EATON Detroit Spring

The leading manufacturer of leaf and coil springs for the street rod and restoration automotive industries

We Help Maintain American Icons by Manufacturing Leaf and Coil Springs Right Here in America

Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047

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      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

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  • Click to Call Now: 1 (313) 963-3839
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Products
    • Suspension Parts
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Shocks
      • Attaching Parts And Hardware
      • Installation Kits
      • Leaf Spring Shackle Replacement Kits & Parts
    • Street Rod Suspension Parts
      • Mustang II Front End Springs
      • 48 Inch Truck Springs
    • Allstate - Chrysler
      • Allstate
      • American Motors
      • Bricklin
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • Chevrolet Truck
      • Chrysler
    • Daimler - Ford
      • Daimler
      • DeSoto
      • Dodge
      • Dodge Truck
      • Edsel
      • Ford
      • Ford Truck
    • GMC - Jeep
      • GMC
      • Honda
      • Hudson
      • Hudson Truck
      • Hummer
      • International
      • Jeep
    • Kaiser Darrin - Nissan
      • Kaiser Darrin
      • Kaiser-Frazer
      • LaSalle
      • Lincoln
      • MAHINDRA
      • Mercury
      • MG
      • Nash
      • Nissan
    • Oldsmobile - Rambler
      • Oldsmobile
      • Plymouth
      • Plymouth Truck
      • Pontiac
      • Rambler
    • Sterling - Willys
      • Sterling
      • Studebaker
      • Studebaker Truck
      • Toyota
      • Willys
    • Request A Custom Quote
    • Search For Parts Here
  • Spring Tech
    • Learn About Leaf & Coil Springs
      • Spring Tech Articles
      • Tech Questions
      • Spring Tech Videos
      • Featured Elsewhere
      • EATON Detroit Spring Podcast
      • Buy Ford Manuals
    • Spring Tech 101

      We have been manufacturing springs for American vehicles for over 80 years. Our process and expertise has been continuously refined and improved over the century and our Spring Tech section reflects some of that specialty knowledge.

      Browse our many articles, watch videos produced in partnership with AutoRestoMod, and learn all about your spring suspension here.

    • Browse By Topic
      • Leaf Springs
      • Coil Springs
      • Attaching Parts
      • Ride Height & Stance
      • Ride Quality
      • Manufacturing Springs
      • Replacing Springs
      • Modifying Springs
      • Ordering Springs
  • About Us
    • About EATON Detroit Spring
    • Customer Showcase
    • Send Us Photos Of Your Ride!
    • Free Stuff For Car Shows!
    • Facebook
    • YouTube Channel
      • Spring Tech Videos
  • Order Here
    • Lookup & Purchase Your Vehicle's Parts
    • Request A Quote
    • Email Our Sales Team
    • Dealer Information
  • Find Parts That Fit Your Vehicle
  • Click to Call Now: 1 (313) 963-3839

How Do I Know If I Need To Replace My Coil Springs?

Dear Eaton Tech Person,

I am rebuilding a 1978 Ford, 4×4, F150, Standard Cab, 400 cu In. engine, truck for a series of articles.

Even though the vehicle’s front springs appear to be fine, and it was not overly low in the front end on teardown, I am considering the replacement of the springs.

The springs are rust free.

Perhaps it’s the fact the vehicle is 30 years old or perhaps the many miles…many miles!

But, this all begged the question of why?

Why am I doing this?

How do I know if this or any coil sprung front end needs springs or not?

How do I test them?

Is it the length unsprung?

Or, should I just assume any spring with 30 years life and a few hundred grand on the truck’s odometer needs springs?

I would sure appreciate some help on this question and any suggestions you might have.

I’m happy to quote you as the source of info in the article etc.

Thanks for all the help.

Love your web site, good webmaster you have.

Bill

Bill,

Very good questions with very simple answers.

Looking at the coil springs, whether they are rusted or not, will not tell us anything unless of course they are broken.

Checking the free unloaded height of the spring will not give us any answers, because even though a spring does not lose spring rate, they do lose the ability to carry weight.

So the spring height can still be to specs, but not be able to carry the load.

Load testing the spring is the surest way to tell if it is any good or not. However, who has a spring load test machine handy?

So let’s look other ways to tell if the coil springs need replacing.

There are 3 quick ways to tell if a coil spring needs replacing.

The first will seem to be very obvious, the spring is broken.

However with many coil springs the breakage occurs on the bottom coil and can not be detected unless the spring is removed from the vehicle.

Just jacking the truck up to get the weight off the spring and looking may not expose the break.

One has to physically remove the spring and hit the coils to reveal the break.

The second way is to look at the vehicle.

How does it sit empty?

How does it sit with a load?

If it looks fine, then chances are the coils are fine.

However, if it looks low or leans to one side chances are the springs are bad.

The third and final way is how does the vehicle ride?

Again, check it with and without extra passengers or a load.

Bad springs normally will bottom out when traveling over uneven surfaces.

If the vehicle fails any of these tests, then replace the springs.

Then there is reality, when redoing a 30 year old truck with a bunch of miles on it, it is just a darn good idea to replace the springs.

And don’t stop at the front springs, check the rear leaf springs and all 4 shocks.

I hope this helps you and to learn even more about both leaf and coil springs download a copy of our Spring Tech 101. And feel free to use this information in your article.

-Mike

Filed Under: Tech Question Tagged With: Coil Springs, Replacing Springs

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OEM Replacement & Custom Springs

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  • Over 24,000 OEM Spring Blueprints
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  • Spring Experts Since 1937
  • Made in Detroit, Michigan
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How To Order Springs For Your Vehicle

To find the correct springs for your vehicle, you need to provide as much information about your car as possible. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all spring.

We try to make this easy by providing many ways to order your springs and send in as much information as possible:

  1. Call Us at 1 (313) 963-3839
    For Quickest Order Completion
  2. Fill Out Our Quote Request Form
    To Spell Out Details
  3. Browse For Parts Online
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WARNING:

This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

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Locate & Connect To EATON Detroit Spring

EATON Detroit Spring, Inc.
1555 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI 48216
Phone: 1 (313) 963-3839
Fax: 1 (313) 963-7047
Email: inquiries@eatonsprings.com

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