Leaf Springs Vs Coil Springs

The suspension system is a system composed of springs, shock absorbers, and connecting rods, which connect the trailer to the wheels. It is responsible for the handling and braking of the vehicle to ensure safety.

The leaf spring suspension is made of a series of relatively long steel belts, both ends are connected to the frame, and the axle is suspended in the middle. And it uses spring steel with a rectangular cross-section and a slender arc length. The coil spring is located on the top of the axle or on the lower control arm and chassis. The functions and applications between the two are described in detail below.

Leaf Springs

Leaf spring suspensions are much simpler in terms of functionality as the axle is suspended by the spring, and does not require the arduous suspension geometry of the coil-spring set-up. Leaf springs are also much sturdier as compared to coil springs. They are capable of handling much higher loads with less deflection than coils. Trucks with leaf springs are also easier to raise or lower.

Since this spring is attached at fixed points on the chassis, it leaves a minuscule room for adjustability and customization of the suspension geometry. These springs also flex a great deal less than coil springs, resulting in a loss of wheel-to-ground contact under extreme conditions.

Coil Springs

The coil spring suspension provides more suspension motion range and allows users to have a wider tuning range within the suspension range than the leaf spring. In fact, if budget permits, all high-performance applications use coil springs when possible.

The two main disadvantages of helical spring suspensions are cost and load-bearing capacity. If the trailer is originally equipped with coil springs, the cost is not a problem, but retrofitting can be very expensive and time-consuming. For very heavy trailers, coils are usually not the first choice, because the coils on the axle setup are far less stable or sturdy than suitable leaf springs.