Car coil spring seat rear and front

How to detect the spring spacer failure

To estimate the suspension spring spacer state, visually inspect it. If you see cracks, chips, breaks, warping of the component or its hardening, replace the part.

You may identify that the spring spacer has to be inspected by the following signs:

• suspension distortion;
• decreased comfort;
• a decrease in the ground clearance;
• frequent knocks on the vehicle bottom when driving off-road;
• uneven tire wear.

Causes of the spring spacer failure

The part operates under high loads and has a limited service life. It is advisable to replace it once a year on the average. Polyurethane and rubber spacers typically wear out sooner than metal and plastic spacers, but they better damp the vibrations and cost less.

The spacers premature wear can be associated with the unfavorable vehicle operating and storage conditions. Temperature changes, direct sunlight, dirt, moisture and road chemicals have a destructive impact on the material from which they are produced. And frequent driving on low-quality roads, aggressive driving style, permanently loaded luggage compartment create increased loads on the parts, causing them to prematurely fail.

Sometimes spacers cannot efficiently perform their functions only because their features do not meet the vehicle technical requirements, for example, they do not comply with the spring design peculiarities or the vehicle weight.

Low-quality components are prone to premature wear to a large extent. Their usage is dangerous also because it can cause the turns of the spring to break.

Replacement of the spring spacers

In most cases, for the spacers replacement you need a special remover to compress the springs. If you do not have it, seek assistance at a service station, as compressing springs with improvised means is very dangerous. If you have the appropriate equipment and skills, you can perform the installation of new spacers on your own. To replace the front spring spacers you need to:

1. Lift the car with a jack.
2. Remove the wheel.
3. Unscrew the shock absorber strut mounting nuts.
4. Detach the stabilizer bar from the body frame and the arm.
5. Remove the upper arm stud retaining nut.
6. Compress the spring removing the stabilizer link stud at the same time.
7. Unscrew the nut that fastens the shock absorber strut to the lower arm, and pull out the bolt.
8. Dismantle the strut.
9. Unscrew the strut mount fasteners.
10. Remove the faulty spacer and install a new one in its place.
11. Reassemble the unit in the reverse order.

The procedure of replacing the rear suspension spring spacers can be more laborious, since to open access to the strut mounts you often have to remove the rear door sills, and also the luggage compartment liners and trims.

Installation of interturn spring spacers can be made without dismantling the strut: you only have to remove the wheel and unload the spring.

The procedure of spacers installation is dependent on the car design and the part location. Therefore, before you start replacing the part, read the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer.