The subject pretty much says it all, but I'll state it again.

Does a strut take any load while the car is on the ground? Is that why the shaft is so big compared to a normal shock? I'm thinking it really doesn't except during compression and rebound.

I've got a crazy idea floating around in my head and I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth trying.

 

It carries one heck of a lateral load. thats why a strut shaft is so large because it has to telescope but hold up to the heavy lateral pressures unlike a standard shock that is not a key suspension link point. There is both an upper and lower bushing that shaft is attached to inside the strut body and it glides on those to points withing the body while the wheel exerts lateral cornering forces.


Basically, you have to remember that the tire is outside the balljoint, and the balljoint is the pivot point of the spindle /strut assembly which is held by the upper mount in position. So when the tire leverage hits the ground and pivots on the balljoint, the force is exerted against the strut mount towards the center of the car.

 

What he said

Technically it doesn't carry as much load as you would think. The front springs carry the weight of the car and they're between the a-arm and the frame. If the car was supported by the a-arms to take the load off the wheels, you could unbolt the top of the strut and compress the shock inside the strut.

The strut really just holds and positions the upper ball joint. Since it's mostly just a shock, it doesn't really hold any weight but the side stresses put on the upper ball joint get transfered to the upper mount on the inner fender.

 

Good point, I wasn't considering lateral load. I guess that's what I get for trying drag racing first.

Taking that into account, I'd probably buckle/bend the shaft if I used a circle track shock, correct?