What is a sports suspension?

Recently, you are increasingly thinking about whether to replace the standard suspension of your car with a sports one. Want to know what is the difference between the two pendants and does it make sense to make this change?

Is there a difference between standard and sports suspension?

As drivers and owners of cars, you are fully aware that the task of the suspension is to provide you with greater comfort and safety when driving, to create the greatest possible connection between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, absorbing all vibrations that could create discomfort while driving.

The usual suspension that you now use in your car provides smooth, comfortable and very soft movement, regardless of whether you are driving in an urban environment, on a highway or on lower-class roads.

The sport suspension, on the other hand, isn't designed to handle all the bumps in the road and isn't as comfortable and comfortable as the standard one, but its purpose is not to make the ride comfortable. This suspension is for those of you who want to "feel" the road a little better.

This type of suspension is designed to provide better handling and better feel on the road with a lower center of gravity for more exciting driving.

Or, to put it a little clearer ... There is a difference between the two types of suspension, and this is that with a standard suspension you get excellent comfort while driving, while with a sports suspension, steering stability and the ability to develop higher speeds due to less comfort while driving.

Sports suspension elements

What distinguishes the sport from the usual suspension is a lower ground clearance and special settings for the springs and shock absorbers, in other words, the big difference is in the springs and shock absorbers.

Unlike the standard suspension, the sport springs have been modified to be shorter and with less travel so they can respond to lower vehicle heights. Due to the shorter travel of the sports suspension springs, they are thicker, which makes them stiffer than conventional ones.

The shock absorbers on this suspension are also shorter, which provides a lower damping path. The combination of springs and shock absorbers in a sports suspension is very important, so this type of suspension usually uses adjustable shock absorbers (Coilover).

What is a Coilover?

This is the name of the adjustable shock absorber strut, which allows you to change the stiffness of the shock absorbers and the ride height. In fact, the coil acts as an adjustable suspension, and in it the shock absorber and spring are a one-component device, which is installed instead of standard parts.

There are currently two types of coilovers in use in sports suspension – partial and one-piece kits.

The first type includes the modification of standard shock absorbers by installing spring-loaded screw threads on them. The disadvantage of this type is that standard shock absorbers cannot always withstand the load of a sports suspension, and instead of tuning your car and making it more sporty and therefore faster, you risk damaging the shock absorbers and impairing driving.

The second type is a complete set of coilovers, completely ready for installation. Complete coilovers are not only much more reliable, but their installation only requires removing the old elements from the car, and the coilover must be installed in their place.

Depending on the settings, Coilover is divided into several types:

Threaded shock absorbers
This type of coilovers is most in demand, but not because of their technical characteristics or qualities, but because of their low price. The truth is that from a technical point of view this view is not suitable for anything but to change the height of the lumen.

Simplified coilovers with stiffening function
This type is a bit more expensive than the first one, and they allow you to adjust the stiffness, but only depending on the clearance setting. The advantage of this type of Coilover is that it can be installed on many car models.

DGR
This type adjusts ride height, suspension stiffness and spring tension. This is the most flexible sports suspension possible.

Professional Coilover
They have exceptional technical specifications, but their price is so high that they are used only in racing cars.

In addition to springs and shock absorbers, components of the sports suspension also include: polyurethane inserts, a stabilizer, kits for increasing ground clearance, hardness testers and much more.

Speaking of sports suspension, we note that this suspension is not the same for different driving styles.

Depending on your driving style, you can choose a sports suspension for drifting, for rallying, for short or long races, and others.

For example, when drifting, in order to enter and exit the corner without losing speed, the necessary sports suspension must be distinguished by increased stiffness, adjustable clearance and adjustable damping.

The sports suspension for a rally on an uneven surface should be equipped with shock absorbers in a steel body with an elongated barrel. Shock absorbers allow you to adjust the degree of damping, and ground clearance can be increased by 70 mm. or reduce by 20 mm.

