5 Symptoms of Bad Coil Springs in Your Suspension
Coil springs are a key component of modern suspension systems that keep your vehicle “suspended.” They compress and expand to absorb shocks from bumps in the road.
How does a coil spring suspension work?
The compression and rebound of the coil springs, along with the damping provided by the shock absorbers, ensures that each tire is in constant contact with the road. Coil springs are also an important factor in determining the ride height of your car.
There are four coil springs supporting the entire weight of the vehicle. This means that each spring must be very strong. Each spring is designed at the factory with a specific spring rate that maximizes comfort and performance for that particular vehicle.
Springs and shock absorbers are the two main components that determine how a vehicle responds to an impact. Some shock absorbers are mounted inside the coil springs. This is called a coilover with shock absorbers, or “coilover” for short. Many vehicles come equipped with coilovers from the factory, but there are a variety of aftermarket options that can lower the ride height or change the spring rate to improve cornering performance.
The top of the coil spring sits under the spring seat (sometimes called a cylinder in coilovers) and the bottom of the spring sits on the lower control arm. As you may know, the lower control arm helps hold the wheel firmly in place.
Because the spring sits on top of the lower control arm, it absorbs all impacts from below. This allows people inside the vehicle to sit comfortably on the coil spring as they go over obstacles on the road.
5 Most Common Symptoms of Faulty Coil Springs
If your car’s coil springs are bad, there will definitely be noticeable symptoms. Once you recognize this, you need to take some action immediately. Below are the 5 most common signs of a faulty coil spring.
1) Sagging Corners
If you have a faulty coil spring, you may notice that this corner of your vehicle sags or appears lower than the other corners. This is already noticeable from the outside. But this deflection also makes your vehicle less stable when driving. This issue worsens other symptoms, such as: B. Excessive tire wear.
2) Hopping
Coil springs are designed to prevent your vehicle from swaying or bouncing up and down while driving. However, if your vehicle has faulty coil springs, they won’t be able to prevent this bouncing.
This means that you’ll experience a lot of bouncing and swaying while driving, especially when driving over uneven terrain or roads with lots of holes. This can make the vehicle very difficult to control.
Please note that a faulty shock absorber can also cause similar symptoms. A faulty shock absorber usually cannot absorb the spring recoil, making the car feel like a trampoline when hitting a big bump.
3) Uneven Tire Wear
Coil springs are designed to keep the wheel and tire in constant contact with the road surface. This means that the tires wear evenly as you drive down the road. A faulty coil spring can cause the tire to slide off the road even under normal driving conditions. When this happens, the tire tread wears prematurely and unevenly (i.e. wear on the inside or outside of the tire), causing driving problems on the road. You may have to replace your tires much sooner than usual, even if you do need to replace them.
4) Rattling or Clattering
In addition to the shaking caused by defective coil springs, you may also experience an unpleasant rattling or clattering noise from the suspension system. This rattling noise gets louder when the car accelerates or drives over a bumpy road. Don’t ignore this rattle, as it’s an early warning sign that your coil springs need replacing.
5) Warning Light
Most new vehicles come with a warning light for the vehicle’s traction control system. The suspension has sensors built into it that monitor the stability of the vehicle.
If the sensor detects any abnormal behavior, a warning light will come on on your dashboard. Consider this a warning sign that there’s a problem with your suspension, possibly your coil springs. While you may not notice the exact problem right away, you will soon notice other symptoms as well.
How long do coil springs last?
Because coil springs are thick, round pieces of steel, they will usually last the life of the vehicle. The main exception to this rule is cars with significant corrosion.
If you have modified your vehicle’s suspension system by shortening springs or using spring clips, this can shorten the lifespan of your coil springs.
