Like the question asks - shocks or struts?

I'm curious as to what everyone thinks. There was a topic not too long ago that had a few people trying to correct other people on the correct terminology, and it got me thinking as to what everyone thinks they're called, and WHY.

I've got my own opinion, but I want to see what others say.

I'll post mine after I see some responses as I think mine might skew the results.

 

Struts. Struts are made of 2 components- a shock and a coil spring mounted over it.

On a Civic/Integra (80s to 2000 models) it is kind of odd. Struts on a lot of cars also serve as a structural part of the suspension. Civics and Integras have a structural support on the steering knuckle.

 

Shocks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by D50boy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Struts. Struts are made of 2 components- a shock and a coil spring mounted over it.

On a Civic/Integra (80s to 2000 models) it is kind of odd. Struts on a lot of cars also serve as a structural part of the suspension. Civics and Integras have a structural support on the steering knuckle.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you absolutely SURE?

 

definitely shocks

 

Shocks on small passenger (unibody) cars and struts on non unibody cars (like trucks and such).

If there switch bite me i just woke up

Either way it doesnt matter for me when someone says they want to replace struts or shocks, i know what there talking about even though there wrong. But for Honda Civic/Integras its Shocks. Final Answer.

 

I get it when someone says either as well, but it's when someone tries to "correct" others with incorrect info - that's why I'm asking. I just want to see how the peopole here see it.

 

Yea i figured the great Tom would know whats what..... if not....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Are you absolutely SURE?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm pretty sure Shock and spring are separate parts- put them together and it is now one component called a strut.

Sometimes a suspension will have the spring and shock separate- more common on trucks


Sometimes the spring and shock are put together as a strut and used as a structural part. Newer civics are like this. The shock twists with the turning of the wheel. McPherson strut is what it's called:


Most of the people on this board with older Civics and Integras have a strut assembly, but the knuckle has structural support and a connection to the A arms. It's a different system. The shock is mounted to the lower arm and does not twist when the wheel is turned.



That's my view anyway.


Modified by D50boy at 11:15 AM 4/9/2008

 

Im going shock....for the simple fact that theyre "macpherson struts" and different in how they connect directly to the knuckle

 

Shocks.

 

What, no poll?

 

Ask Bilstien or someone that has been in the game for a while.

 

One more bump before I reply today.

 

Yeah I remember this discussion awhile ago. In my opinion 92-95 Civics (what I have knowledge on) have struts in the front and shocks in the rear. The whole spring and shock combined makes a strut is an interesting point, but falls short when you look at a Honda parts list. I don't know... I definetely want to hear a definitive answer.

 

Okay I am posting this as the be all, end all reply to this question. the basis of my post relies on one key fact:

<FONT SIZE="7">Honda knows what to call their own parts</FONT>

Having laid that out I present to you, straight from Honda's own parts micrfiche/online parts catalogs, an exploded diagram of the suspension for a 1992 Civic DX 3dr just as an example:



They label part number 4/5 as a SHOCK ABSORBER UNIT

Who cares to argue against that?

I looked it up HERE - click the word "HERE"

Also for the rear let's check it out too:



Okay so again Honda calls it SHOCK ABSORBER UNIT, R

I found that HERE also - click the word "HERE"

Do you guys think they're wrong? Maybe they are, but if Honda calls it a "shock absorber" I think I will too.

 

...Thats your answer? Honda says so?

Im kinda disappointed. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pdiggitydogg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...Thats your answer? Honda says so?

Im kinda disappointed. I was hoping for something a little more in-depth.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ummm...okay?

I guess exploded diagrams and links to a Honda parts catalog aren't good enough?

What else can/should I say?

 

I was expecting a reason as to why theyre one over the other, not just diagrams and copied parts names.

Not that anyone ever did, but anyone can log on to Honda parts site and see theyre "shocks"

No offense...

 

Nah I think they have struts in the front because the main difference between a shock and a strut is that struts provide provide structural support for the vehicle suspension, support the spring, and hold the tire in an aligned position. Additionally, they bear much of the side load placed on the vehicle's suspension. Shocks are mostly for their damping function which is also found in struts.

 

I've always called em struts, never knew there was a difference between the 2!

 

MacPherson struts. Plain and simple. We have a coil spring, and DAMPENERS. DAMPENERS are valved differently than SHOCKS because they perform slightly different tasks. SPRING+DAMPENER=MacPherson STRUT

 

anti-climatic

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ice78transam &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">MacPherson struts. Plain and simple. We have a coil spring, and DAMPENERS. DAMPENERS are valved differently than SHOCKS because they perform slightly different tasks. SPRING+DAMPENER=MacPherson STRUT </TD></TR></TABLE>

Shock Absorbers (damper): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_absorber

Strut: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strut

Dampers and Shocks are the same thing, can be interchanged... there no difference in the way they work... or any kind of performance...

 

a strut is a specific style of a shock absorber. a "strut" is a shock absorber with a coil spring mounted on and around it. a "shock" is mounted by itself seperate from the spring. although it is a shock the correct terminology is a "STRUT."