Preetam Springs Pvt.Ltd.

It can be said that as you are proudly drive your new vehicle down the streets and highways that you are ultimately resting and depending on your trusty suspension system. Yet few drivers and motorists often give a moments thought on the value and trust on which they place your motoring trust upon as well as safety and comfort.

The suspension system of any car, truck or SUV supports the weight of your entire vehicle and its cargo, isolates passengers from the bumps and dips in the road and roadways and keeps the wheels of your automobile in contact with the ground. This is all accomplished by means of springs and shock absorbers.

A spring is simply a device that returns to its original shape after being distorted. In a car suspension springs are placed between the frame and each wheel. Three types of springs are used in various combinations. Leaf springs consist of several lengths of steel or fiberglass bolted together so that the spring is thicker in the middle (where the greatest force and forces overall are received and applied during driving), than at the ends. Torsion bars connected rigidly to the frame and indirectly to the wheels absorb shock and shocks by twisting overall. Coil springs are rods that have been wound into spirals - in effect and actuality a coiled torsion bar. They absorb shocks by compressing and extending.

Shock absorbers are attached to the suspension to dampen the motion of the springs and provide a more comfortable ride. Shocks absorbers can be said in the automotive trade and trades to be ultimately misnamed - the shock is really absorbed by the springs of the auto not the shock absorbers themselves. Not only does your suspension system provide for a comfortable ride for yourself, your passengers and cargo but also the shocks and springs that you ride upon provide for safety - especially important in rapid response to emergencies and emergency handling in the event of a potential mishap. Thus make it a point not to take your automobiles' sagging shocks and springs for granted.

If you're a serious towing enthusiast, you probably already know the reasons why you should add a truck air ride suspension system to your heavy-duty truck: a quality truck air suspension system helps by cushioning a bumpy ride, leveling your vehicle, reducing wheel hopping, limiting trailer bucking and adding stability during braking. And, an air ride suspension system helps you protect your investment in your heavy-duty truck by preventing the harsh wear and tear caused by heavy towing.

But, before you make a decision to buy a product that can have such a significant impact on your truck, your trailer and your load, there are several factors to take into consideration, including load capacity, manufacturing quality, ease of installation, adjustments to your vehicle, warranty, and much more.

Here are a few tips for serious shoppers who are looking for optimum performance and value in a truck air suspension system. All Truck Air Suspensions are NOT Created Equal As you start shopping around, keep in mind that there are two main types of air suspension systems on the market:

o Adjustable "helper" springs. This type of system is generally comprised of an add-on helper spring that aids in leveling the truck and reducing vehicle bounce, dip, or bottoming out when hauling a heavy load or towing. The air springs can be adjusted, often with a service station air hose, to the truck's load condition for more control and leveling support.

Disadvantages: The helper springs are bolted directly onto your truck's factory leaf springs. Unfortunately, factory leaf springs deflect and twist under acceleration and braking. This axle "wind-up" not only makes the truck drop when you accelerate, but it also makes the truck dive forward when you apply the brakes, throwing nearly all the weight of the truck and trailer onto the front suspension and brakes. Helper springs also tend to distort the natural spring frequency of the leaf springs, actually making the ride worse in certain situations. This type of air suspension system is best suited for leveling the ride and light or occasional towing.

Advantages: initial cost is less expensive. (Note that additional equipment may be necessary over time, offsetting the cost). o Complete towing suspension system. This type of system is designed to both level the truck and improve the overall ride. Installing these kits involves removing the steel leaf spring on the truck and replacing it with an entirely new air spring. Some manufacturers also replace front and rear shocks for optimum performance.

Disadvantages: More expensive. (Note: if you purchase a quality kit that comes complete with all the bells and whistles for long-term performance, it may offset the initial expense)

Advantages: Truck's steel leaf spring is removed and replaced with a new spring, which allows for greater handling and control, stability, and safety, even when hauling the heaviest loads. Sometimes the manufacturer will install front and rear shocks to match the frequency of suspension.

