What’s in a strut A complete strut assembly is a combination of two main parts: a spring and a shock absorber. (Sometimes the term strut refers to the shock absorber portion only, but other times the term is used to denote the entire assembly including the spring).Click to see full answer. Similarly, you may ask, what are the three basic components of a strut assembly?Strut assemblies consist of a coil spring to support the vehicle’s weight, a strut housing to provide rigid structural support for the assembly, and a strut cartridge within the strut housing and spring to control spring and suspension movement and make sure tires maintain contact with the road.Likewise, what is the function of a strut? Struts perform two main jobs. First, struts perform a shock damping function like shock absorbers. Internally, a strut is similar to a shock absorber. A piston is attached to the end of the piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid to control spring and suspension movement. Also to know, what is a vehicle strut? Struts are a structural part of the suspension system and are mounted to the chassis of the vehicle on the top, and they come down through. They give us a place to mount the coil spring, and the spring is what maintains the height of the vehicle, so we have a plate in here for the spring.Are all struts the same?When people speak casually about vehicle suspension, they often throw around the terms “shocks” and “struts” as if they are the same thing, or interchangeable. They’re not. Every wheel on your vehicle has either a shock or a strut – never both, never neither.