Coilovers are an adjustable version of the familiar spring-and-shock arrangement found in most cars. Unlike most cars, where the performance is set from the factory and is designed to accommodate a wide range of expected road conditions, coilovers allow drivers to fine-tune their car's response to the road.
Improved handling and performance
Coilover suspension improves handling and performance in several ways. For example, coilover suspension can help distribute weight more evenly across the vehicle, improving overall balance and stability. This is particularly important during high-speed cornering, where weight distribution can greatly affect the vehicle's handling.
It is also designed to reduce body roll, which is the side-to-side motion of the vehicle during cornering. By minimising body roll, the suspension can keep the vehicle more stable and better in control.
Additionally, coilovers provide more precise control over the vehicle's movements than traditional suspension systems. This is because the spring and shock absorber are designed to work together, providing more consistent and predictable suspension behaviour.
Coilover suspension can also improve the vehicle's grip on the road, particularly during cornering. This is because the suspension is better able to maintain contact with the road surface, ensuring that the tires stay in contact with the ground.
Customisable ride height and stiffness
Coilover suspension improves ride height and stiffness by allowing for easy adjustment of the height and stiffness of the vehicle's suspension system. The compression or extension of the spring wrapped around the shock absorber determines the ride height, while its stiffness determines the suspension's firmness.
To adjust the ride height, the coilover system allows you to change the height of the threaded sleeve that sits on the shock absorber. By rotating the sleeve up or down, you can adjust the position of the spring and thereby raise or lower the ride height of the vehicle.
To adjust the stiffness of the suspension, you can adjust the preload on the spring. This involves compressing or expanding the spring before installation to set the initial load. By increasing or decreasing the preload, you can make the suspension softer or stiffer.
These adjustments allow you to customise your vehicle's suspension to your specific performance needs.
However, it is important to note that these adjustments can affect the vehicle's handling and should be done carefully and with proper knowledge of how they will impact the vehicle's performance.
Better control and stability during cornering
Coilover suspension improves control and stability during cornering by providing better weight transfer and reducing body roll.
During cornering, a vehicle's weight shifts towards the outside of the turn, which can cause the inside wheels to lift off the ground, reducing traction and stability. Coilover suspension helps to counteract this by providing a stiffer and more responsive suspension, which helps to keep the wheels in contact with the road surface. This improves traction and stability, allowing the driver to maintain better control of the vehicle through corners.
In addition, coilover suspension also helps to reduce body roll, which is the tendency of a vehicle's body to lean to one side during cornering. This is because the stiffer springs and dampers in a coilover suspension system are better able to resist the forces that cause body roll, resulting in a flatter and more stable ride through corners.
Vehicle appearance
Coilover suspension can enhance the appearance of a vehicle by providing greater control over ride height, which can make the car look more aggressive and sporty, and by allowing for improved wheel fitment for the installation of wider wheels and tires, which can make the car look more custom and performance-oriented.