Suspension springs and everything you need to know about them

     Suspension springs are a structurally very simple element that will last for a long time, and is inexpensive, and changes relatively rarely. But it still requires attention to itself, and its breakdown will lead to sad consequences.

     The main function of the suspension spring is to receive energy from the chassis and providing elasticity running while driving. The spring not only holds the weight of the car and provides nominal height road enlightenment in the processes of movement or calmness. Also, it is she who determines how the car will behave when it hits an obstacle. The springs are designed in such a way that when carrying a load or a group of people, the body did not sink too much.

     In fact, all suspension elements - levers, rods and stabilizers, ball joints and silent blocks exist only for the spring to do its job - to compensate for the bumps in the road so that the tire always remains in contact with the road.

     Shock absorbers, on the other hand, dampen oscillatory movements - so that after driving through all the bumps, the car does not continue to swing for a long time. The substance in shock absorbers absorbs energy and converts it into heat. Therefore, even the best shock absorbers will in no way provide adequate working out of irregularities in the suspension, if the springs do not spring as they should.

Spring characteristics

     Different springs are put on cars, which differ in a number of criteria, and even for one car model, completely different types of springs can be offered.

     The main parameter is hardness. The stiffer the spring, the more force must be applied to compress it. Rigidity is affected by other parameters, including outer diameter and height, shape, coil pitch, wire diameter, number of turns and material characteristics.

     *Rigidity also depends on the diameter of the wire from which the spring is made, and the thicker the wire, the stiffer the spring.

     Height springs - this is its length in an expanded state, and the longer the length, the greater the rigidity.

     Coil pitch (the distance between them) can be the same or variable in the same spring. Short coils dampen small bumps well, while longer coils maintain suspension stiffness and handling.

Form springs:

• Cylindrical. The same diameter of the turns, which in a fully compressed state are in contact.
• Conical. A variable pitch of turns that do not touch when compressed, respectively, such a spring has a longer working stroke.
• Barrel-shaped. Also with a variable pitch of the coil, the widest are located closer to the center. They adapt well to loads, as they change stiffness unevenly.

Enemies of springs

     The most important factor that reduces the service life of this part is corrosion. If you see rust, inspect everything or even get ready to replace it. Often it appears at the base of the spring. Make sure that the paintwork of the springs is not damaged, which often happens after repair work at the service station.

     Worn shock absorber and overloaded car tripsalso do not bode well. In the first case, the spring will compress / decompress too often, as the shock absorber does not work correctly, and eventually loses its properties. In the second, the spring sags and on uneven roads the wheels will touch the arches and may burst.

When to change springs?

     There is no single universal spring change interval. This indicator is highly dependent on the specific car model and operating conditions. In this matter, you need to look at the following points:

• clearance has decreased. If the car is increasingly touching bumps on the road, open doors cling to the curbs (and this was not the case before), then it's time to change the springs. Sometimes one spring breaks and the car sags on one wheel - here it is better to turn to the masters.
• Suspension breaks. If you very often hear hard hits on the body from the side of the chassis, the springs are most likely worn out and have lost their rigidity.
• Suspension makes uncharacteristic sounds. A broken spring will rattle when driving over bumps or even turning the steering wheel in place. It is better to replace it immediately, otherwise it may burst in the area of ​​\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe support platform (and this is very difficult to notice without a lift). Also, a broken spring will scratch the car body, which in turn will lead to its corrosion.

Choice of springs

     The most correct and optimal option - original springs with the manufacturer's logo, specifically for your car. Safe, secure and you can't go wrong here.

     Do not always correspond to the original according to the characteristics of the spring third party manufacturers. If your car is in the catalog of the spring manufacturer, then you can purchase them. Often, such an alternative is both cheaper and better than the old factory ones. The main thing is not to fall for a fake. Therefore, it is better to study and diagnose everything in more detail.

     If you saw a car that sank to the very asphalt, or vice versa, raised high above the road, then there were springs for tuning. Some people put them in to lower the ride height for a better look, others want to make the suspension stiffer for more handling.

NOT worth it!

     Trim springs. It happens that a part of the turns is cut off with a grinder so that the spring becomes shorter. As a result, the cut spring does not rest on the factory plane, but on a narrow cut that can come off and pierce something. The second consequence is an unpredictable change in handling, because you can never guess how a spring with reduced stiffness will behave.

     Additionally, put spacers and buffers in sagging springs. This is done to increase the clearance of the car. They will not provide the previous characteristics of the old springs, but will only lead to increased wear.