One of the results of the Coronavirus pandemic has been a much great reliance on home deliveries and this means that Ireland’s fleet of light commercial vehicles is busier than ever. Greater use and increased loads adds to the pressure on the suspension of these vehicles and this has lead to a sharply increased demand for leaf springs.

Leaf springs protect occupants and cargo from the bumps and jolts of every-day driving. Many LCV manufacturers use them because they can carry much more weight and have a longer life span than coil springs, particularly when used on the rear axle to bear most of the weight of the payload.

Somora has now introduced a comprehensive range of replacement Leaf Springs from CS Germany. These are European made springs in OEM quality, covering Conventional leaf springs, (Ford Ranger/Toyota Hilux etc.), Parabolic leaf spring (Ford Transit) and Composite leaf springs (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter).

More vans on the road and increased loads and mileage means leaf spring issues are now more common than ever. They can often fail due to potholes and poor road surfaces, while overloading a vehicle can also cause major problems. Worn shocks can also put excess strain on leaf springs causing them to fracture, while lack of spring maintenance, especially greasing and cleaning, couple with corrosion can also be a major issue. Leaf springs are also prone to failure due to incorrect installation and often need replacement after accidents.

Leaf springs should be regularly inspected for fracturing and corrosion and replaced as required. Other signs that these springs may need to be replaced are; noise on bumpy surfaces, a slouching vehicle stance, poor vehicle handling, bottoming-out, or the vehicle sagging at the rear, even with no payload. If a vehicle is displaying any of these symptoms, the springs should be replaced to avoid a potential dangerous and costly total failure.  

CS-Germany recommends that it is best practice to have springs replaced in sets as they are subject to the same wear and fatigue. CS Germany Leaf Springs are supplied with U-Bolts, Centre-Bolts, Bushes and Rubber Pads where applicable for easy fitting and peace of mind. These springs are competitively priced, TÜV approved and fully detailed on TecDoc.