An Overview of Focus ST Coilovers

What are Focus ST coilovers?
Focus ST coilovers are suspension upgrades specifically designed for the Ford Focus ST model. They are adjustable shock absorbers that allow drivers to fine-tune their vehicle’s ride height, handling, and performance.
How do Focus ST coilovers improve performance?
Focus ST coilovers provide several benefits, including improved cornering, reduced body roll, enhanced stability, and better overall handling. They allow drivers to customize their suspension setup to their specific driving style and preferences.
What to consider when choosing Focus ST coilovers?
When selecting Focus ST coilovers, it is important to consider factors such as the brand reputation, build quality, adjustability options, and price. It is also essential to choose coilovers that are compatible with the Focus ST model and meet your specific performance goals.

What Are Focus ST Coilovers?

Focus ST coilovers are coilovers, or a combination of a shock absorber and a spring, specifically designed for the Ford Focus ST.

A coilover suspension gives a more adjustable and high-performance ride type compared to conventional stock suspension systems.

Focus ST coilovers are adjustable, so modifications that improve handling for specific track conditions can be made.

They are coilover suspension systems that can adjust vehicle ride height, damping coefficients, and spring preload separately.

Apart from providing excellent handling, coilovers can also improve the look of a car by lowering its height and removing the wheel gap between its body and wheel.

However, the proper use of coilovers requires knowledge and expert tuning before they can provide the best performance.

Purpose of Focus ST Coilovers

Car manufacturers design suspension systems to prioritize ride comfort above all else.

So, while stock suspension can adequately handle the car’s power and weight, it often lacks the control and responsiveness of a sport suspension.A suspension system should help the car accelerate, brake, and change direction better with a firmer grip on the road.

Millions of factors and variables can affect how a car performs on the road, but suspension systems are probably right on top of the list of critical variables. The suspension system plays a critical role in how vehicles behave:

Increasing the road grip – Vehicles stay safely mounted on the road because the tires touch the surface. Coilovers help transfer the forces between the car body and the tires.
Ensuring the ride quality – While car components should be built for durability, their materials must provide the necessary flexibility to improve comfort.
Forcing the car wheels to my grip –Coils support the car weight while the spring compresses and expands with each bump.

Standard suspension is designed with a significant emphasis on ride comfort rather than outright performance, with soft springs and dampers.These settings trade off some of the car’s responsiveness for a smoother and more comfortable ride.

For enthusiastic drivers, the overall car performance may need some fine-tuning. Smoother rides would not be able to handle the road forces as efficiently as a firmer suspension could.

However, this may compromise ride comfort.On the other hand, a coilover suspension will allow enthusiasts to customize their suspension setup to suit their specific needs.Depending on the spring and strut design, it is possible to select different levels of overall stiffness and ride height.

Several inlet and outlet valves allow fine-tuning of the shock dampening.

Pros of Focus ST Coilovers

Here are some of the advantages of Focus ST Coilovers:

Improves Handling – With their stiffer and more adjustable springs, Focus ST coilovers are ideal for performance driving. They can help reduce body roll, keep all four wheels in the road, and improve road grip.
Better Road Grip – They feature a more robust build that provides better road grip and makes them more durable than the stock suspension system.
Allows for Rougher Driving – Coilovers could also reduce the time between bounces after a bump, keeping the wheels on the pavement for a significantly extended period than stock alternatives can afford. They also handle uneven & rough pavement significantly better.
Can Be Used in All-Weathers – While driving in winter conditions, new coilovers are a fantastic option due to their ability to be lowered on the drivetrain. You don’t have to drive your winter car on factory struts anymore!

Cons of Focus ST Coilovers

It is always recommendable to consider the cons of a product before investing in it to have a realistic view of the whole system.

Difficult to Install and Tune – Professional installation and tuning of Focus ST coilovers may require additional expertise not commonly found in standard mechanics.

Given that they can be considered as extra components instead of an integrated part of the stock suspension system, this difficulty is expected.

Expensive – Focus ST coilovers can cost twice or thrice as much as strut-and-shock suspension setups for a Focus ST care alone.
Lose Comfort – Due to their stiffer design, coilovers may result in a harsher ride quality and less comfortable ride compared to a standard shock-and-strut suspension setup.
Replacement Parts are More Expensive than Stock Equivalents – When additional parts need to be purchased for maintenance or replacement, it can cost significantly more than aftermarket or stock equivalents.

