Coilover Kits

Coil springs support the weight of the vehicle and allow the body to move up and down. Shocks control the springs’ oscillations. A coilover combines both functions in one component that also allows adjustments to tune the suspension. Although coilovers look like struts, and can be used to replace them on many applications, they can also replace shocks on many vehicles and have superior capabilities and features. Factory coil springs, shocks, and struts are okay for cruising, but for optimal handling on the street and at the track you need the refinement and adjustability of performance coilovers.

If you want to lower your car for better appearance and less body roll, and fine tune spring preload and shock damping for better handling, coilovers are the answer. There are different types of coilovers and adjustment features vary. All aftermarket coilovers enable ride height adjustment and some allow spring preload adjustment, both by way of a threaded collar and locknut system. Premium coilovers also allow shock damping adjustment, to further fine tune handling. Some provide a single adjustment for both compression and rebound damping, while others have separate adjustments for each.

Coilovers are a popular choice for lowering ride height. Lowering your car will lower the center of gravity, which reduces weight transfer and keeps vehicle weight more evenly distributed on the wheels and tires. You’ll have less body roll for improved cornering, less dive for better braking, and less squat for enhanced acceleration. Lowering ride height also reduces the gap between the top of the tires and the fenders for that desirable “flush stance”. Unlike lowering springs that reduce ride height by a predetermined amount, coilovers are adjustable, so you can fine tune the height at each wheel. The way the coilover changes height varies according to design. Some use a threaded collar at the base of the spring, while on others the length of the shock body can be changed at the bottom.

Coilover sleeves, sometimes called shock-to-coilover conversion kits, are the most economical way to change ride height. The threaded sleeve and coil spring fits over the shock body or installs on the strut in place of the original spring. A locking collar can be raised or lowered on the threads to change ride height. They’re available with different rate springs and while some are proprietary and designed to be installed on the same brand’s suspension components, others allow you to use your choice of shocks or struts. Some full body coilovers incorporate this adjustment design, with the threads and collar right on the shock/strut body. The downside to this method of ride height adjustment is that ride height adjustment and spring preload can’t be adjusted independently.

Full-bodied coilovers replace the entire factory strut or shock absorber. Full-bodied coilovers with threaded lower mounts are the best way to change ride height. The lower mount rotates up or down on the threads, and is then locked in place with a locknut, without disturbing spring preload. Spring preload on these units is adjusted separately using the same type threaded collar and locknut system. Our coilovers come in monotube and twin-tube designs, and are available with and without coil springs. We offer coilovers to replace air suspension units, and for select coilovers and applications we have electronic control modules that allow damping to be adjusted from inside the cabin or be automatically adjusted in response to sensor input.

In addition to the above, we also offer coil springs, dust boots, and mounts and hardware for coilovers. When coilovers are replacing shock absorbers, the mounts often have to be beefed up because now the vehicle is also being supported at those locations. These mounts usually come with the coilovers but we also offer an assortment of vehicle specific and universal mounts for custom installations. And if you want even greater responsiveness and better feel when driving, choose pillow ball upper mounts instead of conventional rubber bushing mounts. Pillow ball mounts have metal spherical bearings, eliminating the deflection inherent in rubber. Many coilovers come standard with these mounts but if you want to upgrade we have an extensive selection including mounts that allow camber adjustment.