Compare Important Features and Options

As with any product, each truck air suspension system claims to have the "latest and greatest" features and benefits. It's easy to get caught up in all the hype, but when you come right down to it, there are a few things that are more important than others. Here's a list of major features and options to consider when comparison shopping.

o Quality of materials. Does the manufacturer use high quality premium parts that will hold up over years of heavy hauling? Avoid plastic fittings and lower grade materials that may wear out or need to be replaced. Quality materials translate to greater reliability and a longer life for your air ride suspensions system, even under the harshest towing conditions. o Ease of use. Is the system easy to use? Can you easily adjust your suspension level? Are there in-cabin controls to help you determine air pressure and load information? An air suspension system that's difficult to level and adjust will cause you added stress and unpredictability. o Articulation. Articulation, which is the up and down tilt of the axle, is a critical feature to consider. If you should have an accident and your trailer winds up in a hole, you want the axle to have maximum up and down movement. Most systems have heavy linkage between the front spring and the axle, which prevents adequate articulation. o Towing capacity. Look for the towing capacity of the air suspension system and be sure it can adequately handle the load you plan to tow. When it comes to towing capacity, the bigger the air spring, the more weight it can handle. Keep in mind that your truck and trailer load should never exceed the gross combined weight rating (GCWR), which is the total weight of the trailer under fully loaded conditions, including food, water, gear, etc. o Installation options. How is the system installed? Does your truck's frame need to be altered to install the system? Do holes need to be drilled? Can the system be removed if necessary? Before you buy, be sure that installation won't be a problem for your or your truck. Find out if you can install the system yourself or if it will require manufacturer assistance. If assistance is required, does the manufacturer provide you with a manual or access to a dealer or installation specialist? o Warranty and risk guarantee. Does your system provide a warranty that won't expire before you've had time to really test your system with a long haul? Does the manufacturer stand behind the product? Does the manufacturer offer a no-risk guarantee if you are not satisfied with the system?

Buyer Beware

Buyers need to especially beware of the claims made by many helper spring manufacturers that their systems are designed for heavy loads. In spite of the claims, the fact remains that these helper springs are bolted directly onto your factory leaf springs, which are NOT made for heavy towing. With this type of system, you run the risk of the leaf springs twisting under heavy acceleration and braking. In turn, this axle "wind-up" can make the truck drop when you accelerate, as well a throw the truck forward when you apply the brakes, throwing nearly all the weight of the truck and trailer onto your front suspension and brakes. If you merely want to level your ride, the helper spring makes a fine choice, but if you are serious about towing heavy loads, you need to consider a total performance towing suspension system.

Do a little research up front and you'll avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your truck - and costly repairs down the road. Your main consideration should be overall ride performance, safety and stability during heavy towing. If you're serious about towing, you need to be sure you are buying an air ride suspension system that can do more than level the ride; it needs to be suited for heavy towing. Like many things in the automotive industry, using an inexpensive aftermarket part often yields less than optimal results.

All the systems of a car, which are located underneath the car's body, are knows as suspension systems, which functions because of different suspension products. These products play vital role in the drive of each and every car. There are several suspension systems including the frame, suspension system setup, steering system and tires and wheels. Frame is basically a structure, which has the ability to carry and support the engine of a car, which are then supported and managed by suspension. Suspension system is basically a complete setup that helps in damping, supporting the weight of the car and maintains the contact of tires. A complete and full-fledged mechanism that helps the drive to have a control over the car is known as steering system. Wheels and tires are those important components and elements of a car, which helps in the motion of the car.

All in all, you can fairly say that all the suspension products of suspension system are extremely important in any motor vehicle. There are three major and important components of a suspension system, which must be clearly defined and explained and they are known as springs, anti-sway bars and dampers. There are four major and basic designs of springs including coil, leaf, torsion and air springs. All of them are equally important. If you want to know about dampers then you should know that they are actually the shock absorbers. They are oil pumps, which are placed in between the frame of your vehicle and the tires/wheels. The upper part of these shocks is attached and connected to the sprung weight, which is also known as the frame and the lower part is connected to the axle, which is just near the wheels. And now it comes to anti-sway bars, which are also known as anti-roll bars. They are being commonly and successfully used with dampers (shock absorbers).

The purpose of using these bars is to provide the vehicle that is in motion, some kind of extra stability. You can now clearly get an idea about the importance of suspension products of a car. Without these products, you car can never be completed. You cannot drive your car without these products. Therefore, it is very necessary for the maintenance and servicing of your car that you keep a close check on the efficiency and functionality of your car. In this way, you will not have to spend on major faults that can be brought in your car because of inefficient and defected suspension products.

