In a method for operating a wheel suspension system of a motor vehicle, a sensor checks the ground for the presence of an obstacle, as identified by a control device, and predicts for the obstacle a first value for an amount of electrical energy, which is to be converted from mechanical energy by an electrical machine, when a damping ratio is set with a defined recuperation value for a damper connecting a wheel to a chassis. The control device predicts a second value for a ride comfort and determines a third value for a decision criterion, which is a function of the first and second values. The identified obstacle is to be driven over with the recuperation value set for the damping ratio of the damper, when the value for the decision criterion corresponds to a target value.