Both in Australia and internationally, aftermarket coilovers are often associated with alterations for sports cars. The primary function of these springs is the prevention of the chassis from bottoming out, supporting the drivers and mitigating or decreasing the body rolls during turns and cornering – which is especially useful while driving at higher speeds.
A standard suspension is made of a shock absorber and a spring. Shock absorbers prevent sudden jolts imparting onto the spring itself, which could otherwise lead to a lurching rise and faster wearing out of these parts. Together, these components are called a “strut”, while the coilover is the spring that's mounted over the shock absorber. In practice, the two often fulfil the same purpose.
The pros of adjustable coilovers
The springs help to reduce squatting in times of acceleration and deceleration. There are plenty of practical advantages offered by these parts over spring and shock arrangements. Firstly, they provide better handling stability and reduced body roll, allowing you to maintain traction in suboptimal conditions and rough terrain. If you’re working alongside a sway bar, this ability becomes even handier.
Adjustable variants add to this prospect. Even on even terrain, a lower ride height offers advantages like reduced drag, improved gas mileage and an overall stiffer ride. This lets you lower your car without scratching pavements as you drive. Lastly, these springs help you alleviate body roll as your vehicle rounds corners. For additional support, shop our collection of brake kits now.
So what’s the big deal about coil overs?
By installing these springs in your vehicle – no matter your make or model – you can achieve an unsurpassed amount of benefits for both function and performance. Just a few advantages (besides the above) include:
-
Improved handling: Stock suspension systems aren’t able to deliver the sense of handling that coilovers can. Additionally, a custom suspension often needs to work harder than intended due to the nature of your performance driving technique and environment.
-
Adjustability: While custom suspensions are ideal for most drivers, off-road purposes mean you need plenty of versatility in your system. Having the ability to adjust them is a huge benefit for this very reason.
-
Prestige: There’s always brownie points for telling your auto-buff mates about your newly installed coilover system. These setups are well regarded in the car community, so there’s no harm in spreading the good word.
Do I really need them aftermarket coilovers?
While they aren’t mandatory, adding these parts to your car means an upgrade in performance and stability. While they are generally more expensive than regular springs, they significantly reduce body roll and ride height.
This results in a more efficient cornering due to the mass of the car not wobbling around, more traction and less drag. They are also designed to aid car squats when increasing speed, directly improving traction for rear-wheel-drive cars. Off-road vehicles can better adapt to the terrain by making use of adjustable coilovers.
