Overload and air shocks are equally unsuitable as a means for overcoming sagging coil springs. These devices are designed to maintain proper vehicle height in overloaded conditions only. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Know How. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content The function of coil springs is to support the vehicle at its desired height, to maintain proper alignment angles and to absorb road shock transmitted through the tires and shock absorbers.
Coil Spring Inspection A quick overall visual inspection will detect any obvious sag from front to rear or from side to side. Installation Tips Be sure the spring compressor is firmly seated on spring before fully compressing spring. Do not put fingers between coils when handling compressed spring.
Note the compressed height of spring being removed in order to compress the new spring to that same height. If the spring needs to be arced to be removed, lay on a flat surface and note the amount of arc to compress the new spring in a similar fashion. Check the spring seats for wear. Age is likely the determining culprit. Coil springs are much more durable than shocks and struts, and many times replacing the shocks or struts will return the vehicle back to its original level of performance.
However, weak shocks and struts will take their toll on coil springs if left ignored for a long period of time. As the coils weaken, you will notice clunking or bottoming-out sounds, because the coils are not able to provide stability to the weight of the vehicle. In addition, weakened coils will damage shocks and struts, because their rebound distance will be much farther than the components were intended to perform. Weak coils will compromise the ride height of the vehicle, and this symptom will affect the vehicle's alignment.
Measuring the ride height of the vehicle and comparing that with the specifications will help you determine whether the coils are working in conjunction with the shocks and struts. Some vehicles have a long history of snapping coil springs. This is a dangerous situation depending on the position of the break in the spring.
Because coil springs are positioned near the tire, it is not all that uncommon for a broken coil spring to puncture or rub against the sidewall of a tire and cause a flat; or worse, a blowout. When inspecting coil springs, run your hands all the way around the coils, front to back. Some coils employ a protective cover that can conceal the break; but if you run your hands around the symmetrical coil, you will feel any anomaly.
One side of the spring should be pretty flat, and should stand up by itself, while the other end will have the end of the spring protruding. That end goes on the bottom, lined up with the indentation in the lower spring perch, while the flat end goes up top.
There is no stock in the US. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Physics How often do coil springs need to be replaced? Ben Davis June 2, How often do coil springs need to be replaced? Are coil springs the same as shocks? It would be very dangerous to drive a vehicle with a broken coil spring. Look for solutions before operating the vehicle again.
Prolonged and persistent exposure to water can cause a spring to rust. Likewise, constant overload of a vehicle can also wear down a spring. It's important to use strong coil springs. The purpose of a set of coil springs is to balance the weight of the truck along the underside, which bears the lion's share of weight in any truck.
Without these springs, the truck is liable to sag downward, especially if the truck is loaded to its full weight capacity. When your truck starts to sag, the problem can become noticeable in several ways.
While the sagging might be subtle at first, you could eventually start to feel it when you sit in the driver's seat. If it feels as though you're leaning as you drive the vehicle, that feeling is likely the result of sag.
Sagging can also become noticeable from a visual perspective when you park the truck on a flat road or driveway. If you see a slight downward tilt between the front and rear bumper as you view the vehicle from its side, it's likely the result of weakened coil springs. If the truck is slouched even when the back is empty, there's definitely a problem with the suspension. The springs are intended to give an extra bit of lift in the back. The extra lift is designed to prevent sag once the truck is loaded.
As such, an empty truck should have a slight bit of rear lift, while a loaded truck should be flat. Slouching of any sort generally means suspension trouble. In some cases that involve issues with the suspension, the sagging will be more pronounced on one side.
This symptom would indicate that the coil spring at one end is more worn than the other. In any event, vehicle sagging is an issue that needs to be fixed the moment it comes to your attention, especially if the problem is obvious when the truck is empty.
If you procrastinate on correcting this situation, the weight of the vehicle is liable to ruin the axle. When coil springs deteriorate and ultimately weaken a truck's suspension system, the brunt of excess weight is generally felt by the rear tires. As the problem accelerates, the tires are liable to wear and strip long before you would otherwise be due for a tire change.
Of course, if the tires become stripped, they need to be replaced immediately — as would the coil springs — before you have a blowout on the road. Tire wear can also be a slower and more subtle symptom of weakened coil springs. If the springs wear down gradually, the weight distribution on the tires will slowly go off balance.
Consequently, the tires will be pressed against the road at incorrect angles and slowly become misaligned. Keep in mind that the truck and its tires and suspension system are designed for specific weight balances and distributions.
When the balance goes off, everything is impacted. Consequently, when tires bear odd distributions of weight, the rubber is liable to wear down in unusual ways.
0コメント