For racing tracks (ring races), adjustable shock absorbers with a stiffness of up to 36 degrees are usually installed. The clearance is adjusted using coilovers.

Pros and cons of sports suspension

It should be noted that this type of suspension has a number of advantages, some of which are:

• moving the car's weight down, which increases its stability;
• the ability to automatically adjust the height of the car, the distance between the wheels and the stiffness of the shock absorbers;
• improved car handling;
• the ability to increase speed while driving;
• guaranteed cornering stability.

Of course, this suspension has quite a few drawbacks, such as:

• high costs for the purchase, installation and maintenance;
• the need for a professional tuning service where a sports suspension should be installed;
• reduced driving comfort;
• short service life;
• frequent damage and, accordingly, necessary repairs, which are associated with significant additional costs.

Is it possible to install sports suspension on all models and brands of cars?

If you decide to install a sports suspension on your car, it is recommended that you look for information about whether your model and make of car is suitable for such a suspension before searching for a sports suspension.

This suspension is suitable for models of sports cars that come from the factory with the factory settings for sports suspension, but if you do not have a similar model, contact the tuning service and they will provide you with the most complete information on whether they can change the suspension to sports, and what kind of suspension kit your car needs.

This type of suspension is usually not suitable for family cars, as it is assumed that the whole family will drive such cars, and sports suspension cannot provide the necessary comfort for passengers.

In custody…

Sports suspension is preferred by a large number of drivers, as it guarantees them better handling, higher speed and more thrill.

If you also want to radically change how your car behaves on the road, in order to ensure your safety, have control in all situations and at the same time feel the road more firmly under you, then the sports suspension is a very good solution. Because the modern sports suspension is the assembly that creates the perfect match between the carrier structure, wheels and axles in a car.

One of the main goals of sports suspension is the correct distribution of all strokes on the supporting structure of the car. Tuning a sports suspension can significantly increase the life of your car, improve its aerodynamic characteristics, increase the stability of the car when driving at high speeds and when cornering.

The latest generation sports suspension combines performance, durability and high reliability. As soon as you set up your car, you will notice a significant improvement in the behavior of your car, you will be able to better control it in the corners, and you will feel more confident and like a real racer behind the wheel. The only thing you should not forget is that you are still driving along the road and not along the race track, and you should take this into account.

A few practical tips

If you decide to install a sports suspension on your car, choose a suspension from manufacturers who are sure to offer high quality suspension. Such manufacturers are Reiger, Ohlins, EXE-TC, KW, AST, KONI, TEIN, Proflex and others.

Before deciding to change the suspension, make your choice carefully, as, as we have already mentioned, there is a sports suspension designed for city driving, rally, drift, racing, etc.

Do not forget about the settings that need to be done on the suspension. The effectiveness of a sports suspension depends on the correct settings.

Do not try to customize your car yourself, as the likelihood of a failure or error during installation is quite high. Instead of taking it alone or with friends, choose a tuning company that you can trust to save not only time, but also a lot of nerves.

Do not overdo the configuration. Even the smallest changes in the suspension will have a positive impact on driving your car and bring you the satisfaction you expect from a sports suspension.

Should I replace a conventional suspension with a sports one?

Only you can answer this question. You can make sure that both types of suspension have their own advantages and disadvantages and are suitable for different driving styles.

If you like small sports cars and want to develop higher speeds, a sports suspension is useful to you, but if you have a family and you drive a family car, then the standard suspension will provide you with the comfort and stability that you need.

Questions and answers:

What is the difference between a sports suspension and a regular suspension? In the sports suspension, in comparison with the classic suspension, there are stiff damping elements, so that the car remains stable at high speed and does not have unwanted rolls.

What kind of suspension do rally cars have? A shock absorber with a remote reservoir of working fluid (does not overheat) springs of medium hardness, since the shock absorber has a hard gas backpressure. The transverse stabilizer is selected depending on the road and weather.