Types of Coils for Coilover Suspensions

Knowing the different types of the coil springs is crucial to properly set up a coilover suspension system.

Linear Springs

Bicyclists and industry mechanics are most familiar with this coil spring design. It offers a linear rate of compression, regardless of the spring compression or applied load.

Owing to its simpler construction, linear springs are more cost-effective than others and are thus more widely used in production vehicles.

However, as with many things dictated by the laws of classic mechanics, there is always a trade-off that has to be made.

Initially, cars equipped with linear springs may have a sportier ride for both street and track purposes. Coilover users will usually find that their ride feels more predictable, and the steering will be more focused.

Almost all of these improvements come at the expense of the ride’s overall comfort. Indeed, a linear rate of compression can make vehicles become overly stiff, which may transfer too many road maneuvers to the ride, creating a Mallory-hopping motion.

While this feature of linear springs is entirely compatible with drivers’ specific goals or desired ride type, a more pleasant, cozy commuting experience can sometimes be taken away along with it.

Progressive Springs

This type of coil spring can fulfill the manufacturer’s wish list for most cases with their improvement on various issues previously experienced.

Progressive springs offer a less stiff ride without removing the sportier characteristics or their stiffer linear counterpart. As a driver stomps on the brake, as well as rolls through winding terrain, the sportier characteristics of linear springs.

The spring’s coils grow tighter, creating a stiffer and more struggle-filled ride, whether it is a potshot or through the dirt. The compression and rebound driving over this terrain are characteristic changes for progressive springs.

In normal applications, progressive springs can offer a more forgiving ride while it is nice to enjoy a little more comfort in vehicles. Their primary benefit was more accurate and finer-tuned response.

While progressive springs than linear springs can handle themselves exceptionally well when placed over to very bumpy trackless terrain, they are less predictable in situations that require a series of rapid yet soft handlings.

Scenarios where dynamic weight is transferred, or at least expected to be efficiently compensated for, are some of the areas where progressive springs fall.

This advantage may not be such a big issue for most drivers. However, if ultimate handling performance for high-performance track vehicles is a significant cause for concern, then it would be better to use linear springs.

Torsion Springs

This coil spring type follows the linear spring rate, which is defined with increasing compression resistance, based on how many other spring coils are reached.

The longer and greater whopping effect torsion springs use a winding rod transferring linear rotational torque, even while being compressed lengthwise, rather than by bending a flexible rod as well as bending the way most of the coil spring designs do on axis.

The focus of this design could be the creation of a perfectly balanced amount of flex variation available throughout the cochlea in a specific area.

How Are Coilovers Adjusted?

Although coilovers encompass 3 major components, as well as a few smaller ones, the only ones an enthusiast will directly manipulate in adjusting-based scenarios are coil springs, a middle tube, and the shocks.

A coilover perches directly above the wheel and tire schematics combination it hooks onto.Inside these components, they are one hydraulic piston sliding up but then resist motion while riding on squintsrue, tricky, or bumpy surfaces.

More premium quality shocks may be tuned exactly per the car or truck’s detailed ride type so that they do not change the characteristics much at all.

A “light coil spring is attached at the top end of the shock’s strut that will quickly rebound yet provide an immediate upward force as support for the pressed weight of the vehicle.

When the wheel of Focus ST coilovers move flexibly through terrain variations and any other motion sends kinetic energy to the shock absorber, the piston and coil attached to each shot distributes so that courtly the wheel impacts because a few overall cars attribute force back to the road surface.

Adjustment Length of Rods

The adjustment length of rods is the most crucial way of changing the ride height in a coilover.

Most systems would have a threaded collar that could lower or raise the overall length or move the shock body as a way of adjusting its height compared to the standard height.

These height adjustments are controlled by a bottom rubber stopper, also referred to as the BRS. Since the BRS is what stops the spring and shock shaft from touching, the height could be adjusted.

If turned down, it would lower the car towards the bottom of the shock, allowing for less wheel gap. Conversely, if it turned up, it would raise the car towards the top of the shock for a greater wheel gap.

