The Nivomat Shock Absorber is a self-leveling monotube shock absorber developed by Sachs. Nivomat is a contraction of two French words, niveau and automatique. When translated to English, it would be level automatic or automatic level.

Nivomat shocks are used by Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Jaguar, Kia, Mitsubishi, Saab, Volvo and other OEMs. The system is also available on the GM Suburban and Tahoe as part of ZW7 Premium Smooth Ride Suspension. Replacement units are available from Monroe, ZF Sachs and OES suppliers.

The system makes use of the mechanical energy which is generated during the first meters of driving from the relative movement between the axle and vehicle body.

An unlevel vehicle can create many problems. Extra weight on the rear axle shifts the center of gravity, which has a major impact on the ride characteristics. In critical situations, the vehicle can be very difficult to control. Under these conditions a “floaty” ride characteristic can not be considered as comfort anymore.

Other effects are inc...