What is a Coil Spring Conversion Kit?

What is a coil spring conversion kit?

Coil spring conversion kits have become a very popular option for owners of vehicles that come with factory air suspension systems. Anyone who has owned an air suspension vehicle for more than a few years has probably experienced some sort of issue with there air suspension. Many air suspension components are made from rubbers that are susceptible to dry rot and fatigue, over time these components are sure to fail. These components are fairly costly due to complexity of them. Also troubleshooting air suspension problems can be very difficult and should be left to a mechanic or very knowledgeable person, to avoid spending alot of time and money replacing parts that may not be faulty.

The cost and hassle of repairing an air suspension system has pushed people to find an alternative solution. This solution being air suspension conversion kits. So you may be wondering, what is a coil spring conversion kit (aka air suspension conversion kit)? To explain this a little better I will describe a few types of suspensions. For example when you buy a vehicle from the dealership it is most likely come with either coil springs, coil overs, or leaf springs. Factory air suspension systems are offered mainly on luxury vehicles. A coil spring, is exactly as it sounds, a large spring that is coiled up to absorb energy just as a small spring out of a pen would. A coil over is like a coil spring only it has a shock absorber built into the center of it, so that it is all one piece. A leaf spring is an arched piece of steel, that connects to two points on the frame and one point on the axle on each side of the vehicle. Coils and coil overs are found at all four corners of most light duty vehicles, and are also used in the front for many heavy duty vehicles. Leaf springs are far more rigid which makes the ride stiff, the plus side is they offer increased load capacity.

What type of Vehicles are susceptible to failing air suspensions?

Most makes and models, especially older cars have failing suspensions and are in possible need of a coil kit. For instance I come across incoln navigator air suspension problems all the time. I also come accross Dodge, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Land Rover, and hummer h2 air suspension problems. I’ve seen 2002 ford expedition air suspension, 2002 lincoln navigator air suspension and even a 98 lincoln town car air suspension fail.

Pics of suspension types

*Above is a Leaf Spring

 

*Above is a Coil Spring

 

*Above is a Coil Over

 

 

*Above is an Air Bag

 

So what a coil spring conversion kit does is allow you to use coil springs instead of airbags. Basically there will be coils in place of your air bags. Most kits include the coil springs as well as all the parts to mount them. Some people may think that it would be a bad idea to do this conversion, I mean after all they put air bags on it for a reason…..right? Well they did design cars with them for a reason, to be the softest riding, most luxurious cars on the road. However the ride difference between air bags and coil springs is minimal. Most coil conversion kits are easy to install and dont require any modifications that are not reversible (ie No cutting or welding). So what is the advantage of coil springs? Coil springs have been around longer than air suspension systems. They have an extremely rugged structure, and almost never fail. In most cases coil springs will outlast the life of the vehicle. (For more information visit: Air Bag Suspension vs Coil Conversion Kit)

A coil spring conversion kit is a great permanent solution to air suspension problems. It will save you alot of money and troubleshooting headaches. The cost of a single air suspension repair is often more than a  conversion kit. You can find more info at Air Suspension Reviews (aka Air Suspension System Reviews). Link Below.

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