The most common sign that your European vehicle has a busted suspension spring is the car, truck, or SUV will sit lower on that wheel. There are many things that can damage suspension springs and it’s important to have the damaged spring(s) replaced as soon as possible or you will ruin your vehicle’s suspension. You chose to drive a European vehicle because of the luxury and performance and the experts at East Coast EuroWerks in Wilmington NC are here to help you maintain that performance. What causes suspension springs to collapse? Here are five common things that’ll break them down.
Road Bumps
If you don’t fear road or speed bumps, you’re just asking for a collapsed suspension spring. The faster you go over these road hazards the harder it is on the spring. If you hit a bad bump at high speeds, you can break the suspension spring right there. If you hit the bump hard enough, you might break more than one suspension spring. Go slow over bumps to protect your vehicle’s suspension.
Overweight Load
Your vehicle has weight restrictions, whether it’s a car, truck, or SUV. If you overload the automobile past the weight restriction, the suspension and tires aren’t designed to handle the excess weight. This will not only damage the suspension springs but could also ruin your tires. An overloaded vehicle can even break a brand new suspension spring, so pay attention to your vehicle’s load limits.
Rust
If you live in a humid climate your suspension springs will rust much quicker but all suspension springs will rust eventually. It’s just the natural process that occurs when water meets air. You drive through puddles and during inclement, wet weather, and this water doesn’t dry right away. Over time, the suspension springs will rust and break because the rust will eat through the suspension spring steel.
Chemical Change
Rust isn’t the only chemical change that can weaken suspension springs until they collapse. Other chemical reactions, like hydrogen, can compromise the suspension spring’s steel structure. Hydrogen molecules and find their way between the steel’s iron composition and weaken the steel to point at which it cracks. Excessive cracking will collapse the suspension spring.
Age-Related Wear and Tear
Your European vehicle’s suspension springs bend and vibrate constantly when your automobile is in motion. It’s only natural that this constant movement weakens the springs’ structures over time. Usually, a suspension won’t collapse until its really old – it takes trillions of bends. Still, if your springs are weakened by any of the above and old, they can collapse eventually due, in part, to age.
Do you have an unusually bumpy ride? Bring your European vehicle to East Coast Eurowerks and we’ll check the suspension, including the springs.