In the context of modifying cars for the street, the primary reasons owners install lowering springs are two-fold: to improve handling and overall vehicle performance and to make their car look good. Looking good is highly subjective, as trends through the years will indicate. Currently, there is the stance craze that takes lowering to the extreme, with car wheels sporting crazy angles and tires hidden inside the wheel wells. As we've said, this is the extreme case and car (and truck) owners that subscribe to this modification are mostly for show rather than outright performance. In the case of stanced trucks, older models would need to use lowering leaf springs instead of coil springs.

Car owners who love to take their cars out to the twisters cannot go too low, as they need a suspension that can soak up dips and rises on the road while taking curves at speed. At the same time, a lower car will indeed benefit from a lower center of gravity. For both the stanced and grip-tuned crowd, lowering springs are the way to go towards their modification goals. In lowering a car, there is no way around replacing the springs. Some guys who want to save a few bucks will just cut their stock springs and be done with it. Some idiots have even resorted to heating the springs while still installed in the car just to get a lowered stance. If you're really on a budget, cutting springs can actually work, but not by removing a coil or two from your OEM springs. Hot-rodder practice was to go to the surplus yard to source springs of a similar diameter, but from a heavier car. The problem with this approach is that this is a hit or miss affair. You wouldn't know what the spring rate was and wouldn't have any idea of the fatigue already in the spring, so your ride could end up lower than you want. Not to mention possibly introducing a jarring ride. Sourcing unwanted but branded springs will cost more, but you remove a lot of unknowns from the equation.

Nowadays, the market is flooded with lowering springs from myriad manufacturers. For systems that have the spring separate from the shock, there are progressive springs available that lower the car to the height you want, while maintaining decent rides quality and improving handling to boot. Today's linear springs are usually used with coil over suspensions, which normally are aftermarket components already. Cognizant of the fact that the applications for outright race cars and modified street cars are different; manufacturers have separated race suspensions from street suspensions. Don't be tempted to use race components for the street. Apart from spending more than is necessary, you will get a suspension system that is a lot less compliant, meaning you will be bouncing around instead of enjoying a smooth ride.

There are a multitude of applications for a used coil springs suspension system. The majority of front-wheel-drive vehicles are built with coil springs which are assembled to the strut basically coiling around it. Larger and much heavier duty automobiles place the coils between the chassis and the frame and feature shocks as a completely separate suspension element. In another popular segment of the aftermarket parts market are coil over shocks. Similar to a strut, the coil wraps around the entire shock but it doesn't usually bolt to the steering knuckle like a strut does. You need to change shocks and struts much more frequently than a regular set of used coil springs, but make sure to thoroughly check the used springs when you decide to replace any suspension components.

Even a good set of used coil springs may become compromised after long periods of time therefore you need to pay attention to the longevity of the springs. Moreover, depending on how they are used on the vehicle, many coil springs can actually last as long as the vehicle can. The reality is that there is not really any sort of expiry date on springs. There are only a few things that you need to pay attention to when inspecting your car or truck's suspension system.

Even though it is the springs that support the entire weight of a car, it is the shocks or struts that hinder the bouncing after encountering rough or uneven terrain. You can test this by simply bouncing the front or the rear end's suspension of your car and count how many bounces take place after you release the car. A total of 2 or more full bounces may mean that you may have very weak shocks or struts. This is when you need to determine the cause of this. The overall age of these parts is likely the determining factor. Coil springs are definitely much more durable than a set of shocks or struts. In many instances simply replacing the shocks or struts will return the vehicle back to its original level of performance.

On the other hand, weak shocks or struts will wear down coil springs if left unattended for an extended period of time. As the coils begin to become weak, you will start to notice thumping sounds or bottoming out more often especially when going over speed bumps. The reason for this is that the coils aren't able to administer stability to the weight of the car anymore.

Furthermore, weakened coils can cause irreparable damage to your car's shocks or struts since their rebound distance will be much higher than the components were designed to handle. Weak coils will ruin the ride height of the automobile and if left unattended may jeopardize the alignment as well. Measuring the ride height of the vehicle and comparing that with the specifications will aid you in figuring out whether the used coils are working properly together with the shocks and struts.

There are some cars that have an extended and well known history of breaking coil springs so these are one to look out for. It can be an extremely hazardous situation depending on the position of the break in the coil spring. Since springs are positioned very close to the tires, it's not rare for a broken spring to rub against the sidewall of a tire and inadvertently puncture it causing a flat tire or even worse a blowout of the tire.

