I will be replacing the struts and shocks on my car soon. I did them last about 80000 km ago, but at that time I did not replace the springs.
Do springs wear out over time?
Should I replace them this time around? None of the springs are damaged in any way, but they do have just under 200000 km on them.
Springs do wear out overtime or with severe duty use. You can determine if they are sagging by checking the ride height. Where this measurement is taken and what is normal varies with each vehicle type and brand. The spring is what determines ride height, as it is the component that is supporting the vehicles weight. One of the leading causes of spring failure is worn struts. The struts control the rate at which the spring compresses and extends. Worn struts allow the spring to move to quickly and results in metal fatigue. You may want to consider buying loaded struts. The strut comes as an assembly with a new spring. They are generally cheaper than buying the parts separately and there is a labor savings since the old struts don't need to be disassembled. Since most of us don't have a strut compression tool to remove the spring buying the entire assembly can turn it into a DIY project for additional savings.
Yes. You can get a spring tester from a number of locations. If you care about performance, you will find that the cheap springs can vary by as much as 20% from spring to spring! YIKES! The good ones are made by Hyperco. There are other good manufacturers out there too, but they are probably the best for street/track cars.
Also, if you do get a spring compressor to remove your springs, please do not get the diabolical hook and screw design kind. Those are VERY dangerous. The amount of energy bound up in a spring when you are compressing those is extreme. If something breaks, it can easily kill you. There are other designs that grip more of the spring in a U shape or other designs that are much more secure and use a lever or multiple screw points to compress the springs.
