AdMax98

This is probably a really easy question but....what is the difference between a shock and a strut?
Thanks alot,

Adam

Daniel B. Martin

Shocks and struts are similar but not identical. "Strut" is short for MacPherson strut, named for its inventor, Earl S. MacPherson (a Ford engineer). A strut combines a shock absorber and a component of the suspension. This design is lighter and less expensive than some more sophisticated suspension designs which use upper and lower control arms or a multi-link apparatus.

Shock absorber is a misnomer because it does not really absorb physical shocks. The springs do that. The shock absorber prevents the spring from oscillating after the spring absorbs the shock of a bump in the road.

One way to appreciate the difference between a shock and a strut is this. You could remove the shock absorbers from a car and still drive it. You wouldn't want to, but you could. However, if you removed the struts from a car you couldn't drive it. The struts are part of what connects the wheels to the body of the car.