MR POPULAR
E
VERYWHERE you look, custom
4x4s are popping up with coil-over
front suspension arrangements – in
extreme builds they’re in the rear,
too. But what do they offer over a traditional
spring-and-shock arrangement? Believe it
or not, the biggest selling point for a coil-
over in a custom application is normally
packaging.
With a traditional spring and shock you
need to make shock mounts at each end,
as well as a complicated spring seat on
the diff and chassis – it’s not fun when
you’re pushed for space as it is. A coil-
over significantly reduces the componentfootprint and allows for a few simple tabs
top and bottom for mounting.
Of course, there’s a whole host of benefits
on the performance front, too; although,
they mainly come down to tuneability rather
than any special voodoo magic. Spring rates
are easily adjustable without affecting ride
height, and with dual-rate coils you can
fine-tune the rate to work perfectly for the
application, even changing the rate part way
through the stroke. Likewise, if the shock
valving is too stiff or soft you don’t need to
bin the whole shock; just take it to a shock
tuner and have them swap out the internal
shims to suit your needs.http://www.4X4australia.com.au 757