Coil Springs vs. Leaf Springs: What’s the Difference?
Seemingly small parts of a vehicle can have a substantial effect on how it performs on and off the road. Your springs only make up part of your suspension system, but how you use coil and leaf springs to your benefit can make your experience behind the wheel better. So, what’s the difference between coil springs and leaf springs? Read this quick guide to find out how each spring option can benefit your suspension system for commercial or personal use.
Discussing Leaf Springs
Leaf springs are robust parts of the suspension system that greatly affect riding quality. Among the biggest benefits of a leaf spring setup is the ample load weight you can carry. It’s common to see leaf springs on commercial vehicles, such as trucks. A leaf spring helps vehicles handle heavy loads so that the suspension can retain stability without experiencing reduced performance.
That said, leaf springs have a reputation that suggests they don’t leave a lot of room for improvement because they’re not as customizable as coil springs. The good news is that you can customize your leaf spring setup to personalize the vehicle’s performance. For example, at Ironman 4x4, we have load options for different weight support and ride heights, as well as caster wedge kits that reduce driveline vibrations.
Coil Spring Applications
When it comes to the showdown of coil springs vs. leaf springs, discussing what the difference is requires focusing on the applications of both options. At the end of the day, the comparison isn’t as easy as saying one option is better than the other. The decision comes down to what vehicle you have and what you need from your suspension system.
Coil springs optimize performance improvements upon installation, which is why you will frequently find coil springs on off-road vehicles. Coil springs are ideal for off-road travel because they are more flexible without compromising drivability, which ensures you can retain as much comfort as possible on off-road terrain. How your springs interact with the terrain will have a big impact on how you feel on every ride.
Knowing the Differences
Knowing the benefits of each spring helps you understand how they will handle your applications for commercial use or off-road fun. You can find performance benefits in either spring setup for foam cell pro, foam cell, or nitro gas lift kits depending on your vehicle.
For example, our off-road suspension lift kits at Ironman 4x4 include Foam Cell Pro kits that feature coil springs or leaf springs with options for comfort or medium loads to upgrade your vehicle’s performance and match your driving needs. Take a closer look at the suspension lift kits available for your vehicle model today to upgrade your springs.