Upon examining a set of used coil springs or used lowering springs, run your hands all the way around the coils from the front all the way to the back. You will notice that some coil springs make us of a protective cover that can conceal the break. However, if you attempt to run your hands around the symmetrical coil you will feel a slight abnormality.

Furthermore, another thing to listen to and look for is a squeaking sound or binding of the strut bearing plate on strut applications. Attempt this by turning the steering wheel back and forth and listening for binding or squeaking sounds. Damaged bearing plates will cause the coil springs to react in ways they were not designed to do and over the course of time wear them out.

An important thing to pay attention to is when you should consider replacing your current coil springs with a set of good quality second hand used springs. You definitely should not replace them each time you replace your shocks or struts. To start off with, inspect the coil springs every time you change any suspension parts. Idler arms, ball joints, pitman arms, tie rod ends and control arms that are damaged in any way can all cause damage on the spring and shock or strut.

Take a moment to measure the ride height of your car, van, truck or SUV, and then compare it with the manufacturer specifications. As the coil spring supports the weight of the vehicle, one that is performing significantly below its' determine specifications may likely have been compromised springs. Additionally, examine in contrast the ride height side to side on the same axle.

The coil springs are separate elements and it is plausible that one side can become weak while nothing is wrong with the other side. Even though this may cause one side of the car to sag lower make sure you replace both just in case. A key point is to always change your shocks, struts, coil or leaf springs in complete sets as opposed to individually.

You may well wonder whether you should you always change shocks or struts when replacing your springs with a set of good used springs. Although many people will debate the necessity of it, unless you know how long your existing set of coil springs has been compromised, you need to be aware of the fact that that the shock or strut has taken up the slack of the spring.

If you looking for a more comfortable and better performing ride from your vehicle then you definitely need to consider replacing the shocks or struts every time you change to a set of high quality used coil springs. If you are looking to save a buck or two then this option may not be for you. However, you need to realize that you may not be saving money in the long run.

Remember, you need to remove coil over shocks and struts and compress them when attempting to remove the coil springs from their assemblies. Therefore, if you choose to cut costs in these situations you may be stuck with additional expensive labour costs or wasted time in attempting only to change to a set of used lowering springs without replacing your shocks or struts.

The automobile industry is constantly changing. Cars are the second costliest things that a person can have in his entire lifetime. Since the beginning of the 20th century automobiles have ruled the transportation industry. Today, cars are the most favorite mode of transport when it comes to covering a relatively short distance. The increase in the demand of cars led to the development of the automobile technology that devised newer components for a smoother drive from time to time. Leaf spring is one such component that is principally used for the suspension in vehicles. It is the oldest form of suspension that is still in use and is found especially in larger vehicles like trucks and buses.

The work of a suspension

Suspensions are fitted in cars in order to make the ride smoother and free of jerks. The main task of suspension is to absorb the shock when driving on an uneven terrain thus preventing the effect of the shock from being transmitted to the passengers in the vehicles. Thus suspensions can be regarded as absolutely indispensible as far as riding comfort is concerned. However, it is to be kept in mind that proper care is necessary in order to maintain the suspension quality. Hence, car users should regularly service their cars so that they can have the best performance for long.

Automobile Leaf Spring suspension

A large number of vehicles nowadays, especially heavier vehicles use this type of suspension. The main advantage of leaf suspension is that it can be maneuvered along a specific path. In case of heavier and larger vehicles multiple leaves are placed one above the other in order to maximize the effect of suspension. It is arc shaped and is connected with the axle at the center portion. Modern versions of this spring have much less number of leaves and generally follow a parabolic curve. Each leaf is separated from the other by means of spacers thus giving the spring more flexibility which ultimately results in ride comfort.

Manufacturing of Automotive Leaf Springs

Manufacturing of such a spring involves a number of processes. The main stages in the manufacturing process are end heating process, heat treatment, surface preparation and assembly. All of these processes need to be executed carefully in order to make soundly performing springs.

Other uses

These springs are also used by blacksmiths in some parts of Asia where a large part of the tools of daily usage comes from conventional blacksmiths. As these springs are mainly made from to quality steel, they prove to be a good material for regular household items like knives and small construction tools.

It is important to maintain Leaf Spring properly and for this purpose the car user should take resort to regular servicing of the car. The servicing can be done at the dealership or at some local garage. However, it is vital to be sure about the authenticity of the servicing job before availing such service. Clients can take the help of professional mechanics in this regard.

What is a Suspension System?

