Throwback Thursday: Choosing Single- Or Double-Adjustable Shocks

Wow, it’s hard to believe Thursday is here again. That means the end of the week is getting close, and it’s time for another Throwback Thursday. This week, I decided to focus on a suspension question that seems to cause some confusion. Choosing a shock absorber best suited for an individual car can be a daunting task. That’s why I thought, QA1 Shock Comparison: Which To Choose – Single vs. Double Adjustable would be a great article this week.

Pulling into a cruise night and being able to boast big horsepower numbers is great. However, getting all that power harnessed is of utmost importance. For our shock comparison, we talked to the folks at QA1 and took a look at single- and double-adjustable shocks to help decide which adjustable design is best for specific applications. Choosing the right shock is more than finding what fits – it’s about finding what works best whether the car is on the street, road course, or the dragstrip.

Single-adjustable shocks (right) allow you to make adjustments to the compression and rebound properties of the shock absorber with one adjustment knob. The double-adjustable shock (left) allows you to make separate adjustments using two adjustment knobs. Each knob has 18 adjustments that work independently of each other, to help dial-in handling.

QA1 shocks are manufactured for both street and competition, and also come in many styles to choose from: stock or custom mounts, single- or double-adjustable, and standard or coilover designs. The folks at QA1 design and build all of their drag and street aluminum shock absorbers in-house, and every shock absorber is individually tested before it’s shipped out.

In the original article, we learned double-adjustable shock absorbers on a street driven car might not be necessary. For vehicles that aren’t competing at the performance level for which double-adjustable shocks were designed, some may not take full advantage of the adjustment range. Therefore, in many cases, a single-adjustable shock absorber might be the best bet for a car that spends most of its time on the street.

qa1 shocks

Single- and double-adjustable shocks can be used with or without coilovers, but to use coilover shocks, the car must be modified.

In the original article, we talked with Damian Brase, technical sales, and support at QA1, about how to choose between single- and double-adjustable shocks. “Unless you’re a hardcore racer who is going to race in a competitive environment, you might not see the true benefits of double-adjustable shocks.” It’s good advice because if you’re only racing a couple of times a year, points and standings probably don’t weigh in as much as they would for someone who competes monthly.

Having a full understanding of shock absorber styles and terminology, you really need to check out the original article. It definitely gives a lot of information that you need to consider. Since there is a lot more vital information in the original article, I felt, QA1 Shock Comparison: Which To Choose – Single vs. Double Adjustable would be a great article for this week’s Throwback Thursday showcase.

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About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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