Coilovers vs. shock absorbers commodity highlights:

  • Coilovers contain shock absorbers, merely they are not 'but' shocks
  • They office similarly to struts but provide more adjustability for the springs and dampers
  • Quality coilover kits are pricey, and their benefits are typically best experienced in spirited street and rail driving scenarios

For as many benign car modifications equally there are, at that place are at to the lowest degree that many that do more damage than good. That's peculiarly true if they're non washed properly. And all too often, owners modify their break in hopes of upgrading their ride but to ruin information technology. However, not all break mods are necessarily bad, and some practise genuinely ameliorate your motorcar's performance. But is swapping out worn shock absorbers for a new set of coilovers a good thought, or a bad one?

What makes coilovers dissimilar from shock absorbers and struts?

A set of black-red-and-gold Blitz coilovers at the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon
A set of Blitz coilovers at the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon | Christopher Jue/Getty Images

At first glance, coilovers expect identical to typical daze absorbers. Only they're not, although the former contains the latter. Arguably, coilovers more resemble struts than shocks. And if this sounds disruptive, don't worry, hither'due south how it works.

What most people call the 'shock' is basically a tube with a piston/plunger suspended in a mix of fluid and gas. Nonetheless despite its name, a shock absorber doesn't absorb shocks from route impacts. Instead, it dampens the motion of what actually absorbs those bumps: the metal springs. Hence why shock absorbers are technically called 'dampers.'

In some cars, especially in the rear, daze absorbers and springs are mounted next to each other. But in others, especially in front end, they're combined into one unit, with the spring atop the damper. That's what many people call 'daze absorbers.' Struts take this configuration, just they practice more than dampen impacts. They're a structural part of your car'south steering arrangement. Furthermore, while bare daze absorbers dampen impacts and acceleration forces, struts besides support your automobile'south weight, Car Bibles explains.

Now we come to coilovers. Because they're as well a one-piece combo of damper and leap, they're sometimes dislocated for struts. In add-on, some cars, like the European Focus ST, even offer them every bit mill options. Notwithstanding, in that location'south one significant deviation between a coilover and strut: the jump and often the damper are adjustable. And that'south huge both from a performance and an appearance standpoint.

Are coilovers better than conventional stupor absorbers?

A selection of black, silver, and gold coilovers and struts
A selection of coilovers and struts | Roland Weihrauch/picture brotherhood via Getty Images

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Although it'southward frequently washed purely for looks, in that location are functioning-related reasons why people lower their cars. All besides often, though, they go the inexpensive route and but stick lowering springs onto manufactory shock absorbers. While that does lower the ride height, it also ruins the ride quality and messes with the interruption geometry. So at present, your auto doesn't handle equally it did earlier.

Here'south where coilovers come into their own. Much like you adjust the preload on a motorcycle's break, you lot can adjust the preload and travel on a coilover'southward spring. Just because the assembly is designed with this in listen, doing so doesn't negatively affect intermission geometry. Therefore, you lot go the benefits of a lower ride height—including a lower heart of gravity—without the treatment penalties.

And because quality coilovers usually accept adjustable rebound and compression, y'all can tweak your car'south handling to a greater caste than with a set of lowering springs. Some coilover kits fifty-fifty include slant/caster plates to further modify treatment and steering. Drivers often written report greater levels of feedback later installing coilovers, too, Road & Track says.

However, coilovers aren't necessarily a win-win over the manufactory shock absorbers and struts. They practise lower the ride meridian, and then yous risk scraping body parts over speed bumps and driveways. And cheap sets don't offer much damper adaptability, and then your ride quality might suffer. Though that's also true for coilovers designed for performance rather than comfort, Car Bibles notes.

How much does a good ready of coilovers price?

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The other downside of coilovers is that the best ones price a lot. A set of lowering springs for my 2013 500 Abarth, for case, costs most $290. Merely a Bilstein coilover kit is $1000. And a high-cease set up of KW V3 coilovers is virtually $2300.

To be fair, you do go what you lot pay for with suspension components, coilovers or otherwise. While the $2300 KW units are arguably overkill outside of a track build, even the Bilstein ones offer a large caste of adjustability. And having owned an NB Miata with Bilstein shocks, I can confirm that the ride was surprisingly compliant.

However, you also take to factor in the toll of installing those coilovers. You can technically do this at home, provided y'all have the right tools. Because some kits crave reusing nuts and bolts, this usually means buying or renting a bound compressor. If you don't, the spring on your strut assembly could fly off and hurt you, someone nearby, and/or your car.

Also, considering installing coilovers means unclipping and otherwise messing with the suspension, y'all have to become an alignment afterward. Otherwise, instead of improving your handling, the upgrade could just make things worse.

Are they worth installing?

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So, is it worth putting coilovers on your car? That depends on several factors.

Starting time, exercise you demand to replace your current shocks and struts? Second, are you looking to amend your car's handling? And third, do you take the money to pay for a quality kit?

Installed and adapted correctly, a expert set of coilovers can genuinely improve your auto'south performance. But again, yous get what you pay for. And if you're non carving corners on the weekends or chasing lap times, they're non strictly necessary. You'd likely be fine just replacing the shocks, springs, and bushings with fresh ones.

If you're looking to lower your machine, though, these are then much better than a cheap fix of lowering springs.

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