Scroll through the AST x MOTON product range and you'll see the same three numbers over and over — 1-way, 2-way, 3-way. They're not trim levels. They're not "good, better, best." Each number tells you exactly what you can adjust on the damper, and getting that choice right is the difference between a coilover that transforms your car and one that overwhelms you with settings you'll never use.
This guide breaks down what 1-way, 2-way, and 3-way adjustability actually means, what each setting controls, and how AST Suspension's 5100, 5200, and 5300 Series — along with MOTON's motorsport range — map across the spectrum. Whether you're spec'ing a daily-driven BMW M2 or a dedicated time attack build, understanding damper adjustability is the first step to a chassis that actually does what you want.
Damping 101 — What Are We Actually Adjusting?
Before the "ways" make sense, the damping fundamentals need to click. A coilover's damper (shock absorber) controls how the suspension moves by forcing hydraulic oil through small passages inside the piston. That resistance is what keeps your wheel in contact with the road rather than bouncing uncontrollably after every bump.
There are two directions of suspension movement, and they need to be controlled separately.
Rebound damping
Rebound controls how quickly the damper extends after being compressed. When you hit a bump, the suspension compresses. Rebound damping governs how the spring releases that energy as the wheel drops back down. Too little rebound and the car pogos; too much and the wheel can't follow the road surface, reducing grip.
Practically, rebound influences how the car feels on corner exit, how settled it is over crests, and how much the body floats over undulating surfaces.
Compression damping
Compression controls how the damper resists being compressed in the first place. This governs how the car responds to braking dive, cornering lean, hitting kerbs, and general bump absorption.
High-speed vs low-speed compression
Here's where the "ways" really start to matter. "High speed" and "low speed" don't refer to how fast the car is moving — they refer to how fast the damper piston is travelling inside the shock body.
Low-speed compression handles slow, deliberate chassis movements: body roll through a corner, brake dive, acceleration squat, weight transfer. These are the inputs you generate with the steering wheel, brake, and throttle.
High-speed compression handles sharp, sudden impacts: kerbs, ripples, expansion joints, mid-corner bumps. These are inputs the road gives the car, and they move the piston much faster than chassis movements do.
Being able to tune these separately is the fundamental reason 3-way dampers exist.
1-Way Adjustable Coilovers
A 1-way adjustable coilover gives you a single damping adjuster per corner, and that adjuster controls rebound. Compression damping is valved internally by the manufacturer to complement the spring rate and intended use.
In the AST x MOTON range, the 1-way platforms are the AST 5100 Street Series, the AST 5100 Competition Series, and the MOTON 1-way. All three share the same core adjustment concept — rebound plus height — but are positioned differently. The 5100 Street is built around OEM-compatible top mounts and street-focused valving. The 5100 Competition adds pillowball camberplates and more aggressive clubracing valving. The MOTON 1-way is a non-inverted monotube drawn directly from endurance racing technology.
What you can tune: Overall ride firmness and how composed the car feels on corner exit and over crests. Turn the single adjuster clockwise for more rebound control (tighter, more settled feel); counter-clockwise for less (softer, more compliant).
Who 1-way suits: Drivers who want a significant step up from OEM or lowering springs without needing to become a damper engineer. Street cars that see the occasional track day. Club racers who want a reliable platform they can set and largely forget. Anyone who wants to keep setup decisions simple.
Don't mistake 1-way for basic. A well-designed 1-way monotube like the AST 5100 still rides on the same Dutch-made cylinders, pistons, and oil as the 3-way — you just have one knob instead of three.
2-Way Adjustable Coilovers
A 2-way adjustable coilover adds independent compression control. You now have a rebound adjuster on the damper body and a single compression adjuster on the remote reservoir. The remote reservoir is mounted separately from the damper (typically via a braided line) and holds additional oil volume plus a nitrogen gas charge — critical for consistent damping once the oil heats up under sustained track use.
In the AST x MOTON range, the 2-way platforms are the AST 5200 Series and the MOTON 2-way. Both are monotube designs with remote reservoirs and height-adjustable spring perches. The difference comes down to positioning — AST 5200 is the clubracing/semi-pro step up, while MOTON 2-way sits in the full motorsport tier with endurance racing DNA.
What you can tune: Rebound behaviour independently from compression behaviour. You can make the car absorb bumps more softly (reduce compression) without making it wallowy on corner exit (keep rebound firm). Or stiffen compression for flatter cornering without the harsh rebound that would follow on a 1-way where the two are linked through the internal valve stack.
