BEAUTIFUL VIEW

BEHAVIOR

Coil springs absorb the bumps that tires encounter and they retard the upward and downward motion of a vehicle as it moves across uneven surfaces. In conjunction with shock absorbers, coil springs form the front suspension of most cars.

HABITAT

Found inboard of the front wheels, springs are mounted around shock absorbers between the upper and lower wishbone or control arms that support the wheel.

HOW IT WORKS

Coil springs are made of special spring steel rods. The rods are heated and wound into the spiral shape.

Coil springs store energy. As the spring is compressed, it stores the energy and then releases it to make a smoother ride.

Springs obey Hooke’s Law, one of the basic laws of physics. The law specifies that the position of a body attached to a spring is proportional to the force that pulls or pushes on the body. For example, if you hang a spring from the ceiling, attaching heavier weights to the bottom end will stretch the spring—causing its length to increase. The weight added is directly proportional to the increased length of the spring.

Springs stretched beyond their elastic limit don’t obey Hooke’s Law. Take a Slinky and pull it far enough and you get a jumbled coil of wire instead of a toy.

A field guide to automotive technology

Ed Sobey

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