A suspension system is a vehicle is a combination of many components which are designed, developed and assembled together in such manner that they work together in such a way to help to soften the unwanted effects of the surface that a vehicle is driving by absorbing all the shocks and the vibrations. It works by skillfully by balancing all these effects, while providing the driver with the necessary ease and comfort of driving, navigation and braking securely. A vehicle's suspension system is made up of many different parts; one of the important among them is the springs.

Suspension springs: Springs are a remarkable component which stores energy when they are altered to some other state from their original state. Then the suspension springs release that stored energy when they are returned to their original state after the removal of the stress or load from them.

To save the vehicles from the jolt which can be caused by the uneven road surface, the shocks, the jumps which occur, suspension springs are used which absorb the all theses unwanted effects while driving. For an e.g. when the vehicle gets into a pothole the spring releases the required amount of energy.

Types of suspension springs:

There are many suspension springs manufacturers which manufactures wide variety of suspension springs for all type of vehicles from light to heavy. Below is the list of spring types which are being used in the automobiles: Rubber Springs Steel Spring Plastic Spring Air Spring Hydraulic Spring While design the different parts of body the suspension system is given great importance. The nature of material being used, its weight all other factors are also considered depending upon the suspension system being used in the vehicle. The vehicle is labeled equipped with new techniques only if it matches up to all the new requirements for enhanced suspension system.

Suspension Springs Manufacturing

Spring manufacturing is a specialized engineering process. The process involves the wire which is passed through a set of feed rollers is pushed from beginning to end with a wire guide, which results in bending of the wire in a helical shape. The intricacies of a spring manufacturing machine improve the competence of the manufacturing operation. A basic operation of the spring manufacturing.

There's a few different ways to raise the height of the rear of a truck. One of the most cost effective and efficient ways is to add a leaf to the existing leaf springs which serves a couple of purposes. First is to increase the ride height and the other is to increase your spring capacity giving you the capability to haul and tow more weight without the rear end sagging.

Before the instructions you should know there are 2 different styles of add a leaf out there which are long and short. The long add a leaf which will typically be your new 2nd or 3rd leaf; the short add a leaf will be the 2nd one from the bottom directly above the overload spring (fat bottom spring). My next article I'll get into the differences between the two styles; however, I will tell you the long add a leaf is a much better product and you should install this in your vehicle over the short ones.

One more note is to find the long add a leaf with the tip inserts in the end because nothing is more annoying than doing this work and having an irritating squeak every time you go over a bump. So, without further ado here are instructions for a long add a leaf and remember all vehicles are set up differently so these are typical but variances are possible.

1. Raise the rear of vehicle with a floor jack on the axle to your desired height and then place jack stands under the frame. Lower jack stand until the frame is supported by the jack stands. Removing tires is optional during this process. Some people think it's easier but to me personally it just adds more time to the process.

2. With the axle still supported with a floor jack remove the U bolts and lower shock bolt.

3. Lower the floor jack so the axle separates from the leaf springs by a couple of inches which will take the load off the leaf springs and give you room to put in the new center bolt.

4. Being this is instructions for the long add a leaf you'll need to bend out your factory clips so you can insert your new leaf in. So with channel locks, pliers or pipe wrench bend out the factory clips. Note - a lot of add a leaf kits will come with replacement clips so use these if yours will not fit another leaf. If this is the case your old clips must be removed by drilling, grinder or torch.

5. Remove the center bolt from the leaf springs. You may want to put on a c clamp or vice grips so the springs won't "explode" when the center bolt is removed.

6. As you probably figured out by now the main leaf will still be hanging in the truck so remove the rest of the springs and stack them up with the new center bolt. The leaf springs will stay in a staggered formation so the longest leaf at the top and shorter as they go down so insert your add a leaf accordingly.

7. Reinsert the leaves back into the truck and tighten the center bolt.

8. Raise the axle up with floor jack until the axle is contacting the leaf springs. Very important is to "center" the truck meaning the rounded head of the center bolt will go into the hole in the spring perch welded to the axle. You will probably have to move your axle forward, back, in or out just make sure you get the truck centered so you're not dog tracking down the road.

9. Once the truck is centered either put on new u bolts or reuse your old ones depending on your situation. Reinstall your lower shock bolt and tighten all u bolts and shock bolts.

10. Bend your clips back into place or replace with clips from the add a leaf kit you purchased.

11. Raise the axle with floor jack until the frame jack stands can be removed and then lower the floor jack down and you're done.