How do you know when a vehicle needs new springs?
Type topic text here. When the original springs are no longer able
to maintain proper ride height or are not capable of handling
vehicle load requirements, new springs are in order.
All springs sag with age. The constant load they bear leads to creep
within the molecular structure of the metal. Over time, the spring
weakens and begins to lose height (coil spring) or arch (leaf
spring).
As the spring settles, ride height decreases and causes undesirable
changes in wheel alignment. That is why alignment technicians are
always supposed to measure ride height before they realign the
wheels. More than an inch of sag usually means time for new springs.
Spring sag also reduces suspension ability to support its normal
load. This, combined with decreased ride height, means less
clearance between suspension stops and chassis. The result can be
bottoming on rough roads or when carrying extra weight.
Spring sag can also have a negative effect on safe handling and
braking. A wheel's ability to maintain traction during acceleration,
braking and cornering depends to a large extent on the load it
carries.
A weak spring does not carry its fair share of the load, so the
wheel with the weakest spring is most likely to break traction and
spin or skid during hard acceleration, cornering or braking. Weak
springs also allow more body roll, which puts added strain on the
shocks, struts and other suspension components.
Weak springs need to be replaced and when they are, both springs on
the same axle should be replaced (both fronts or both rears). This
maintains the same side-to-side ride height.
Trying to "shim up" a weak spring with inserts or a spacer is not
the professional way to address the underlying problem. Shims and
spacers can be used to restore ride height, but they cannot
duplicate the original ride.
Such products usually make a spring more rigid (stiffer spring rate)
and decrease the amount of suspension travel the spring can handle
because of less space between the coils. Nor can shims or spacers
provide many of the benefits that are available with various types
of specialty replacements like variable rate springs (those that
become increasingly stiff as the load is increased).
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