Honda Double Wishbone vs Dual Axis Strut Suspension Explained

Before we begin, let me ask you a question 🤔: What determines whether a car is comfortable and enjoyable to drive? Some may say good shock absorbers and well-tuned suspension, which is partly true. But the most important factor is the type of suspension system itself.

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Take French cars for example 🇫🇷 — many of them traditionally use a front MacPherson strut and rear torsion beam suspension. Though simple in design, does that mean they don’t handle well? Absolutely not! Look at models like the Peugeot 205 GTi and 306 GTi-6, which used this setup and were praised for their handling, even winning “Car of the Year” in Europe and being called the “King of Corners”. However, due to the nature of the torsion beam, comfort is compromised. Since both rear wheels are interconnected, when one side hits a bump, the other is affected too, resulting in less ride comfort compared to independent suspension systems.

Currently, Double Wishbone and Multi-Link suspensions are recognized as the most stable configurations 🔧. Their geometry allows better cornering performance and handling. But they are also the most complex and costly, so many C-segment sedans skip them to reduce manufacturing costs. Interestingly, Honda adopted front and rear double wishbone suspension as early as 20–30 years ago, even in Civic models.

The double wishbone suspension was first introduced in the fourth-generation Honda Civic (EF). 🔨

From EF (4th gen) to EK (6th gen), Civics used front and rear double wishbones, giving them excellent handling—one of the key reasons these older Civics remain fan favorites even after decades. ❤️

But double wishbone isn’t without flaws. In this fifth-generation Civic (EG) 📸, you can see how the suspension design takes up interior space, which is a disadvantage for a car designed for family use. Comfort and space are key in this segment; handling is secondary.

So, what exactly is a Double Wishbone Suspension? As the name implies, it consists of two unequal-length control arms (A-arms). The term "wishbone" comes from its resemblance to a bird’s collarbone.

In most sedans, these A-arms are joined by ball joints and the shock absorber sits on the arm. This means the damper only deals with vertical loads, while lateral forces are absorbed by the arms, giving better tire-road contact. ✅

📸 Shown here is the Renault Alpine A110, which uses double wishbone suspension front and rear.

Unlike MacPherson, which lacks lateral support and relies heavily on the shock absorber, double wishbone design separates the steering knuckle from the damper. This increases stability and allows engineers to fine-tune parameters like camber, caster, and toe.

📊 This diagram clearly shows the structural differences between MacPherson and Double Wishbone Suspension. Though double wishbone offers superior stability, it’s more complex, heavier, and costlier—even with aluminum materials.

Due to space and cost concerns, Honda switched to MacPherson front & Double Wishbone rear from the 7th generation Civic (EP). But with the introduction of high-output engines like K20C, front-wheel drive Civics faced severe torque steer issues.

📸 Cars like the Civic Type-R experienced this issue heavily due to high torque and FWD layout.

To solve this, Honda developed the Dual Axis Strut Suspension, used in FK2, FK8, and FL5 models—combining the benefits of both systems.

This new suspension combats torque steer and retains handling precision without sacrificing space. It’s essentially a modified MacPherson with an additional fixed bracket for the damper and a separated steering knuckle.

📸 The design actually resembles a double wishbone layout.

This little component (the new knuckle) significantly affects suspension geometry. With damper and steering separated, engineers can now adjust alignment more freely. 🔧

📸 Left: Standard MacPherson | Right: Honda’s Dual Axis Strut Honda shifts the kingpin axis outward, reducing scrub radius, which reduces torque steer. It mimics double wishbone handling but keeps production costs lower.

📸 With this innovation, Honda increased caster angle and camber gain, further improving cornering stability—especially when paired with Active Damper System (ADS).

This setup helps tame high-torque outputs 💥, and even under heavy braking or acceleration, steering remains stable. According to Honda UK, it improves front-end stability by up to 50%. The tradeoff is a 10kg weight increase, but that’s a small price to pay for better control. ⚖️