Strut Dampening

mirrorimg

Well-Known Member
Why Stock Dampers are bad on Lowering Springs and Coilover Sleeves



The Dampers on our vehicles are just like the dampers on other vehicles. They control the rebound of the spring and return the spring to its uncompressed position after hitting a bump.

Struts (the dampers on our Integras) have an operating range that they can handle from the factory. The stock struts are matched to the springs that come on the vehicle. The Strut cycles normally throughout its operating range because that was how it was designed.

When you put lowering springs on stock struts, it lowers the bottom point of their operating range. The struts have some flexibility in how low you can drop the car before it really effects the struts ability to operate. People run 1" to 1.5" drop and have had success, though some others would say otherwise.

When you lower your car beyond this point, the strut does not have enough room to travel, and cannot return to its normal position. Repeated cycles cause the seals to wear and the strut to eventually blow. Once this happens, the strut is not able to dampen bumps and return the spring to its uncompressed position. You end up with a bouncy ride that continues bouncing until you hit an extended smooth area on the road.

Shocks vs Struts



Above we have Shocks on the left, and Struts on the right.

The difference between the two is that shocks mount separately from the springs, while struts have a perch that a spring sits on. Most passenger vehicles (coupes, sedans, cars in general) use struts. You will see that trucks utilize the shock/spring combo or shock/leaf springs.
 
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mirrorimg

Well-Known Member
When I get a chance I'll look into those images and try to explain them, unless you want to do that for me Nick ;)
 
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