies used in the manufacture of Shock Absorbers,” points out Tony McKeown, UK sales agent for Magneti Marelli, adding “all of them feature in our range”.
McKeown continues: “Conventional Twin-Tube Shock Absorbers are the most widely used configuration by manufacturers.
“Their simplicity of construction and versatility enable them to be used in many differing ‘suspension’ set ups including twist-beam, multi-link, quadrilateral and even coil-over versions for competition applications.
“Twin-Tube Shocks consists of two nesting tubes, the space between them is partly filled with Nitrogen, this compensates for the piston volume during its telescopic movements when the vehicle is in motion.
“The presence of low-pressure nitrogen minimises cavitation and emulsification, offering excellent performance in most rear suspension applications.”
Mono-tube shock absorbers are designed to dampen vertical stresses and limit travel of the suspension system. The pressure levels are in excess of 10 bar. The principal benefits of this configuration are high damping power with respect to its size, reduced weight and high hydraulic valve response speed due to the high pressurisation values.
A mono-tube shock absorber comprises a single tube and a high-pressure nitrogen chamber. Oil and gas are separated by a floating piston, this prevents emulsification in operating conditions and during high-frequency movements.
This set-up provides better stability, particularly on rough or uneven road surfaces. The shock absorber can be fitted to the vehicle in any position. This enables greater design flexibility and use in many automotive applications.
No cavitation is present. As a result, this set-up provides greater stability in high-frequency vertical wheel travel. Its principal characteristics include better heat dissipation and higher damping stability in all operating conditions. This design type is generally found on high-performance and off-road vehicles.
Structural Shock Absorbers are widely used in the front suspensions of vehicles in the A, B and C segments and in the rear suspension of some SUVs.
This type of shock absorber carries out a structural role and can be used to support the vehicle’s weight and the vertical loads from the body, absorbing stresses in the horizontal plane during braking, acceleration and cornering, in addition to the usual functions of damping and limiting wheel travel. The structure of this type of shock absorber has significant implications for user safety.
Peter Cox, commercial manager FG7, is keen to point out that Marelli offers a wide range of parts, many of which are supplied to vehicle manufacturers and that further collaboration is on the cards.
Referring to the new partnership Graham Donald, Marelli’s head of export, EMEA markets and business development says” “We are thrilled to be growing our relationship with FG7 with the introduction of this new product category.
“A brand like FG7, renowned for offering customers choice and quality is the perfect place for Magneti Marelli P&S shock absorbers. We look forward to supporting FG7 and its incredible customers with even more high-quality products for a high-quality retailer.”