[97TacoDude]

Can anybody explain the difference between a coil-over and a strut? The Bilstein coil-over shocks I put on my Tacoms have this tiny ring (called a circlip I believe) that end ENTIRE weight of the vehicle sit on (the spring is pressed against it). This just seems to weird to me. Do these clips ever break?

 

[Mike]

Can anybody explain the difference between a coil-over and a strut? The Bilstein coil-over shocks I put on my Tacoms have this tiny ring (called a circlip I believe) that end ENTIRE weight of the vehicle sit on (the spring is pressed against it). This just seems to weird to me. Do these clips ever break?

Here's from a quick search:

Q: I often hear the terms strut and shock used interchangeably. Are they different? A: Shocks and struts are similar in that they both damp (slow down) the vehicles motion. The key difference of a strut vs. a shock is that a shock only controls the cars motion while a strut is a locating member of the suspension. What this means is that if you remove a shock the spindle or axle will still be completely attached to the vehicle. If you remove a strut the spindle or axle will be able to move outside of its normal motion. Shocks and struts may or may not have a spring mounted to them either. It is often assumed that any damper with a spring is a strut, this is not the case.


Later,
....Mike

 

[cvajs]

...The Bilstein coil-over shocks I put on my Tacoms have this tiny ring (called a circlip I believe) that end ENTIRE weight of the vehicle sit on (the spring is pressed against it). This just seems to weird to me. Do these clips ever break?

"snapring" which the spring perch sits on. the perch encloses the snapring, so unless the perch breaks off there is no way the snapring can come out.

the snapring acts like a keyway. the shear strength of the snapring (and perch) is alot more than the weight of the truck. the groove shelf (snapring groove) acts like a plastic soda straw, very very strong on axis.

 

[97TacoDude]

"snapring" which the spring perch sits on. the perch encloses the snapring, so unless the perch breaks off there is no way the snapring can come out.

the snapring acts like a keyway. the shear strength of the snapring (and perch) is alot more than the weight of the truck. the groove shelf (snapring groove) acts like a plastic soda straw, very very strong on axis.

Now you sound like an intelligent person...post more often! (not that other people are not intelligent)

 

[Yeti]

When you hear that the name "strut" makes total sense. I figured this difference out when working on a friends camry, I noticed the new struts he bought were just like a coil over in my tacoma, (but a little larger around and lighter duty). So I thought what could be different? The cars Ifs has only one lower a-arm, the strut is then necessary to hold the spindle by a different point to control it. Whereas in our tacoma we have the spindle attached to the lower and upper a-arms.

 

[atwinda]

When you hear that the name "strut" makes total sense. I figured this difference out when working on a friends camry, I noticed the new struts he bought were just like a coil over in my tacoma, (but a little larger around and lighter duty). So I thought what could be different? The cars Ifs has only one lower a-arm, the strut is then necessary to hold the spindle by a different point to control it. Whereas in our tacoma we have the spindle attached to the lower and upper a-arms.

bingo! macpherson struts. You nailed it. they usually lack a upper arm.