This article will explore some powerful brands recognized for making automotive suspension systems.
How to Select a Suspension System
When selecting an automotive suspension system, some of the critical factors to consider are the following:
- Compatibility: Ensure the suspension system is compatible with your vehicle’s make and model.
- Performance: Analyze your driving style and choose a suspension system suited to your needs. For example, if you do a lot of off-road driving, you may want a suspension system with more travel and a more rugged design.
- Quality: Look for suspension systems from reputable brands that use high-quality materials and have a proven track record of reliability.
- Price: Determine your budget and look for a suspension system that offers the best value for money.
Automotive Suspension System Brands
Many brands manufacture automotive suspension systems, each offering a range of products designed for different types of vehicles and driving conditions. Some of the top car suspension brands include:
BILSTEIN
Bilstein is a German company that was founded in 1873. In the 1920s, Bilstein began producing shock absorbers for automobiles, and by the 1950s, the company had become a leading manufacturer of suspension components for both passenger and commercial vehicles. The company was one of the first to introduce gas-pressure shock absorbers, and it has continued to develop new technologies and products to meet the automotive industry’s changing needs.
Vehicles that benefit from the company’s products as original equipment, series production, or replacement parts range from performance cars like Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porche models 911, Boxter, and Cayman to luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW, Aston Martin, Lotus, Jaguar, Audi, to daily driven vehicles like Ford, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru, and Volkswagen. Today, Bilstein is a global company with a strong presence in the automotive aftermarket and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) markets. Its products are used by many of the world’s leading automakers (2).
The company also offers a variety of spring and strut products, including coil springs, leaf springs, and air springs, as well as complete suspension kits that include all of the necessary components for a full suspension overhaul.
KONI
KONI is a Dutch company that has been in business for over 150 years. They offer a range of suspension systems for passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses, as well as motorsports applications. KONI products are known for their durability and reliability and are often used in high-performance and off-road applications.
KONI has a long history of innovation in the field of suspension technology. In the 1930s, the company developed its first hydraulic shock absorber, a significant advance over the mechanical shock absorbers previously used on vehicles. In the 1940s, the company introduced its first adjustable shock absorber, allowing drivers to adjust their vehicles’ suspension to suit their driving preferences and conditions (3).
Today, KONI is a global leader in developing and producing suspension components such as shock absorbers, struts, springs, bushes, and stabilizer bars. In addition to these core suspension components, KONI manufactures a range of related products, such as mounting & repair kits and accessories.
KYB
Based in Japan, KYB is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of shock absorbers and one of the largest suppliers of OE shock absorbers to vehicle manufacturers. It also has the honor of having the world’s most significant shock absorber factory (4).
It was established in 1919 and used to manufacture hydraulic dampers only (5). However, nowadays, they offer many other products, such as struts, shock absorbers, K-Flex Coil springs, protection kits, and suspension mounting kits.
Monroe
Monroe has been a US-based well-known brand in the automotive industry for over 100 years. Founded in 1916 in Monroe, Michigan, it offers a range of suspension systems for passenger vehicles, struts, steering, shock absorbers and other suspension components (6).
Over the years, Monroe has continued to innovate and improve its products and has become a trusted and respected name in the automotive industry. Monroe is known for its high-quality suspension products, which are used on many vehicles, including cars, light trucks, SUVs, vans and severe service applications.
The company has a strong reputation for producing reliable and durable suspension systems that can withstand the rigors of everyday driving. In 2007, Monroe introduced the first ever electronically controlled air suspension system in Mercedes Benz, which proved to be a game changer. This system is still being used by Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Lexus. Top of Form
SACHS
SACHS is a German company with a long automotive industry history. It was founded in 1895 by Ernst Sachs and Karl Fichtel as a bicycle and motorcycle parts producer. In the early 20th century, the company began producing suspension components for automobiles, and it has continued to be a leading manufacturer of suspension systems for many vehicles (7).
In 2011, the company was acquired by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a leading manufacturer of automotive components. Today, SACHS is a leading brand of ZF and is known for producing high-quality suspension systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and motorcycles. SACHS’s suspension components include coil-over suspensions, air springs, modular suspension struts, shocks, and dampers.
