Can someone explain the difference between a “strut” and a MacPherson “strut”? (Are MacPhersons just on trucks?) I have a '93 Escort Wagon - what kind of struts would it have, if any? Also, must all four struts be replaced together, or can I do two at a time (to spread out the total cost)?
All struts are “MacPherson” struts, named after the guy that invented them. And yes, you can do the front and rear pairs separately if you like.
What Hail Ants said, except that the term “strut” just means a structural member under compression. In automotive suspension terms, strut usually refers to the strut used in Macpherson strut suspension, which is a (the most?) common type of suspension.