Autobuffers: dimensions, installation, pros and cons

With the development of technologies, new devices appear for the comfort and safety of driving in a car, for maintaining the performance of its units. One of these products are autobuffers.

What are autobuffers

This is a new product in the automotive market. Its other names: buffer cushions for car springs, inter-turn cushions. They are a shock-absorbing pad that is installed between the coils of the suspension shock absorbers.

Autobuffers are urethane spacers that are installed in the springs of a car and serve to increase ground clearance and create a stiffer suspension.

What are autobuffers

Urethane is very resilient and capable of absorbing strong vibrations, vibrations and shocks. Another material used by some manufacturers is chloroprene rubber, which is slightly more expensive. These materials have an amazing ability to regain their shape: even if they are skated on a roller or left under significant load for a long time, they will completely restore their original state.

Don't confuse cheap rubber spacers with urethane ones. The latter are several times superior in stability and elasticity to rubber, and therefore more expensive than it. The temperature range for urethane is -60 ... + 120 ° C, so the product can be used in very harsh conditions.

Autobuffer design

In fact, an auto-buffer is a one-piece molded element that is made of chloroprene rubber or polyurethane. The product can be transparent, like silicone, or colored. These materials are able to withstand severe deformation and, after the load is reduced, restore their shape. Moreover, in this mode, the spacers are able to retain their properties for up to 7 years.

The shape of the auto-buffer is a thick, fairly elastic ring with a slot on one side. Grooves are made in the upper and lower parts of the product, the width of which corresponds to the thickness of the coils of the springs. The spacer is mounted in the interturn space, as shown in the photo below.

In order for the auto-buffer to be effective in a particular case, it must be selected according to the type of spring. It is better for a specialist to do this, as he will be able to determine whether a spacer is generally needed for a particular spring or a stiffer analogue of the spring can be installed.

Sizes of autobuffers by model

Autobuffers must be selected for specific springs (barrel, conical). The determining factor when choosing them is the diameter of the turns and the turn-to-turn distance. The size of the spacers is indicated by letters (K, S, A, B, C, D, E, F). Each size has a different distance between the grooves (from 13 to 68 mm), is designed for a specific spring diameter (from 125 to 180 mm) and has a permissible range of turn-to-turn distance (from 12-14 mm to 63-73 mm).

You can measure the parameters of the spring with a simple ruler. To determine the appropriate size of the product, measurements should be taken where the turns have the greatest distance between them, while the car must be loaded from the rear. At the front, this is not necessary, since there it is loaded with a motor.

Autobuffer functions

Such a urethane cushion is capable of increasing ride comfort and safety. The car becomes clearer in control during acceleration, braking, and cornering.

One of the main goals of the product is to reduce suspension operating costs. Shock absorbers with such cushions retain their performance longer, especially with frequent off-road driving, bad roads and under heavy loads.

Autobuffer models

Since autobuffers are installed between the coils in the spring, their shape depends on the type of spring they are designed for. For example, a barrel spring or a conical spring will need different spacers.

The key factor that helps to choose the right auto-buffer for a particular spring (the part is selected specifically for the type of spring, and not for the car model) is the distance between the coils and the diameter of the coils themselves.

Here is a small table that will help you choose the right spacer for a particular spring:

Auto buffer marking:	Groove width at the ends of the spacer, mm:	Spring diameter, mm:	Interturn distance, mm:
K	68	180	63-73
S	58	176	53-63
A	48	175	43-53
D	38	158	33-43
C	28	133	24.5-33
D	21	113	18-24.5
E	15	113	14-18
F	13	125	12-14

How does the auto-buffer work when the car is moving?

An inter-turn spring spacer is installed to make the suspension spring less responsive to impact. For example, when a car stops, it will inevitably “nod”. The auto buffer will make this amplitude smaller. The same can be said about a sharp start - the car will not “sit down” so much.

When cornering, the stiffer spring provided by the spacer will reduce body roll in addition to the sway bar. Depending on the size of the auto-buffer, this element can significantly increase the clearance of a loaded car.

In addition, some manufacturers claim that the spacer makes the suspension softer when driving on rough roads. This, of course, is doubtful, because the presence of a foreign element between the coils of the spring makes it stiffer. This means that wheel shocks will be more strongly transmitted to the car body.

Should You Install Autobuffers?

Since the decision to install an auto-buffer on the springs of your car or not is made by each motorist on his own, it is impossible to say unequivocally whether this is necessary or not. Some car owners are sure that this is a useful accessory for their case, while others, on the contrary, are sure that this is an unnecessary car tuning.

To make it easier to decide on this issue, it is worth considering that spacers:

• Will give greater rigidity to the "tired" spring;
• Provides increased composure, characteristic of cars with a stiffer suspension;
• They will reduce the roll, "peck" and squatting of the car in appropriate driving conditions;
• With a strong impact, the shock absorber rod will be protected and the damper will not break through;
• They will make the suspension stiffer, which will negatively affect when driving on roads with poor coverage. In this case, an additional load will be placed on the chassis of the vehicle;
• They require understanding when choosing an element and installing it (applies to those who do not know how to select and install an auto-buffer).

