Springs: What are they good 4?
01-15-2001, 06:32 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,701
OK dumb question time...I see all this talk about Springs H&R and Sprint-yadda yadda. These make your ride drop 
. I also see that you should get new shocks when you get springs. My dumb question of the day is what do springs do compared to shocks. And how do shocks differ from struts. I obviously know zero about handling... 
How would springs, and/or shocks, and/or struts help my GXE w/ handling b/c I may want to autocross my ride this summer...
. I also see that you should get new shocks when you get springs. My dumb question of the day is what do springs do compared to shocks. And how do shocks differ from struts. I obviously know zero about handling... How would springs, and/or shocks, and/or struts help my GXE w/ handling b/c I may want to autocross my ride this summer...
01-15-2001, 07:02 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 866
Shocks/Struts, these terms are often used interchangeably. Although the springs are what soften your ride, it's the struts that keep your car from bounce-bounce-bouncing down the road. The struts dampen the springs.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
01-15-2001, 07:19 PM
#3
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 577
Springs are the heart of the suspension... They are the primary support for the car... Those are what should be controlling the body motions -- roll, squat, dive, etc...
The struts damp the spring motions and help to absorb high velocity impacts, because a shock/strut can react and change direction very quickly -- because springs don't react very fast... springs resist fast movement... Driving with lots of fast steering transitions generally mean you need firmer struts as well as springs... Also, springs only store energy and naturally they always want to release energy... so its up to the struts/shocks to damp out that energy release --- thats why ineffective struts make that up-and-down oscillation effect...
Technically, the front end components are referred to as "struts" since they act on the steering mechanisms... The rears are referred to as "shock absorbers"... they act much in the same way as the front end but they are stationary -- don't act on steering mechanisms... It's just a naming convention...
The struts damp the spring motions and help to absorb high velocity impacts, because a shock/strut can react and change direction very quickly -- because springs don't react very fast... springs resist fast movement... Driving with lots of fast steering transitions generally mean you need firmer struts as well as springs... Also, springs only store energy and naturally they always want to release energy... so its up to the struts/shocks to damp out that energy release --- thats why ineffective struts make that up-and-down oscillation effect...
Technically, the front end components are referred to as "struts" since they act on the steering mechanisms... The rears are referred to as "shock absorbers"... they act much in the same way as the front end but they are stationary -- don't act on steering mechanisms... It's just a naming convention...
01-15-2001, 09:35 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by bullseye
Shocks/Struts, these terms are often used interchangeably. Although the springs are what soften your ride, it's the struts that keep your car from bounce-bounce-bouncing down the road. The struts dampen the springs.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
Shocks/Struts, these terms are often used interchangeably. Although the springs are what soften your ride, it's the struts that keep your car from bounce-bounce-bouncing down the road. The struts dampen the springs.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
01-16-2001, 06:42 AM
#6
Yes the stock dampers are made by tokico, but they are not the same as the tokico blue performance shocks that everyone uses to upgrade. Also, the strut is called that because of the design. It is actually a load bearing member of the suspension that locates the hub. In the rear, on a max anyway, it is just a shock absorber. Some cars have struts in the back as well.
01-16-2001, 05:27 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 866
Originally posted by CustomMax
How much did you pay for your suspension technique springs? And your shocks?
Originally posted by bullseye
Shocks/Struts, these terms are often used interchangeably. Although the springs are what soften your ride, it's the struts that keep your car from bounce-bounce-bouncing down the road. The struts dampen the springs.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
Shocks/Struts, these terms are often used interchangeably. Although the springs are what soften your ride, it's the struts that keep your car from bounce-bounce-bouncing down the road. The struts dampen the springs.
Aftermarket springs are stiffer than stock, and they also lower your car. A lower car has a lower center of gravity, so it corners better. The stiffer springs need good struts to dampen them, so you should always get new struts with new springs. Get it all done at the same time...(You should also have an alignment done.)
I have Suspension Techniques springs with Tokico struts. I have had them for almost 4 years, now. My ride is firmer than stock, but not harsh. The car sits 1.4" lower than stock, too. I highly recommend them. Good luck.
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