Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding
Mike, maybe you and Andrew can clarify something for me. My understanding of the difference between coilovers and struts is that a strut literally and actively controls the path along which the wheel moves. All a coil over does is keep the car off the ground and control the actions of the spring. The path of the wheel is dependent on the linkage between the hub and the chassis. So if a car has a lower control arm and perhaps a sway bar or something for longitudinal locating, but no upper control arm we're looking at a strut.
If your wheel motion is controlled by upper and lower control arms and the "suspending" part of the suspension (spring and damper) consists of a single assembly it's a coilover.
If you have upper and lower control arms and separate springs and shock absorbers you have a 1970 Chevelle.
Thus, on our cars the front unit is a strut. What makes it a coilover is the adjustable spring perch and the fact that we call it a "coilover." ?????
Our rear units are coil overs from the factory. What makes them "coilovers" from a marketing perspective is the fact that we call them "coilovers."
My mid-oughts F-150 uses a coilover on the front.
My '70 Chevelle SS used a conventional/archaic upper/lower control arm
with separate springs and shocks (at the front) like most other domestic iron of the period.
???????
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Misnomers.
Coilover "type" suspension is literally a coil spring over a damper. There are many types and configurations of coilovers. A mcpherson strut is a specific type of suspension setup.
A porpoise is a dolphin, but a dolphin doesn't have to be a porpoise.