What is the screw suspension, coilovers?

There are several main types of coilovers (coilover), let's start with the simplest, they are screw thread, which can be mounted on your post and spring with modified characteristics

To the pluses can be attributed to an inexpensive cost, and the possibility of manufacturing on almost any car

cons unfortunately, this design has much more than pluses. Leaving the factory (stock) shock absorber and changes in the clearance of the car, we make it (shock absorber) work in extreme modes. As a result, deterioration of controllability, frequent breakdowns, quick failure.

Next level - budget coilovers (helical suspension) these are racks, on the shock absorber of which, instead of a stationary support for the spring, the support is made on a threaded connection, and allows you to move the springs up and down, thereby changing the height of the car (clearance).

The main representatives of this segment are the well-established suspensions TA Technix, Jom Blueline, Jom Redline, FK Automative.

Of the pros low cost, wide choice of manufacturers.

Main disadvantage the inability to adjust the compression / rebound (stiffness) of the shock absorber.

Fully adjustable Full-Tap screw suspensions - allow you to adjust the clearance of the car, regardless of the stroke, the stiffness (compression / rebound) of the shock absorber, as well as the spring preload. Often, full-tap coilovers come with support bearings on the AL with the ability to adjust the camber angle.

The main representatives of adjustable Full-Tap screw suspensions in the Russian market are BC Racing, KT Racing...

Advantage of Full-Tap coilover is the presence of all kinds of adjustments and suspension settings, allowing the highest quality and efficient use of a set of coilovers.

The main disadvantage is the higher price.

Top screw pendants can have all conceivable and unimaginable settings, remote adjustment of rebound / compression stiffness, in general, as they say, "Any whim for your money."

Coilovers are adjustable shock absorbers, most often used as part of a sports suspension. This word came to the Russian language from the West along with the fashion for sports tuning and was fixed, because it is shorter and easier to pronounce than “adjustable suspension” or “adjustable stance”. Installing coilovers can improve the performance of a car, but it can also reduce it, so it is necessary to understand what coilovers are, how they differ from each other and from standard struts, and when it makes sense to use them.

Kit for installing coilovers.

A coilover is a traditional element of a sports car suspension. The name of this part is formed by the English words coil and over, which literally means “spring around”.

A coilover is a shock absorber that allows you to adjust the spring rate and ground clearance of the car by compressing or expanding it. In fact, this is a rack-rod, on which a spring is put on, moving relative to it.

On sports cars, the screw suspension appeared due to the need to quickly change the stiffness and height of the suspension. The ability to quickly change these parameters and improve the controllability of the car has become an integral feature of such a discipline as rally, where before each start the technical team carries out an almost jewelry calibration of the car.

In sports tuning, coilovers are installed on cars to adjust the clearance, stiffness and damping pattern. The convenience lies in the fact that to change the height of the suspension, you do not need to disassemble it - the shock absorbers are simply twisted a little, and you're done.

Types of coilovers

What does a coilover look like on a car?

According to the installation method, there are kits for complete and partial replacement of racks:

• Partial retrofit kits(essentially threaded casings) are installed on existing racks. However, if it turns out that the strut is not designed for the loads that come with a coilover, it may break.
• One-piece kits, ready for suspension mounting. To install such coilovers, you need to remove the old racks from the car and put adjustable analogues in their place. In this case, the rack is initially designed ready for different types of loads, so the suspension is more reliable and durable.

There is also a division of coilovers into series in accordance with the conditions for which they are designed:

• street. The suspension gets high rigidity, but sways less, dangles, and does not heel when cornering. The difference in the behavior of the car when cornering, changing lanes and other maneuvers becomes especially noticeable at maximum adjustment - there is a tangible sporty "temper".
• track. Products in this series give the car stability on the road, making the suspension even more collected and stiff. Even at the softest settings, it responds well to control and is stable.

Depending on the adjustment possibilities, the following types are also distinguished:

1. Primitive shock absorbers with threaded support. It is these coilovers that are most in demand. From a technical point of view, they are not suitable for anything other than changing the clearance. The advantage is low cost. The disadvantage is that they do not allow you to change the stiffness of the suspension.
2. Simple coilovers with variable stiffness function. They cost a little more than the first type, but are installed on any car. Their stroke directly depends on what clearance is set. Advantage - suitable for different cars. Minus - impairs controllability.
3. Full-tap coilovers (or DGR), providing adjustment of ride height, suspension stiffness and spring preload. Manufacturers often complete such racks with thrust bearings to adjust the alignment. The advantage is the flexible adjustment of the suspension. Cons: Difficult to install and expensive.
4. professional coilovers with high and low speed compression capability. Motorists are practically not used due to the high cost and inexpediency of installation.

How much do coilovers lower a car?

On average, using an adjustable suspension can achieve an underestimation of 20-35 mm. Pretty good for urban tuning - you just need to tighten the bottom stop, and not cut the springs. If you focus on ground clearance, the result is even more impressive - up to 20-30 mm from the road level. For comparison, with the same trim, as a rule, it is possible to achieve a clearance of 30-50 mm.

Advantages of coilover suspension on coilovers

• These suspension elements are designed for different workloads, so they are made from high quality materials.
• Inexpensive coilovers for suspension stiffness and ride height adjustment do not require special skills and equipment for installation.
• The suspension of the car can be quickly adjusted literally before each departure.
• It is possible to retrofit existing racks, and if necessary, switch back to the standard suspension.
• With careful operation, coilovers retain their performance for a long time and do not break.

