Auto Repair Encyclopedia
Front Suspension Strut
A suspension strut (also known as MacPherson suspension) is commonly-used and has a replaceable insert—the shock absorber.
Mechanics' Corner: More Technical Detail
The front strut, as part of the MacPherson strut design, is standard today. Simple, compact, and easily serviced, it integrates the coil spring, shock absorber, and chassis attachment into a single component.
The key feature of this design is the location and mounting of the coil spring over the shock absorber. This single unit then becomes the major suspension component, comprising the strut itself. By design, it eliminates the upper control arm, simplifies the lower control arm, and in many cases, allows for a more economical track arm in its place. The separate coil spring, shock absorber, and ball joint mountings are now integrated into the strut. The strut design has proven to be adaptable to utilitarian or high performance applications.
