Hi guys...

I'm not very good with cars, and the whole suspension thing got me lost.
Ok...I think I know what springs and struts are...but what are coilovers? I know they are the best, but what do they replace?
Also, what are dampers?
I know, I'm dumb with these things...but please help me to straigthen this out...

Thanks.

 

The best tip that I can give you regarding a basic understanding of suspensions is to spend about $15 - $20 on Fred Puhn's book "How To Make Your Car Handle". It's basic enough for the novice to understand (unlike, say, many of the SAE hardcover books like "Race Car Vehicle Dynamics") but it is complete enough to be a good introduction to it all. Don't worry that a lot of his detail numbers refer to older cars. The theories are still the same, as are the equations and constructions. So read it for the concepts rather than for the minute data like allowable upper ball joint play in a 1971 Pinto.

Dampers are the more proper term for shocks or the shock insert part of a strut. A "shock absorber" doesn't absorb bumps (that's what the spring does). What it does do is *damp* the vibrations and motions of the spring.

Coilovers are (usually) the combination of small diameter springs mounted directly over the shocks. IOW, the springs do not sit in seats built into the chassis end or directly on the control arm but in seats that attach to the shock body. Advantages are wide choice in spring rates and the ability to set ride height without having to modify the springs themselves or use "band-aids" like spring rubbers.

Norm

 

Here are some side by side pics of my stock suspension and the JIC coilovers , http://members.rogers.com/maxrpm/jic.htm