Disadvantages of adjustable dampers

• To guarantee quality and performance, you must buy models from trusted manufacturers. And the cost of even medium-functional products in this case is comparable to high-quality analogues for a standard suspension.
• When adjusting coilovers, it is often necessary to additionally work with wheel alignment.
• Suspension adjustments can adversely affect agility, handling, and behavior on rough, wet or slippery roads. All this additionally affects fuel consumption, wear and tear of other components and parts of the car.
• When installed on regular suspension struts, the latter wear out quickly.

Thus, with a reasonable installation and thoughtful tuning, coilover suspension on coilovers makes driving more comfortable, easier and more confident, and also allows you to give it the necessary sporty look. The main thing is to choose the right part for installation, not save on quality and make sure that its operation does not actually worsen the driving performance of the car.

Tuning is often very costly. As a rule, all trends come from the West, so in the arsenal of avid car enthusiasts there are many foreign words that are not known to a simple layman. So, for example, few people know what downpipes, dampers, autobuffers are. The same situation is repeated when we come across the concept of “coilovers”.

Coilovers (eng. – coilover)- This is an adjustable shock absorber strut that allows you to change the stiffness of the shock absorbers and the height of the clearance (clearance). In fact, coilovers act as an adjustable suspension and consist of a support and a spring wrapped around its stem. For the first time, coilovers were developed by Western professionals and were used in sports and drifting competitions. The word consists of two parts - "coil" and "over". If you translate each of them separately (the first is a spring, the second is around), then you can understand what coilovers are.

The main task of the device is to raise or lower the suspension. At the same time, it can be adjusted in a fairly wide range. Therefore, every day you can ride with completely new settings, because the product helps to freely change the ride height (clearance).

If you have a question about what range of adjustment the screw suspension has, then the value is 8-10 cm when it comes to A-arms. When we are dealing with a separate spring and damper, the values ​​\u200b\u200bchange and are 6-8 cm. However, certain fluctuations are possible within different models.

The principle of operation and the device of coilovers

The basis of the adjustable suspension is a conventional shock absorber strut. The only difference is that it has other characteristics that allow it to function in large ranges (from the lightest (in magnification) to the most rigid (in compression)). A thread is made on the rack body, or a special cover is put on, on which it is already there. At the bottom there is a stop that can move up and down.

The spring is located between two stops and the position of the lower one can be changed. The upper part of the adjustable suspension arm has a special mount. Its lower component is put on the thread by winding, which allows it to move freely in the up or down directions. The main advantage of coilovers is the ability to adjust the height without interfering with the suspension and use with conventional shock absorbers.

What are coilovers

Depending on the features of the device, several types of products are distinguished:

1. The most primitive ones consist of a shock absorber, in which the support is made on a threaded connection (instead of the traditional spring support). It is this design that allows you to adjust the clearance by moving the spring up and down. The main advantage is cheapness, the disadvantage is that it is impossible to adjust the stiffness of the shock absorber.
2. The second type has the ability to change the stiffness of the suspension. True, for these adjustable racks you will have to pay a larger amount than for the previous ones. For such a product, the stroke of the rod directly depends on the change in ground clearance. The main plus is that coilovers can be installed on any car. There are quite a few cons:
   • deterioration in controllability;
   • fast failure;
   • frequent breakdowns.
   All this is provoked by the fact that the shock absorber works for wear, because we leave both the clearance and the factory settings of the shock absorber.
3. Full-tap coilovers, with which you can change three parameters at once: shock absorber stiffness, ground clearance and spring preload. Such devices are also known as "dgr coilovers". Complete with the product, you can often find thrust bearings that help adjust the camber angle. Advantage - a number of suspension settings, which allows you to achieve the effects described above. The disadvantage is the high cost and complexity of installation.

1. The last class is more advanced products. With their help, you can adjust the settings for low- and high-speed compression in even greater ranges.

What will change when installing coilovers?

In addition to types of coilovers, there are two product series. Each of them is responsible for making their own individual changes:

• street series allows you to slightly increase the stiffness of the suspension. However, even such modifications will lead to the fact that the suspension will not roll when cornering, it will sway and dangle less. If you use the maximum adjustment of the presented coilover, then the handling of the car will approach the sports class - you will notice how its behavior changes when changing lanes and cornering.
• track series makes the suspension even stiffer and more collected, and the car more stable on the road. Using even the softest settings, you will add comfort to the ride.

Pros and cons of coilovers (helical suspension)

Like any other element, coilovers have their pros and cons.

The advantages of coilovers include:

• simplicity of design, its simple and quick installation;
• the ability to raise and lower the car (adjust the clearance) without interfering with the suspension;
• optimal cost, because you do not need to perform expensive suspension tuning;
• universality - installation is made on any car model;
• the ability to change the stiffness of shock absorbers, as well as installation in regular places.

Cons of screw suspension:

• the price of coilovers exceeds the price of even the highest quality shock absorbers;
• sometimes it is not possible to install on existing racks;
• adjustment of coilovers leads to the need to adjust the alignment;
• when changing the settings, the car can loosen and significantly reduce its performance.

Having become acquainted with what “coilovers” are, it becomes clear that this is simply a shock absorber, which is additionally equipped with a spring. The latter makes it possible to adjust various parameters, such as stiffness and vehicle clearance. We hope that it will now become clear whether your car needs the installation of such a device.