What is a Front Suspension Spring?

Suspension springs are a key part of your car’s suspension system. Umm…did I really need to tell you that? If you’re not incredibly comfortable with what a suspension system is, trust me when I say three things: First, it’s important. Very important. Second, it helps your car drive well. Third, your butt is happiest when your suspension system is fully operational. Okay, let’s get to it. Your car has a suspension spring at each wheel. Want to guess which of the wheels have front suspension springs? The suspension springs are usually standard coiled springs, which is why they’re sometimes called coil springs, or suspension coil springs, if you really want to be overly verbose. They sit between the upper and lower control arms and absorb shock as your car drives. And that’s kind of it. Your car travels over a lot of imperfections on the road, such as potholes, speed bumps, and random objects that some idiots didn’t strap down to the back of their trucks. But the ride is usually pretty smooth, thanks to the suspension springs absorbing a lot of that impact. The springs are what allows the suspension to move up and down with the road, instead of the entire car doing so. That keeps the impact from going to the frame of the car, and to the people sitting in it. In addition to absorbing impact, the front suspension springs also help support the weight of your car, which is pretty important. So, if you like having your car sitting at the right height, you can thank your suspension springs. Front suspension springs are extremely durable, and usually last the entire life of the car. If yours don’t, however, they’ll need to be replaced in pairs. You’ll have to replace both front suspension springs. One last note: Replacing suspension springs can be dangerous, given the amount of pressure holding them in place. So, don’t get all high and mighty on your car skills just because you added some windshield wiper fluid. Leave this one to the pros.

How urgent is a Front Suspension Spring replacement?

Your car is safe to drive short distances when it has a broken front suspension spring. But it’s still an urgent service.

The longer you drive a car without a fully functioning suspension system, the more pressure and impact is put on the suspension, which can lead to further damage. So, if you ignore a front suspension spring replacement, you may end up with a much worse problem on your hands.

You know what to do.