What Is a Strut?

People talking about vehicle suspensions often refer to “shocks and struts.” Hearing this, you may have wondered just what a strut is, whether it’s the same as a shock, and whether you need to worry about your car’s or truck’s struts.

The first thing to understand about a strut is that it’s one component of a vehicle’s suspension — the system of parts that connects the wheels to the rest of the vehicle. The three major functions of any vehicle’s suspension are to:

  • Support the vehicle

  • Absorb impacts from bumps, potholes, and other road irregularities

  • Allow the vehicle to turn in response to the driver’s inputs. (The steering system can be considered part of the suspension, or its own system, but either way the suspension has to allow for movement of the wheels as the vehicle turns).

It turns out that unlike most other components of the suspension, the strut is usually involved in all three of these functions.

What's in a strut

A complete strut assembly is a combination of two main parts: a spring and a shock absorber. (Sometimes the term strut refers to the shock absorber portion only, but other times the term is used to denote the entire assembly including the spring). The spring, which is almost always a coil spring (in other words, one shaped like a spiral), supports the weight of the vehicle and absorbs large bumps. The shock absorber, which is fitted either above, below, or right down the middle of the coil spring, also supports some or all of the vehicle’s weight but its main function is the same as that of any shock absorber, namely to dampen vibrations. (Despite its name, a shock absorber doesn’t absorb shock directly — that’s the job of the spring — rather, it stops the vehicle from bouncing up and down after a bump). Because of its weight-bearing design, a strut has to be much stronger than a normal shock absorber.

Do all vehicles have struts?

Not all cars and trucks have struts; many suspension designs use separate springs and shock absorbers, with the shocks supporting no weight. Also, some cars use struts only on one pair of wheels, usually the fronts, while the other pair employs a different design using separate springs and shocks. When a car has struts on the front wheels only they are usually MacPherson struts, which are struts that are also considered part of the steering system because the wheels pivot around them.

Why do some vehicles use struts while others have separate springs and shocks? The specifics are complicated but for the most part it comes down to a trade-off between simplicity and initial cost (advantage: struts) and handling and performance (advantage: certain suspension designs without struts ... usually). But there are exceptions to these patterns; for example, most sports cars employ what’s called a “double wishbone” suspension, which uses shock absorbers rather than struts, but the Porsche 911, which is arguably the quintessential sports car, uses struts.

How to maintain your struts

What else does a vehicle owner need to know about struts? Not too much. Whether your car has struts or shock absorbers you’ll want to have them inspected periodically for leaks or other damage. One difference is that when they do wear out, struts are more expensive to replace, but there’s nothing a driver can do about that. Regardless of what suspension system your car has, be sure to have it inspected regularly — every oil change or alignment, or every 5,000 miles or so is fine.


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Sebastian

6 years of experience
254 reviews
Sebastian
6 years of experience
Jeep Grand Cherokee V8-5.7L - Strut Assembly Replacement (Front) - West Palm Beach, Florida
He's a super mechanic and very thorough in the task he's working on. He also takes a interest in the job.
BMW X3 - Strut Assembly Replacement (Front) - North Palm Beach, Florida
Sebastian was professional, knowledgeable, and gave me great advice on my vehicle! After he finished, he did a total inspection and went over the work he completed on my vehicle.

Chris

19 years of experience
600 reviews
Chris
19 years of experience
Chevrolet Tahoe V8-5.3L - Strut Assembly Replacement (Front) - Allen, Texas
Showed up on time and fixed the car for exactly price quoted! Rides like new and will use again/recommend to anyone !

Scott

39 years of experience
607 reviews
Scott
39 years of experience
Jeep Grand Cherokee V8-5.7L - Strut Assembly Replacement (Front) - Westminster, Colorado
Scott was great to deal with on this project. He was early, communicative, friendly, and treated my Jeep like it was his own. This is the second job that he has done on it and I’ll let him do a third one if needed.

RYAN

6 years of experience
103 reviews
RYAN
6 years of experience
Ford Edge V6-3.7L - Strut Assembly Replacement (Front) - San Antonio, Texas
Best mechanic I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking to. Mr Ryan is knowledgeable and very very honest . Hell make sure you get what’s worth your money.

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