Coil Springs

What is a coil suspension spring?

Coil suspension springs provides the link between the chassis and the body of the vehicle. Coil springs provide a number of different essential functions such as dictating the ride height of the vehicle and they help to soften the shocks and bumps from the road surface. Springs affect the handling of the vehicle and as such are an important safely component.

There are different types of springs as follows:

• Coil springs (constant wire diameter - same thickness of wire from end to end - visual inspection required)

• Coil springs (inconstant wire diameter - spring wire is thinner at either end of the spring - visual inspection required)

• Leaf springs

• Pneumatic springs

How do I choose the correct suspension spring?

A cars suspension is one of the components that is often upgraded at the factory at the time of manufacturer. It is not always easy to tell if your vehicle has received an upgrade or which upgrade it is. When looking to replace the springs it is important to note if your vehicle has:

• Standard suspension

• Sports suspension (there may be different variation of sports lowered suspension)

• Self-levelling suspension

• Reinforced - extra load

• Multi link suspension

Springs can be listed as correct for a vehicle however this would depend on the above criteria.

What brand of coil spring should I choose?

Springs are an essential safety component and as such it is important that quality is paramount. Brands such as Febi, Napa, Apec and KYB have long warranties on their springs which offer greater piece of mind and assurance of quality. The choice of which brand to buy is usually down to your budget combined with the parts availability.

How can I tell my spring needs replacing?

A visual inspection will show if the spring is deteriorating or has cracked. It is not recommended to drive your vehicle as usual with a broken spring. The alignment of the vehicle will be uneven which would affect control of the vehicle in an emergency. If the spring has started to corrode it could be that the springs is in need of replacement. We’d recommend you have a qualified mechanic inspect it to make sure. Here are some symptoms of a broken spring:

• Knocking when driving over bumps or potholes

• The side of the vehicle with the broken spring is lower than the rest of the vehicle

• Uneven tyre wear

• There is a noise (scraping or knocking) when turning