A good, properly maintained suspension system is essential for providing a comfortable ride through various terrains. The varied motion that your car experiences due to uneven terrain, potholes, speed bumps, and more can have a significant impact on your driving experience. However, thanks to modern spring suspensions, you can enjoy a more balanced, comfortable ride. Keep reading to learn more about the common types of spring suspension systems.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Hengguang.

Air Spring Suspension

An air spring suspension is a type of vehicle suspension that uses an electric pump or compressor to inflate air into flexible bellows, often made of textile-reinforced rubber. Pros of air spring suspensions include:

• Helps to improve ride height.
• It minimizes the occurrence of empty trucks with short wheelbases bouncing over uneven terrain.
• It enhances driving comfort by reducing road noise and vibration.

Cons of air spring suspensions include:

• The system's vulnerability to air leaks can cause it to malfunction.
• Air spring suspensions are expensive to buy and install.
• The extra weight can reduce fuel efficiency.

Leaf Spring Suspension

Leaf spring suspensions are fitted with different sizes of multiple layers of steel that are stacked on top of each other. Pros of leaf spring suspensions include:

• Due to the stacked layers, leaf springs provide efficient support between the wheel and the vehicle's chassis.
• The friction between each steel plate helps to control axle damping.
• Leaf springs are simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture and repair compared to other spring suspensions.

Cons of leaf spring suspensions include:

• Can be prone to axle wrap and shackle inversion.
• Often lacks in ride comfort due to inter-leaf friction.

Coil Spring Suspension

A newer version of leaf spring suspensions, coil spring suspensions absorb energy and then release it or maintain a force between two contacting surfaces. Thus, it helps the wheel absorb motion by allowing the spring to compress and expand. Pros of coil spring suspensions include:

• Coil spring suspensions have better flex capability than other systems, making them highly preferred for high-performance trucks.
• They are a better choice for uneven terrain since they allow more suspension movement.

Cons of coil spring suspensions include:

• More expensive than other types of spring suspensions.
• Not suitable for handling heavier loads.

Leaf Springs Vs Coil Springs: Which is better?

A suspension system is a system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages. They connect a vehicle to its wheels and allow relative motion between them both. They are responsible for a vehicle's handling and braking for safety. There are a variety of independent suspension systems, though we are going to focus on the comparison of the two main suspension systems.

Leaf springs

Leaf spring suspensions are simpler when it comes to the functionality as the axle is suspended by the spring and doesn't require arduous suspension geometry of the coil-spring set-up. Leaf springs are much sturdier in comparison to coil springs. They're capable of handling much highest loads with less deflection than coils, trucks with leaf springs are also easier to raise or lower.

Leaf springs' simply means each spring is attached at fixed points on the chassis, it leaves a miniscule area for adjustability and customisation of the suspension geometry. These springs also flex a great deal less than coil springs which means loss of wheel-to-ground contact under extreme conditions.

For more automotive suspension springsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Advantages

• Strong and simple construction, linking holds the axle in position without the need for separate linkage.
• Leaf springs can support the weight of the chassis of a vehicle and so it is perfect for use on commercial vehicles.
• They control axle damping- to damper means the main function of a shock. They are used to control spring oscillation by using hydraulic fluid.
• Typically, they are simple in design and cheaper to produce

Disadvantages

• They aren't always the easiest to install
• Over time the springs tend to lose shape and can be prone to sagging. When the spring starts to become uneven, it can alter the cross weight of the vehicle and therefore may affect the handling. This can also alter the axle-to-mount angle.
• Wind-up and vibration can be caused by acceleration and braking torque. The wind-up can also cause nose-diving and rear-end squat.

For more information on leaf springs, find out more here.

Coil springs

Coil spring suspensions provide more range of suspension movement and allow the user a wider turning envelop through the suspension range than the leaf springs. Practically all high-performance applications use coil springs where possible if the budget permits.

Two main drawbacks to a coil spring suspension are the cost and load-bearing, cost isn't much of an issue if the vehicle is equipped with coil springs, retro-fits are quite expensive and time consuming. Coils are not ordinarily preferred for heavy vehicles as the coil on axle setup isn't remotely as stable or strong as proper leaf springs.

Each of these suspension systems have their applications unique to their functionality and are used accordingly. Leaf springs usually do an acceptable job and prove themselves a durable choice in the case of heavy, industrial or budget-limited applications. There are a very few applications which benefit from choosing a leaf spring over a coil spring when it comes to performance.

Advantages

• Good for vehicles that are on rough terrain often
• Improve ride quality from reducing the bounce
• Gives vehicle its height and keeps it off the ground
• Lightweight
• Low cost ' made from steel and other inexpensive metals
• They don't need any maintenance ' you don't have to lubricate the coil or take any great care in it for it to work.

Disadvantages

• Not as suited for heavy vehicles as the leaf springs are, due to the concentration on the vehicle weight
• More subject to cracking and breaking under excessive amounts of pressure, especially when it has slightly corroded
• You may need to get other enhancements to ensure that the coil lasts longer

For Spring Suspension Systems, Contact Sanderson Leaf Springs Today!

We have a wide range of products for the suspension of your vehicles. For more information on the best part to suit your requirements, get in touch with our team today and we will be more than happy to help you. Our team of professionals have the expert knowledge when it comes to both leaf springs and coil springs. If you are unsure about any of the products that we stock, or need advice, contact us today and we will be able to answer your questions.

FAQs

A coil spring absorbs the vibrations and bumps from the road, this makes driving much smoother. The coil spring is a key component of a vehicle's suspension system and is designed to absorb shock. The key role of a coil spring is to remove or reduce the vibrations and bumps from the drive, giving you a more comfortable journey.

A leaf spring is a long bundle of spring material that flexes when put under pressure from a vehicle's axle when it moves. The leaves compress and absorb the motion, which transfers the energy to the chassis. 

A coil spring can break for many reasons. Although it isn't often, coil springs can break over time due to wear and tear. One of the most common reasons coil springs break is because of Winter. Ice, snow, and cold temperatures are all huge factors, as well as the salt on the roads as this accelerates the corrosion. Other things such as sudden impact from driving over speed bumps or pot holes can also cause damage or break the coil spring.

We would say no, no way. If your leaf spring has got to the point where it appears to require welding, we would strongly recommend replacing it. You shouldn't weld near a spring, so welding the spring itself is an absolute no from us.

The purpose of a coil spring is to absorb the vibrations and bumps in the road whilst driving. This gives you a much smoother driving experience and is more comfortable for you and any passengers.

For more information, please visit saturn astra rear coil springs.