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Everything About Rear Springs You Need To Know

What Is Rear Springs?

The rear coil spring suspension is a variation of the rear leaf spring suspension. It is many times found in rear-wheel drive vehicles; the leaf springs have simply been replaced with coil springs. Because coil springs are lighter, they would have less unsprung weight, which would create a smoother ride. However, the coils cannot be used to hold the axle in line and so we have to rely on other methods. The typical rear coil spring suspension would use two lower control arms to control wheelbase, and one or more upper control arm to control side motion and axle rotation.

How Do Rear Springs Work?

Are you searching how do the rear springs actually work? Then all you have to do is to have a look below and then you will be able to understand everything.

 

The coil springs would essentially work by resisting their extension or compression, and absorb mechanical energy, storing it and later releasing it.

 

Extension

 

  • The act of weighing scales would be an example of coil springs resisting extension.
  • The layers of the helix, which are the coils of the spring would be wound together closely. Experiments have presented that the coils’ extension to how much they can be stretched – this is proportional to how much force would be applied in an attempt to pull them apart.
  • The specific force would be directionally proportional to the weight of the material that is being applied to the opposite end of the coil (often with a hook) in an attempt to pull them apart.

 

Compression

 

  • Utilizing springs to make car suspension systems are an example of coil springs that would work by resisting compression.
  • These specific springs are made with a much tougher material also. It is because they are made to absorb the shock of the car bound to encounter when it hits, for example, a pothole.

Frequent Problems With Rear Springs

Do you want to know some frequent problems which might start occurring in the rear springs? Take a look below to know some frequent problems with the rear springs:

 

One of the biggest signs that there are some flaws in your coil springs is that your vehicle would droop or sag on one side or corner. The drooping or sagging might be caused by one side of the vehicle being repeatedly overloaded. Your car might also sway more around turns or bounce higher than normal.

 

There can be some cases where you would hear a squeak or clunk, especially over bumps. All of these signs would indicate other suspension problems since the whole system has many components that affect each other, so there would be a need of visual check.

Symptoms Of Bad Rear Springs

There are a few things which might cause your rear springs to malfunction. Watch for the following symptoms if you suspect a bad rear spring:

 

If there is faulty coil spring suspension in your car, then there would surely be some noticeable symptoms that you will experience. Now once you would recognize them for what they are, you should do something about them immediately.

 

  1. Sagging Corners - If there would be some flaws in your coil spring, then the corner of the vehicle might start sagging more than the other corners. It would easily be noticeable simply by looking at it from the outside. But when you would be driving the vehicle, then you would have less stability from this sagging too. This issue would cause other symptoms to get worse, like a lot of tire wear and tear.
  2. Bounciness - The coil springs would keep the vehicle from shaking and bouncing as it moves. But if there would be some faults in your coil springs, then it would not be able to prevent this bounciness. It would mean that you would face a lot of bouncing and shaking as you drive, especially if you drive over travel or rough road terrain.
  3. Uneven Wear on Tires - It is the coil springs which would keep the wheels and tires balanced on the road. It would allow the tires to receive an equal amount of wear and tear as they would be moving on the road. However, if you have faulty coil springs, then your tires would not be even on the road. Once that happens, the tire threads would get unevenly worn as well. It would cause issues as you would be driving on the road because there will be more shakiness and unsteadiness the faster you go.
  4. Rattling - In addition to the shaking that you would experience from faulty coil springs, there would be an annoying rattling noise coming from the suspension system too. This rattling noise would rise in volume as you accelerate the vehicle more and drive over rough roads. Just make sure that you should not ignore this rattling noise because it is an early warning sign that you would require to get your coil springs replaced.
  5. Warning Light - There are a lot of latest vehicles which have warning lights for the traction system of the vehicle. There are sensors which are built into the suspension which would keep track of the vehicle’s stability. Whenever any unusual traction would be detected by the sensors, then it would the warning light to illuminate on the dashboard. You can take it as a warning sign that you need to get your coil spring replaced immediately. You might not be able to realize the exact problem at the time, but you would surely know it soon enough if you would experience the other symptoms too.

Tools Needed For Rear Springs

There are a number of skilled auto mechanics which have a goal to open their own car repair shop at some point in their career. But let’s face it; if you want to put up an efficient as well as profit making shop, then you might need much more than mechanical skills. There are a number of tools which you might need to perform the car repairs quickly as well as reliably. Auto repair equipment that you will need to repair your rear springs may include:


Top Brands For Rear Springs

If customers trust a brand, then it would make them loyal, and if they are loyal, then they will surely buy more. We are well aware that customers want comfort, cheerfulness as well as satisfaction in their lives and that’s the reason why we offer top quality auto parts brands to our customers. We make sure to provide a positive experience to our consumers from the brands which we are offering so that they can form an opinion that a particular auto parts brand is trustworthy and would give them peace of mind while they are purchasing it for their car. Here we have listed out some top brands for rear springs.


Moog Rear Springs

Energy Suspension Rear Springs

Monroe/Expert Series Rear Springs

Dorman (OE Solutions) Rear Springs

Fabtech Rear Springs

Mevotech Rear Springs



Related Parts Of Rear Springs

It is very important to arm yourself with information before you shop any auto part. We are here to help you dive deep into the names of the rear springs related parts.


Total System Costs & Repair Times, Effort Of Rear Springs

Rear springs replacement cost can differ wildly depending on application, the brand of the rear springs as well as who does the work. All you have to do is to replace your faulty rear springs with us online and then you can leave your car to the mechanic and pick it up a few days later. Just be sure that the car mechanic is highly skilled and has a good reputation. Sometimes the additional service level might cost you more than what you have expected. We also recommend you to take pictures of your car before you leave it with them so that you are sure that later on it is returned back to you in an unharmed condition. If you want to substitute your rear springs, then it would generally range between $353 and $426. Talking about the work expenses, they would range between $131 and $167 and the parts would be valued somewhere in the range of $222 and $259. The estimate does not include the taxes as well as fees.

How To Change Rear Springs?

Do you want to change your rear springs on your own? Then have a look at the steps of changing the rear springs below:

 

Step 1

 

  • The rear of the car should be jacked up with a car jack on either side of the car. It would allow the front of the car to remain on the ground, while the rear tires would be elevated. The lug nuts should be removed from the two rear wheels and then each wheel should be slid off the wheel studs.

Step 2

 

  • A socket wrench should be used to remove the top mounting nuts of the two rear struts (situated in the trunk, directly above the strut). It would allow the rear axle to lower to the floor. You should then crawl under the car and then the coil springs should be pulled out of their mounting brackets.
  • The new coil springs should be slid into place and then lift the rear axle so that you can install the mounting nuts to the top of the struts again. The rear wheels should then be reinstalled with the lug nuts and then lower the car off of the jacks.

Warning

 

  • You should consult with your car's manufacturer before you start this project as many car models have rear coil springs that are under pressure and could cause injury if not removed in the right manner.
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John Framigllia
Technical Writer
Our technical writer is known for simplifying automotive parts and services. Intuitive with various vehicles and manufacturers, he knows how to simplify complicated problems.