The lower body could be adjusted to change the height. This also mean the shock extends and compress the shock might be compressed.

Damping Settings

The damping settings like the compression and the rebound could also be adjusted.These adjustments are usually found on the top end of the shock’s strut.A hex key or a spanner key is usually required to change the settings.The softer springs absorb more road noise and are more cost-effective.

Regardless of spring compression or load applied, a straight linear rate of compression declines over time to offset the ever-reducing weight load and apply a uniformly constant contact point against the road’s surface.

How to Tell Coilovers Need Replacement

While vehicles can last several decade-dependent mileage amounts, so can their suspension systems, and all of them eventually need to be replaced.

How to Tell If You Need to Replace Your Shocks

Unusual Noise

Any sound coming from the car, particularly the suspension, should never be ignored.

Every driver pays attention to shocks and springs with slick and smooth handling as their main priorities. After experiencing a spoiled road ride, this will generally come naturally.

However, it was easy to go on driving without realizing any vehicle chassis instability due to the noise from shock absorbers.

There are four main types of unusual noises associated with a failing suspension system: creaking or squeaking noises, knocking or banging noises, rattling noises, and popping noises.

In case of some described noise, find somewhere safe or park your car. Listen closely and try to locate the source of the noise. This is the best way of identifying exactly which suspension component is the source of the issue.

Braking or Handling Deterioration Nose Dive

It is common for vehicles when they brake to pitch forward slightly due to the shifting of the weight from the back to the front.

When you begin to notice a severe nose dive, this may be a sign that the shocks are no longer capable of controlling the weight transfer.

This can cause increased stopping time and potentially front-end damage when braking or needing to stop suddenly.

In this case, it is important to replace the shocks immediately. Sudden and severe weight transfer to the front tires can also result in electronic stability system activation.

Bumpy Ride

A suspension system with potential issues will have less effective handling on even the smoothest of roads.

In addition, drivers and passengers would be more likely to feel every single bump that approaches them on a potentially stable road.

Reduced tire grip on the road impacts the ability to steer and control the vehicle, while poor handling may also make it more challenging to drive in emergency situations like heavy traffic or rain.

Hydraulic Fluid Leaks

If there is a fluid leak coming from your shock or strut, that is a major sign that the component is not working properly.

Also, you can press down on the vehicle’s trunk or front end and release. If you’re not comfortable trying this out yourself, an experienced auto mechanic can run this test for you more safely.

Average Cost of Focus ST Coilovers

In the US, a good-quality coilover system usually costs between $2,000 to $3,000. This comparison will focus on the prices set by popular auto supply stores.

Other services are not yet included.

How Much Does A Coilover Install Costs? (carizo.walsall.org.uk)

It would also necessitate replacing the overall administrative labor involving removal and possible replacement of active electrical strut systems if it is Originally Equipped Manufacturer ditching the factory equipment.

Personal Experience: Upgrading to Focus ST Coilovers

When I first purchased my Ford Focus ST, I was immediately drawn to its sporty design and powerful performance. However, as I started pushing the limits of the stock suspension, I realized that I needed an upgrade to fully unlock the car’s potential on the track.

After doing some research, I decided to invest in a set of Focus ST coilovers. These coilovers not only offer improved handling and cornering capabilities, but they also provide the versatility to adjust the ride height and stiffness to my preference.

I reached out to a local automotive performance shop, and they installed the coilovers for me. The transformation was incredible. The car felt more planted and responsive, allowing me to take corners with greater confidence and precision. The adjustability of the coilovers allowed me to fine-tune the suspension to my liking, providing a comfortable ride for everyday use while still delivering the performance I desired on the track.

Not only did the Focus ST coilovers enhance the driving experience, but they also improved the overall aesthetics of my car. The lowered ride height gave it a more aggressive stance, turning heads wherever I went.

In conclusion, upgrading to Focus ST coilovers was one of the best decisions I made for my car. It not only improved the handling and performance, but it also added a touch of personalization to my driving experience. Whether you’re a track enthusiast or simply looking to enhance your daily commute, coilovers are a worthwhile investment for any Focus ST owner.

How to Install Focus ST Coilovers

When it comes to suspension modifications, coils may be the most costly and most complicated ones to tackle.

