Auto Racing: Struts, Shocks, and Coilovers, shock systems, shocks and struts

Question
Dear Mr. Dains,
 I haven't really gotten a real answer as to what shocks, struts, and coilovers really do, secondly, which of the three are really the best choice? I know that coilovers are adjustable with ride height and are more expensive, but what about shocks and struts? Are they better than coilovers?

Answer
Shocks and struts are completely different. Shocks are typically outside of the coil spring assembly, while struts are inside of the coil spring assembly. As far as what they do, they absorb impacts from driving (dips/bumps in the road) and make the car stable. If you where to just drive around on springs and hit a large bump your car would be extremely dangerous as the spring would not absorb the impact and bounce all over the place. All newer passenger cars use strut assemblies as far as I know. Shock systems my still be in use on trucks and heavier applications, but I am not sure. A coil-over unit is essentially an adjustable height strut, and for performance suspension applications, typically your best bet. Be aware that there are coil over "sleeves" that can be installed on any strut, these are typically garbage. Any good set of coil-overs will run in the neighborhood of $700 and more. There are good replacement struts out there as well. Which will not cost as much, but are not adjustable.