Despite decent flaws, spring spacers are becoming more and more popular among car tuning enthusiasts.

Installing autobuffers

Autobuffer can be installed with your own hands in a few minutes. It is enough to raise the car with a jack and insert the gasket between the turns of the shock absorber, placing them in the corresponding grooves. It is additionally fixed on the coil with a conventional plastic tie-clamp.

When installing, you need to cut off the excess part of the autobuffer, that is, the piece that fits into the second diameter of the spring. As a result, there should remain a spacer equal to the diameter of the spring and no more. Some products are small pillows that do not capture the entire loop, but only a part of it, in which case nothing needs to be cut off.

Before installation, it is recommended to hang the part where the product will be located, so the inter-turn space will increase. Next, you should smear the pillow and a clean spring with a soap solution. The material can be refilled with a flat screwdriver if necessary. The autobuffer is held in place by grooves and friction force, and the installation in the widest segment fixes it securely.

How to choose the right autobuffers for your car

To find the right spacers, you need to know exactly the dimensions of the springs installed on the car. Before buying spacers, you need to make the following measurements:

• For front springs - measure the largest interturn gap (mainly this is the middle of the spring);
• For the rear springs, before these measurements, you need to load the car (put the load in the trunk);
• Measure the thickness of the coils of the spring with a caliper (it will help determine what the groove in the edge of the spacer should be).

If the car is still in the factory configuration (the springs have never been changed), then you can choose autobuffers according to the car model in the product catalog. Otherwise, you need to select spacers according to individual parameters, using the information from the table above.

How to correctly install interturn spacers in springs

Installing spacers in the springs is not so difficult. Here is the sequence in which this procedure is performed:

1. At first, the side of the car where the auto-buffer will be installed rises a little. This will unload the spring - it will be easier to place the damper between the turns;
2. The spring must be cleaned of dirt so that the spacer does not pop out;
3. To facilitate installation (the edge is rather rigid), the end of the spacer is treated with soapy water - this will make it easier to snap it onto the coils of the spring;
4. The spacer should be installed on one turn. Otherwise, its excess is cut off;
5. To prevent the auto-buffer from flying off during strong impacts, it can be fixed on the coil with a plastic clamp.

Pros and cons of autobuffers

This is one of the most affordable, cheapest ways to tune your suspension. Suitable for all brands of machines with spring shock absorbers. Allows to improve the suspension without changing its geometry.

Advantages:

• the car bites less with the front end during hard braking;
• stability improves, rolls, swaying decreases;
• driving over speed bumps becomes less painful;
• tremors, impacts when driving on asphalt joints, rails, paving stones are reduced;
• the risk of damaging shock absorbers, the likelihood of their leakage is reduced;
• suspension performance increases;
• reduced fatigue when driving long distances. The car sways less, this reduces the load on the driver's body - muscle tension is less when the body is returned to its original position;
• product service life is more than 3 years.

Contrary to popular belief, the clearance can be increased in this way only slightly. Immediately noticeable changes are the reduction of the machine drawdown when loading large loads. Autobuffers are most effective for cars prone to sinking, carrying heavy loads, heavy passengers, often driving off-road and bad roads.

Disadvantages:

The relative disadvantage is that the suspension becomes stiffer. Not everyone likes it. Poor quality urethane spacers can lose their shape.

Some of these pillows have standard parameters, and they have to be cut a little during installation. This can be done with a clerical knife.

The cost of autobuffers is a bit high for a piece of silicone, even a high-tech one.

Relatively often there are breaks in the fastening - tape clamps. This problem usually appears after 3-4 months of use. The solution is simple - the product is re-fastened, but it should be noted that metal clamps are not recommended, since they can grind the urethane.

Spacers are recommended for soft and tired springs. Adding stiffness to an already stiff spring can increase shock and stress on the body, resulting in cracks and tears. Yes, in this case, the rack will go further, but you will have to sacrifice comfort due to the high rigidity and wear of the body.

Are buffers needed?

This question is more likely to be answered by a specific motorist. It all depends on whether he understands why such a part is installed on the spring, and what disadvantages there are. If the design of the car would be in dire need of such elements, manufacturers would take care of the presence of such parts in the suspension of their cars.

Some experts believe that with the installation of spacers, the car will indeed become more predictable on the road, its ground clearance will be higher when fully loaded, and the dynamics will improve due to a better response of the body to the condition of the roadway.

On the other hand, car owners may face a negative effect after installing spacers in the springs. For example, in some cases, the car will become noticeably stiffer. It is also worth considering that these elements have their own resource. Moreover, it does not always correspond to the parameter that is stated in the advertisement.

Related videos

This video details the truth about autobuffers:

About autobuffers. should i put it?

Questions and answers:

Do I need to install Autobuffers? Manufacturers assure that they extend the life of the springs, increase the vehicle's ground clearance and prevent suspension breakdown. At the same time, the controllability of the car decreases.

What are Auto Buffers? These are spacers for the shock absorber springs that fit between the coils. Their purpose is to increase the stiffness of the springs when the vehicle is under maximum load.

How to choose the right size for Autobuffer? To do this, measure the distance between the coils of the springs (the minimum distance between adjacent coils) in the middle of the part. the machine must be on the ground.