What Causes A Damaged Or Broken Coil Spring?

The coil springs operate to make sure your car is at the correct driving height to give you a comfortable ride. Your suspension works hard to give you a smooth drive but you will know if these springs are not operating properly.

One of the major components of the suspension system is the coil springs. If the springs or suspension is faulty, your ride will be rough and very unpleasant.

In this article, we will go over whether your suspension system is going bad, where it’s located, how it functions and when replacement is required.

In most common cases, something is wrong with the suspension system, when your car will have a sagging corner where the damaged coil spring is located. You will probably experience bouncing, uneven wear on your tyres, or hear a rattling sound when you turn the steering wheel.

Read on and get more information about what happens when you have a damaged coil spring and what to do:

Various Coil Spring Issues Or A Damaged Suspension

A Sagging Corner

When a coil spring breaks, one of the corners of your car may start to sag. It will not always be obvious but that particular corner may be lower than the others if the coil broke in the middle. If the coil broke nearer the end the larger part of the coil will continue to seem to function and the dip could be imperceptible. The sagging condition can also create a loss of instability while you are driving. In turn, it can lead to other issues such as uneven wear on a tyre or you hear sounds that are not normal.

Unusual Bouncing

If you drive over a bump and you experience unusual bouncing, chances are you have a bad spring. If a spring or various springs are damaged they cannot prevent bouncing because something is wrong.

If you continue to drive, over time this bouncing or shaking will become even worse especially if you drive over rough terrains or dirt roads. Over time, these symptoms will become worse causing you to lose control of your car.

When coil springs break, your wheel alignment will change causing too much wear on one side of the vehicle. In turn, wear on the tyre’s treads will increase very quickly making it difficult to handle the car. It could also lead to a tyre blow-out if you do not check your tyres on a regular basis. It’s easy to mistake a coil spring break as a wheel alignment issue.

A Rattling Sound

When your suspension springs are faulty, you probably will experience shaking and unusual sounds. Over time, this noise will get louder and will get even worse when you accelerate or drive over rough roads.

You will probably get early warning signs that if ignored could easily lead to bigger issues.

Unusual Noises When You Turn

If you experience loud noises coming from the front of your car when steering the wheel, chances are a coil spring has broken and has come in contact with the body of your car. This sound can also be caused by the spring laying against the chassis instead of the top mount bearing which will lead to intense bouncing noises when turning.

The Location Of The Coil Springs

Most car models have four coil springs, one on each corner of the vehicle. The top end of each spring is found below a solid part of the vehicle while the bottom end sits on the lower control arm. The lower control arm is the same part that helps control the wheels.

Because of the design of your vehicle, the vehicle sits on the springs which sit on the control arm. The movement of your vehicle is reduced as the suspension adapts to road issues.

The Function Of The Coil Springs

Coil springs are designed to absorb bumps on the road. As the vehicle drives over imperfections, the springs operate with the suspension system to give you a smooth, comfortable ride.

The suspension springs hold up the weight of your vehicle allowing the wheels to travel vertically when you encounter an impairment on the road. It’s cushioned by the springs instead of travelling to the cabin.

If you drive with a damaged or broken coil spring, you will experience a significant loss in the quality of your ride and you might experience problems trying to handle the car. In order for your car to remain level when you turn, traction must be spread equally between all four of the wheels. How well the springs can distribute the weight of the car will affect its operation. As a spring gets worse, you could lose control of the car and get into an accident.

In some incidences, the spring could become damaged and literally bounce out of the tyre causing a flat tyre when travelling at higher speeds and could be fatal. It’s highly recommended you have the damaged or broken coils spring fixed as quickly as possible.

Replacing Coil Springs

In most cases, coil springs rarely go bad when driving under normal conditions. In general, a coil spring will last approximately 10 years. All vehicles, at some point, will need a suspension coil replaced, especially if you want to upgrade. If you decide to get -high-performance springs, you will experience an even smoother ride.

If you happen to live in a colder climate, you could have broken coils springs much more often than if you live in a warmer climate.

Like all other components for your car’s operation, the suspension and coil springs are critical. You should check them on a regular basis and if you are not sure what’s going on, check with a reputable mechanic and get it fixed. Cars are mechanical and not capable of repairing themselves, it’s up to you. If you keep your vehicle in top condition, it will be with you for a long time.

If you are having issues with a potential broken coil spring you can get your vehicle checked by booking online today.

For further information on our services you can browse the site or get in touch with us by calling 019253 30468 or alternatively, you can email us directly at service@lowtonmotorcompany.co.uk.