The Complete Guide to Pick-up Truck Coil Springs and How They Can Make Your Ride More Comfortable

The Complete Guide to Pick-up Truck Coil Springs and How They Can Make Your Ride More Comfortable

by Jerry Kraft on October 10, 2024 Categories: EZ Wheeler Blog

What are Coil Springs and Why Do They Matter?

The coil springs are the most important part of a vehicle’s suspension system. These are the components that absorb shock, which is essential for a smooth ride.

Coil springs work in much the same way as leaf springs do. They are used to give a vehicle its ride height and strength. The coil springs work by expanding and contracting to absorb shock. This process is done through metal coils which are coiled around an inner metal tube. The coils are made of steel wire that has been wound into a helix shape with gaps between each turn. They work by converting the motion of torque into elastic potential energy, which is then stored until it is needed to provide support again.

There are many types of coil springs, including torsion, torsion-bar, long-travel torsion, spring-over-shock, short travel torsion bar and short travel spring over shock. They all have different benefits for different cars so it's important to know exactly what kind your car needs before you buy them.

Different Types of Springs

Torsion springs have been around since the 1930s due to their great efficiency and durability. Torsion Springs work by rotating the spring sideways while its ends remain stationary. This is done by twisting it with some kind of lever arm while keeping its load on the other side balanced with weights or pivots. The varying lengths of these springs allow them to be tuned for different purposes.

Torsion-bar springs are similar to torsion springs but they use a bar instead of wire. Long-travel torsion springs can be used in heavy duty applications like truck suspensions or trailer axles because they provide more resilient travel than other types of coil springs. Spring-over-shock is a type of suspension system where the shock absorber is mounted at the end of the spring, instead of attaching it to an axle or body frame like on most cars today. Short travel coil springs can be found in consumer products like power drills.

What's the Difference Between a Leaf Spring and a Coil Spring?

Leaf springs and coil springs are two different types of suspension systems. The suspension system is an important part of the truck because it provides the ability to distribute weight evenly and prevents you from bottoming out.

Leaf Springs: A leaf spring is a long piece of metal that is placed over a pair of trailer axles with tensioners or leaf spring hangers placed at either end. A center bolt with a nut secures the center point between the two ends.

Coil Springs: Coil springs are most commonly found on pick-up trucks and they provide a smoother ride than leafs do which comes in handy when hauling heavy loads.

Leaf Springs are typically used on older pickup trucks that have an open bed, because they offer greater stability over rough terrain than coil springs do. They are also more expensive than coil springs.

How to Shop for the Right Coil Spring for Your Truck

As always it comes down to personal preference and need and with anything it's important to consult with a professional or certified technician to take the headache out of the guessing game. You never know if there's another option you missed that's perhaps better or more affordable, you just never know. These aftermarket catalogs are huge, so make sure to utilize the people that have access to them. As always, we are happy to help.

Conclusion: Make Sure You're Choosing the Right Coil Springs For Your Needs!


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