In addition to these suspension components, SACHS produces many other automotive parts, including clutches, steering systems, and transmission components.
Gabriel
Gabriel has been a well-known American automotive brand for over 100 years. It was founded in 1907 by Joseph B. Gabriel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company offers high-performance shocks and struts for almost 96% of North American vehicles. Besides, Gabriel is one of those rare manufacturers that offer chromed piston rods as standard on their shocks and struts (8).
Gabriel products are known for their reliability and durability. It manufactures and distributes facilities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and it sells its products through a network of independent retailers and distributors worldwide.
Rancho
Rancho was founded in the 1950s by Bob and Bill Stevens in Long Beach, California. They offer a range of products for trucks, SUVs, and other 4×4 vehicles, as well as motorsports applications (9).
It is a brand of aftermarket suspension and performance products for vehicles and is owned by Tenneco, Inc., a global manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. Today, the brand is known for its rugged and durable products, which are designed to withstand the rigors of off-road driving and improve the performance of vehicles.
Eibach
Eibach is a German company that produces a wide range of high-performance suspension components for vehicles, including springs, shock absorbers, and sway bars. The company was founded in 1951 by Heinrich Eibach in Korbach, Germany (10).
Eibach began by producing springs for the automotive industry, and over the years, the company has developed a reputation for producing high-quality and innovative suspension products. The company has production plants in Europe, North America, and Asia, and it provides services to its customers in more than 80 countries through its regional partners.
H&R
H&R is a brand of aftermarket suspension components for vehicles. It is owned by H&R Special Springs, a company founded in 1971 by Werner Heine and Heinz Remmen in Hesse, Germany (11).
The company initially focused on producing high-quality springs for the automotive industry. However, it expanded its product line to provide dynamic suspension components, including coil-over, springs, cup kits, ETC electronic lowering modules, VTF adjustable lowering springs, sway bars, and shock absorbers. The company’s products are used in many vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, and motorsports applications.
Tokico
TOKICO is an important integral Hitachi Corporation, Japan’s industrial giant. Being an OE supplier, it has maintained its reputation by delivering top quality products such as gas type, oil type, gas & oil combined shock absorbers, strut, and cartridges to serve the needs of commercial vehicles, dual purpose, and passenger. In addition, it has offered a series of sports shock absorbers via Tokico Illumina, which has gained immense popularity among motorsports enthusiasts (12).
Millions of customers use the shock absorbers produced by Tokico as they are robust, solid, and reliable. Moreover, their shock absorbers also cater to driving conditions and ensure optimum comfort, drivability, and security.
Tein
Tein is a brand of aftermarket suspension components for vehicles. It is owned by Tein, Inc., a company founded in Japan in 1985. Tein initially focused on producing high-quality suspension components for the Japanese domestic market. However, the company has expanded its product line to include a wide range of suspension components for both on- and off-road vehicles (13).
Tein is also known for producing innovative and performance-oriented products such as OE-shape shock absorbers, shock absorbers for the street, OE-Equivalent springs, adjustable sway bar link rods, and several others (14).
KW
KW is a brand of aftermarket suspension components for vehicles. It was found in 1992 with the brand name KW coil over suspension. Initially, it was a private company; however, later on, it was transformed into a public company known as KW automotive GmbH. The company developed a unique suspension popularly used in Mercedes-AMG SLK 55, CLK 63, and SL 65 (15).
It introduces suspension components for both on- and off-road vehicles. In addition, KW is known for producing innovative and performance-oriented products such as height-adjustable springs, shock absorbers, and ST sport suspension.
Ohlins
Ohlins is a brand of high-performance suspension components for vehicles. It is owned by Ohlins Racing AB, a company founded in 1976 in Sweden by Kenth Ohlin (16).
Ohlins initially focused on producing high-quality suspension components for the motorsports industry. However, the company has extended its product line to include a wide range of suspension components for both on- and off-road vehicles.
Ohlins has introduced its suspension system in various car models, including Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ford, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, and many others (17).