Who 2-way suits: Drivers who regularly track their cars and want a meaningful setup window without the complexity of 3-way. Time attack entrants at mid-level. Club racers running multiple circuits who need to adapt to different surface qualities. Fast road cars that cross kerbs and want that absorption dialled without sacrificing body control.
If you've ever lapped a bumpy circuit and wished your car would absorb the ripples without floating over crests, 2-way is the tier that solves it.
3-Way Adjustable Coilovers
A 3-way coilover adds the split that unlocks true motorsport-level tuning: separate high-speed and low-speed compression adjustment. You now have three independent adjusters per corner — rebound on the damper body, plus low-speed compression and high-speed compression on the remote reservoir.
In the AST x MOTON range, the 3-way platforms are the AST 5300 Series and the MOTON 3-way. Both retain the monotube architecture and remote reservoir, with the reservoir now housing two discrete compression circuits rather than one.
What you can tune: Everything. You can firm up low-speed compression to reduce body roll through long sweepers while softening high-speed compression so kerb strikes don't unsettle the car. You can balance aero-heavy cars that want flat platform under load (more low-speed) with enough high-speed compliance to absorb sharp inputs without deflecting the wheel. And you retain the independent rebound adjustment to tie it all together.
Who 3-way suits: Serious competition drivers. Time attack builds chasing laps at events like WTAC. GT and cup cars. Anyone running significant downforce where the distinction between aero-loaded cornering (low-speed) and kerb strikes (high-speed) genuinely matters. Setup-focused drivers who have the data and the track time to dial in all three axes.
The caveat: 3-way adjustability is only useful if you know how to use it. More adjusters is not automatically better. For most drivers, a well-set-up 2-way will out-perform a poorly-tuned 3-way.
AST vs MOTON — What's the Actual Difference?
AST and MOTON are sister brands, manufactured together in the Netherlands under ISO 9001:2015, sharing the same factory, engineers, and core monotube damping technology. The distinction is positioning.
AST covers street performance, clubracing, and semi-pro competition. On McPherson strut cars, AST dampers are typically inverted (the damper body is at the top, shaft at the bottom) for maximum structural strength against lateral loads. On double-wishbone platforms, they're non-inverted.
MOTON is the full-motorsport tier, drawing directly from endurance racing. MOTON dampers are non-inverted monotube designs across the range, built to withstand the sustained thermal loads of multi-hour stints. If you're running a GT platform, a cup car, or a serious endurance build, MOTON is the side of the family you're likely on.
Both sides of the brand share the same adjustability ladder — 1-way, 2-way, 3-way — so the framework in this guide applies whether you're looking at an AST 5100 for a Honda Civic Type R or a MOTON 2-way for a GT-class Porsche.
Monotube Design and Why It Matters
Every AST x MOTON coilover discussed here uses a high-pressure monotube design. This is worth understanding because it explains why these units perform consistently when cheaper twin-tube designs fade.
A monotube damper has a single cylinder containing the piston, oil, and a nitrogen-charged gas separator (usually handled by the remote reservoir on 2-way and 3-way units). This geometry gives the damper more oil volume, better heat dissipation through the exposed cylinder wall, and a larger piston area for more precise damping force. The downside is monotubes cost more to manufacture and are more sensitive to damage to the outer cylinder — which is part of why AST runs an inverted configuration on McPherson cars, where the damper is also a structural strut.
Cheap twin-tube dampers, by contrast, fade after a few hot laps as the oil aerates and loses viscosity. That's the fundamental reason monotube is the baseline for motorsport-grade coilovers.
Rebuildable, Not Disposable
One of the defining features of the AST x MOTON range is that every damper — 1-way through 3-way — is fully rebuildable. Seals wear, oil degrades, and valve stacks eventually need servicing. Rather than scrapping the whole unit, AST and MOTON dampers can be dismantled, re-valved to a new specification if your setup has evolved, and returned to as-new condition.
Practically, this means the coilover you buy today can be re-valved in five years to suit a new spring rate, a heavier track-prepped build, or a shift from street to competition use. It's a long-term investment rather than a consumable.
How to Choose the Right Adjustability Level
The decision framework is simple once you're honest about how you'll actually use the car.
Choose 1-way if: your car is primarily street-driven, you do occasional track days or club events, you want a big handling upgrade without managing multiple adjusters, or you're building a dedicated look/ride-quality focused set-up where consistency matters more than ultimate tuning range. The AST 5100 Street Series and 5100 Competition Series cover this ground on most modern performance platforms — from BMW M2/M3/M4 to Toyota GR Yaris and Honda Civic Type R.
