Off Road Coilover
Offroad Coilovers are shock absorbers with one or multiple coil springs wrapped around the shock so that it supports the weight of the vehicle and dampens the suspension to help control the spring. It is made up of a shock absorber with a coil spring encircling it. The shock absorber and coil spring are assembled as a unit before installation. When the shock absorber has leaked, they need to be replaced as a unit also. Coilovers should never be confused with struts or independently mounted shock absorbers.
The benefit of an offroad coilover shock is that it can be adjusted to achieve the best working suspension over any terrain. Offroad coilovers offer you more adjustment in ride height, quality, shock valving, and spring rates than all other suspensions. An offroad coilover is basically a cylinder filled with oil and an inner shaft with a piston that moves up and down with the body. Because the piston has small holes and extremely thin washers, it allows the oil to flow through it easily. Most of these shocks are nitrogen charged in addition to the shock oil and the nitrogen applies pressure to the oil to help feed it through the piston and prevent the vacuum formed by the movement of the oil.
There are two major kinds of offroad coilovers. An emulsion shock is when the nitrogen charge is in the same place as the oil and then there is a dividing piston shock which is when the nitrogen is separated from the oil by a floating piston. Most four-wheelers looking for a slow speed will find an emulsion shock to be satisfactory but for high speed you should go with IFP shocks since the nitrogen and oil are less likely to combine and foam under extreme use.
Offroad coilovers have grown in popularity among four-wheelers, rockcrawlers, and mud-boggers in the last decade because off-roading has become a well-known sport of sorts. Offroad coilover shocks are easy to mount. They are much easier than a coil or leaf spring suspension, which requires separate mounts for the leaves and shocks. Coilover shocks just need an axle and a chassis mounting point. But with the easier mounting comes a higher cost. Offroad coilovers are more expensive than separate coil and shock suspensions. On average, a coilover with a set of two coil springs ranges between $400 and $500 per corner. If you do the math, you end up spending about $2,000 just for the shocks and coils. Then you have the materials that are needed to locate the axles, the brackets for mounting the shocks, and other aspects to add into the cost.
Why are offroad coilovers so expensive? Look at the performance of the suspension. You will realize why and probably even realize that it is worth it for the true off-roader. Where the leaf-sprung suspension has friction, noise, and inconsistent performance to deal with, offroad coilovers give you adjustability, little to no axle-wrap, and a smooth ride over the harshest terrains.
If you are going to pay a high price for offroad coilovers, you want your money's worth and choosing the best manufacturer is extremely important. You will find a lot of manufacturers and suspension components on the market nowadays that you can choose from and each of these manufacturers are sure to offer you the best quality and durability for your vehicle. Take your time to research all companies that offer the type of offroad coilovers that you want. Make sure you purchase from a manufacturer that has gained the trust of its consumers. If you are serious about off-roading, you may want to look into offroad coilovers to smoothen your ride and enhance your vehicle's performance. Although they may not be for everyone, they are a great option to consider.