Air Lift
Air Lift is a company that manufactures aftermarket suspension components for almost all types of vehicles. It was founded in 1949 in Lansing, Michigan, United States. Its products include air springs, struts, air compressors, and air management systems. These systems allow you to adjust the height of your vehicle and improve its ride comfort and handling (18).
Arnott
Arnott Inc. is a company that designs and manufactures aftermarket suspension products for a variety of vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. The company was founded in 1989 by Arnott in his garage in Merritt Island, Florida. It currently offers 450 products that fulfill 800 applications. Remanufactured OE air struts, magnetic shocks, new air struts, air springs, coil spring conversion kits, and ride height sensors are some of the company’s product lines (19).
In addition to its suspension products, Arnott also offers a range of accessories, such as compressor kits and airline fittings, as well as repair and maintenance services for its products. The company operates a network of authorized dealers and distributors in the United States and worldwide.
Dorman
Dorman is a US-based aftermarket automotive parts brand founded by Jack and Lew Dorman in 1918. Dorman was initially dedicated to producing automotive replacement parts, such as oil pans and exhaust manifolds, and expanded its product line to include a wide range of automotive parts and accessories (20).
In terms of suspension parts, the company produces replacement components for active suspensions, quality ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links, and control arms. In addition, the company also produces engine management products, brakes, steering, and many other automotive parts (21).
FABTECH
FABTECH is a brand of aftermarket suspension components for vehicles. FABTECH Motorsports own it, founded more than 25 years ago in Chino, California, United States (22).
Initially, a company focused on producing high-performance suspension components for the off-road market. However, over time, the company has expanded its product line to include a wide range of suspension components for both on- and off-road vehicles.
A-Arm Coilovers, A-Arm Torsion Bars, A-Arm Coil Springs, Radius Arm Solid Axle, front and rear 4 Link Solid Axles, and Leaf Spring Solid Axles are some of the products included in the company’s production line.
It is recognized for producing innovative and performance-oriented suspension products for various models of Chevy/GMC, Ford, Dodge/Ram, Hummer, Jeep, Nissan, Toyota, and Mercedes.
Skunk2
Skunk2 is a leading brand of aftermarket suspension components for vehicles, founded in 1994 in Norwalk, California, United States. It produces performance parts and accessories worldwide, especially for street and race cars.
Their products include cooling, induction, engine, exhaust systems, camshafts, and suspension components. Among suspension parts, it offers coilovers, race springs, sport shocks, lowering springs, camber kits, control arms, and strut bars (23).
Hellwig
It is owned by Hellwig Products, a company founded in 1946 in Visalia, California, United States. Hellwig is known for producing high-quality and reliable products designed to improve the handling and ride of vehicles. It manufactures high-quality, innovative load & sways control solutions for national and international trucks/SUVs, muscle cars, off-road, RV, UTV and Fleet (24).
Denso
It is owned by Denso Corporation, a global company founded in 1949 in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Denso is one of the world’s largest automotive parts manufacturers and produces a wide range of products, including A/C compressors, condensers, coolant temperature sensors, MAP sensors, oxygen sensors, original U-groove, oil filters, radiators, starters, and many other types of automotive parts. It is popular in making engine, electrical, rear, suspension, interior/exterior, and drive/brake parts production lines. Besides, Denso also covers various fields, including electrical, medical, and semiconductor industries (25).
Denso is known for producing high-quality and innovative products that meet or exceed the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) standards. In addition, since 1970, the company has offered aftermarket products to domestic, European, and Asian import vehicles.
SkyJacker
It is owned by Skyjacker Suspensions, a company founded in 1974 in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. Their products include lift kits, shock absorbers, pitman arms, tailgate savers, and steering stabilizers.
Skyjacker focused on producing high-quality and innovative suspension components for the off-road market. In addition, skyjacker is known for producing performance-oriented products designed to improve the handling and ride of vehicles (26).
In addition to its extensive product line, skyjacker is known for its commitment to quality. It has implemented several measures to ensure its products meet the highest standards. As a result, the company’s products are used in many vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, and motorsports applications.