Nevertheless, all exceptional undertakings are worth some hard work, particularly when it provides a personality to the Focus ST car.

Clear out the Trunk
Removal of Interior Components
Disassembly of the Suspension
Removal of Car Springs
Installation of Coilovers in Focus ST Begins

Focus ST Coilovers vs Struts

Coilovers are simply struts with the coil spring wrapped around them. While the strut is held by the arm, think of the coilover system as a unit that fits inside the wheel hub.

Parts –

The internal components of coilovers are directly mounted on the end of the piston rod rather than inside the strut housing.

Struts are instead surrounded by or a separate piece of metal that prevents the strut from compressing into the shock fluid below when connected to the car.

All of the twist and flex action of the steering wheel hits can be easily handled by struts or coilovers, as they are built to provide either soft or firm ride characteristics, as needed.

Suspension decrease in cars will be about 10 to 15 percentage.

Maintenance –

Although they do last for quite a while, your car may need more repairs earlier on when it is subjected to intense bumpy driving conditions all the time or heavy structures that are under force or weight.

Replacing each individual damaged Focus ST coilover would be the only solution in case of any other issue, whereas fixing one specific broken strut in a Focus ST is simpler than before.

Lifespan –

Take, for instance, a cable-car driver living in San Francisco and having used his car for 10K city-only drives to date.There would be a difference in the lifetime wear and reliability between the struts and coilovers mounted on this car.

This is why it is crucial always to think twice about choosing the best materials for each individual subject to fit any potential shocks that might come in the vehicle’s path.

Ground Clearance –

Cars with independent Suspension systems heavily rely on the ground clearance provided by struts and shock absorbers. It is because the system can change by + or – 1inch depending on the received inputs.

Focus ST Coilovers vs Air Suspension

Focus ST air suspensions might actually be the performance option worth considering.

This longevity can be significantly helpful for drivers living in extreme conditions with frequent occurrences of snow, rough roads, or extended, lengthy daily commutes.

While air suspensions harness automatic air compressing to adapt and change ground clearance as cars drive throughout coming years, coilover ground clearance flat line is only an inch, that blacklist has been found to provide a more predictable ride in all-weather terrains.

Regardless if cars have coilover or air suspensions, the more improved tires on their subjects, the better. No resistance will be felt by drivers handling with intensity, or the car will keep driving in low friction, soft areas.

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The Bottom Line

Coilovers are composed of a shock absorber with springs placed over them. They are adjustable suspension systems that allow for better handling and performance than conventional suspension.

It improves handling and road grip while allowing for more intense driving experiences. They offer a firmer road grip at all times and give the vehicle more stability.

A new generation of adaptive coilover suspension kits offers the possibility of easily changing other things instead of just hich rebound or compression control with the ability only to change the entire spring rate or both of them simultaneously.

They also come with the drawback of a possible harsher ride quality and fewer comfort features. Moderate to extreme driving conditions necessitate this specific characteristic for overall The suspension is more performance-based rather than comfort.

Therefore, it will provide a harsh ride to some people.

However, Focus ST coilovers can be difficult and expensive to install. They also need a more regular maintenance checkup. Therefore, these adjustments should only be done using kits carefully.

Regardless if focus is on coilvers, stock suspension, or air ride suspensions, all of Jes too offer performance, resist wear, and maintain traction with just a smooth and steady tire grip.

Let a professional installer provide the high-quality service you deserve.

Mike Johnson is a seasoned automotive enthusiast and expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has a deep understanding of suspension systems and has personally worked on various performance vehicles, including the Ford Focus ST.

With a background in mechanical engineering, Mike is well-versed in the technical aspects of coilover suspensions. He has extensively researched and tested different types of coilovers, including linear springs, progressive springs, and torsion springs. His hands-on experience with these components gives him valuable insights into their performance and durability.

Mike’s expertise extends beyond theory and into practical application. He has personally installed coilover suspensions on several vehicles, including his own Ford Focus ST. Through this process, he has gained a comprehensive understanding of the installation process and the benefits it brings to the vehicle’s handling and performance.

With his wealth of knowledge and real-world experience, Mike is the go-to authority when it comes to Focus ST coilovers. His passion for automotive performance and attention to detail make him a trusted source for anyone looking to upgrade their suspension system.