well, I know what the springs and shocks are but struts are still a mystery to me.. what setup do I need for my car? I would like to have a good ride and handle well, but i also want it lowered about 1.5".. do you use struts with springs just the same as using shocks with springs? thats the part i'm really confused about? or do I need all 3? are struts/shocks the same thing? Also, what are coilovers, are there any advantages to them? do you need springs with them? or are they a replacement for the spring/shock combo? someone please help a suspension newb.

 

Struts, as far as I know, are shocks that are also load-bearing members. They are used on cars with MacPherson suspension. Our cars have double-wishbone suspensions, and so they don't have them.

 

A spring is a spring, a shock is a shock, strut is the spring and shock assembly. IF you take out the two bolts from the top of your strut tower, and the one out of the control arm and pull that whole assembly out which is the spring and the (lack of a better term) shock as one that is your strut. The coilover is a externaly threaded shcok with adjustable spring purches to alter ride hight. hope that helps

 

what I would also like to know is what do I need for my car? its an 89 crx si.. do they have struts, shocks, coilovers? thats mostly what i'm confused about.

 

lsos is correct. the separation in terms is only in the fact that a strut is a load bearing member. zatsy would be incorrect that it includes the spring. however, both are used pretty interchangeably at this point, so it doesnt really matter what you call it. since crx's have independent wishbone suspension, its not load bearing so its just a shock absorber, and its only the USA that uses the term "shock absorber", most others say damper or dashpot. you wont have to ever specify really if you are looking for a shock absorber or strut, its really just the same thing as it applies to your car.

the term "COILOVER" is completely misused actually. coilover just means the spring is wound around the shock absorber. most typical passenger car suspensions are like this, such as all hondas after 1988 (1st gen crx and civics had torsion bars up front). VW's DONT have coilovers in the rear, even now. the spring is SEPARATE from the shock, take a look at one. its just the import industry and ignorant magazine marketing that has made the "height adjustable perch" coilover spring kit (ie. Ground control) simply called coilovers, and even worse, "threaded body shocks" (ie Tein) as "true" coilovers, when its just a *threaded body* that separates it in function from a typical coilover suspension.

btw, you can read more about my diatribe in my faq below.

 

so what would be the best for a daily driven application? coilovers or spring/shock setup? I know the spring/shock is wayyy cheaper than a good set of coilovers.

 

did you read my faq?

 

just got done with it.. but it still doesn't answer whats better.. whats the point of a spring/shock combo if you can just do the coilover setup much easier.. right?

 

for daily driving you do not need coilovers unless you just want them. if you plan on doing any hpde's then you might look into coilovers.

 

there are not any adjustable springs are there? Would be nice to jack my car back up for the winter when I have to switch back to oem wheels.

 

You could always get shocks with adjustable ride heights. Like Koni Yellows. I have em, and love em. I can adjust the shock tension for racing and set it softer for daily driving. But the konis also have three different ride height adjustments. You could put your car super low, or you could raise it up a little higher, for the winter if you wanted.

I've always just kept mine on the mid height setting.