I took my 95 max in for service at 120k and was told that I should replace my struts. Are struts and shocks the same thing? A lot of web sites seem to use the terms interchangeably, and I don't want to screw up and order the wrong stuff. If they're not the same can someone explain the difference to me? Was considering the KYB AGX adjustables.

 

Typically a strut has a spring around it, and is an integral part of the suspension. A shock typically is separate from the spring. There are exceptions, but it doesn't matter what you call it, a shock, strut, or Widget Pin, they are not normally interchangeable (without modifications). If your car has a shock, it will only accept a shock. Likewise with a strut. And if I remember correctly, the famous Daniel B. Martin once said that if you can still drive the car without it it's a shock. If you can't then it's a strut.

Additional info:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/about....tos_autorepair;svc=;site=autorepair;kw=struts;chan=autos;syn=abo ut;pos=vmslot1;sz=120x600;ord=10.6608126360719275

http://autorepair.about.com/library/...tm?terms=shock

http://forums.maxima.org/search.php?...der=descending

 

The maxima has struts in the front and shocks in the back..

 

 

 

yeah .. what was that all about?

 

the rear is setup the same way as the fronts. i would say 'struts' all around. E46's have struts in the front and shocks in the rear.

 

no.. when you buy from koni.. they sell you 4 shocks.. 2 shocks for the front and 2 shocks for the rear

 

They are all dampers. The terms "shock" and "shock absorber" are misnomers.

 

No, it is not the same. A shock setup uses a multi-link suspension (ie upper and lower control arms) as pivotal points in the suspension geometry. The shock itself is not a stressed member in the suspension.

A strut design does away with the pivotal points in the upper area (it does use a lower control arm) and the strut itself is an integral part in the suspension design. Modern vehicles no longer use struts in the rear (the technical term for a rear strut is called the Chapman strut.. in the front it is a MacPherson strut).