Choose 2-way if: you track regularly across different circuits, you want independent control over how the car absorbs bumps vs how it behaves on corner exit, or you're progressing beyond the limits of a well-tuned 1-way. The AST 5200 and MOTON 2-way are the sweet spot for most serious track day and club competition builds.
Choose 3-way if: you're running dedicated competition with the track time, data, and setup knowledge to justify it. You run meaningful aero. You need to tune kerb response separately from body control. Or you're building to a specific professional category where 3-way is effectively the entry requirement. The AST 5300 and MOTON 3-way live here.
If you're between tiers, talk to someone who's set up your chassis before. The honest answer is sometimes to buy the level below and spend the difference on a professional setup and corner weighting.
Australian Track Considerations
For cars competing in Australian motorsport — whether that's time attack at Sydney Motorsport Park, sprint events at Wakefield Park, the Bathurst 6 Hour, or state-level circuit rounds — the right damper tier depends heavily on your category and how much prep time you get on the car.
Endurance and multi-day events reward 2-way and 3-way platforms because you can adapt to changing track conditions as rubber is laid down, surface temps shift, and tyres wear through a stint. Single-session sprint events are more forgiving of 1-way setups, provided the baseline valving suits the circuit.
Australia's mix of resurfaced sections and older concrete patches also rewards the high-speed compression separation that 3-way provides — something Sydney Motorsport Park's Gardner circuit bumps and The Bend's kerbing regularly expose on less-adjustable damper platforms.
Check your CAMS or Motorsport Australia class regulations for any restrictions on damper adjustability. Most open classes accept the full AST x MOTON range. Production-based categories may have restrictions that favour 1-way or 2-way configurations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "1-way, 2-way, or 3-way" actually mean on a coilover?
The number refers to how many independent damping circuits you can adjust. A 1-way coilover lets you tune rebound only. A 2-way adds independent compression adjustment. A 3-way splits compression into separate high-speed and low-speed circuits, giving you three independent adjustments per corner. All three also include height adjustment via the spring perch.
Is a 3-way coilover always better than a 1-way?
No. A 3-way is more adjustable, not automatically better. If you don't have the data, track time, or experience to tune three axes of damping independently, a well-valved 1-way or 2-way from the same manufacturer will often feel better in practice. More adjusters only help if you know how to use them.
What's the difference between AST and MOTON?
AST and MOTON are manufactured together in the Netherlands, share the same monotube core technology, and follow the same 1/2/3-way adjustability structure. AST is positioned for street performance, clubracing, and semi-pro competition. MOTON is the full-motorsport tier built around endurance racing technology, with non-inverted monotube construction across the range.
Do I need a remote reservoir?
If you want independent compression adjustment (2-way or 3-way), yes. The remote reservoir houses the compression adjuster circuitry and provides additional oil volume plus a nitrogen gas charge. It also helps keep damping consistent as the damper heats up during sustained track use. 1-way coilovers don't require a remote reservoir because compression is valved internally.
Can I upgrade from 1-way to 2-way or 3-way later?
Not by converting the same damper — the internal architecture is different. However, because AST and MOTON dampers are fully rebuildable, you can sell your existing units through the enthusiast market and step up to a higher tier without the same depreciation you'd see on non-serviceable brands.
What's the difference between high-speed and low-speed compression?
The terms refer to damper piston velocity, not vehicle speed. Low-speed compression controls slow chassis movements — body roll, brake dive, acceleration squat, cornering load transfer. High-speed compression controls sharp impacts — kerbs, ripples, expansion joints, mid-corner bumps. Being able to tune them separately is the fundamental reason 3-way dampers exist.
Why are AST coilovers inverted on some cars and not others?
AST dampers are inverted on McPherson strut platforms because the damper also acts as a structural suspension component, and the inverted layout provides more resistance to bending loads. On double-wishbone platforms — where the damper isn't a structural element — AST uses a non-inverted design. MOTON dampers are non-inverted across the range because their motorsport applications typically run alternative suspension geometries.
Ready to Upgrade Your Suspension?
Browse the full AST x MOTON range at Chicane Australia, including the AST 5100 Street Series, 5100 Competition, 5200 2-way, 5300 3-way, and the full MOTON motorsport tier. We also stock the complete range of AST Suspension lowering springs, adjustable lowering springs, and OEM-compatible camberplates, plus the MOTON Suspension racing springs and accessories. Every product is genuine AST x MOTON with fast Australian shipping. Based on the Central Coast, NSW, we work directly with the supply network in the Netherlands to help you spec the right damper tier for your platform, driving style, and competition category. Contact us if you need a hand deciding between 1-way, 2-way, or 3-way for your build.
