RE: Coilovers vs. Shocks/Springs/Struts

[Khan Klatt <khan@mediaaccess.com>]

At 3:29 PM -0400 04/06/2000, Ng, Kevin (Bank of America Commercial Finance)
>
>Yup. "Shocks" is not really the proper terminology, since they're not really
>doing any of the shock absorbing (that's what the springs are for). Call 'em
>dampers or struts.

So, what we're looking at (correct me if I stray from reality) is 
that struts are bolted to the wheel assembly and to the body of the 
car. The springs are somehow connected to both as well.

When you hit a bump, the spring compresses, absorbing the energy from 
the impact. The struts, because they can compress or extend with the 
springs (filled with either fluids or gasses) provide a dampening 
force to make the spring less "bouncy"... in other words, damping the 
spring.

The tighter your spring, the harsher the initial impact and the 
rebound from the spring. The stiffer (more heavy duty) the strut, the 
more force it exerts on the spring to normalize the spring.

The looser your spring (think shock springs) the bouncier the ride. 
And, if the struts aren't very stiff, the ride will tend to float up 
and down and up and down for more oscillations than if there were 
stiffer struts.

Is that correct?

If so, what I'd like to know is how the mechanism actually works... 
the struts, it seems would simply be bolted between the wheel 
assembly and the body. The springs are connected... how? To the 
strut? Around the strut? What stops it's upward and downward motion?

Thx for the info.

-K


Khan Klatt                                         khan@mediaaccess.com

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