Coil Spring

Coil springs are made from spring steel wire wound into a helix. They work together with the shock absorbers and set the ride height. Some vehicles use leaf springs, torsion bars or air springs instead, but coil springs are the most common on cars.

The spring compresses when the wheel hits a bump and stores the energy, then extends again. The damper controls how fast this happens.

A broken spring can make the car sit low on one corner, knock over bumps and damage the tyre. Springs are usually replaced in pairs on the same axle.