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Also known as a shock absorber. A device that controls how quickly the suspension compresses and rebounds. Dampers control the rate of weight transfer, which directly affects how the car transitions between grip states.
Bentley explains in Ultimate Speed Secrets: "The purpose of a shock absorber is to slow down and control the oscillations of the spring as the suspension absorbs undulations in the roadway. Actually, a shock absorber is a damper — it damps the movement of the springs. Shocks work in both directions: compression is called bump; extension is called rebound. A shock absorber is rated by the rate of deflection at a given shaft speed." Halderman's Automotive Steering adds: "The major purpose of any shock or strut is to control ride and handling. Standard shock absorbers do not support the weight of a vehicle." Damper tuning is often more effective than spring changes for fine-tuning handling because it affects weight transfer timing (dynamics) without changing steady-state behavior (final roll angle).