What is the Spring Insulators all about?

Whenever you drive, your suspension has to deal with the force delivered by bumps, potholes, and other road irregularities. Your front springs take a lot of that abuse, and your front spring insulators work to further reduce the possibility of damage. The front spring insulators are small pieces of rubber that are located at the top and bottom spring mounts. Without these insulators, the force of bad road conditions would be transmitted to your car’s body, and the vehicle occupants would bear the brunt of such nasty effects.

Keep in mind:

• Front spring insulator replacement is not part of your routine maintenance.
• Over time, front spring insulators can crack and even disintegrate, leaving your coil springs unprotected.
• Good quality insulators last a long time, but will eventually have to be replaced.

How it's done:

• The vehicle is supported on jack stands and all four tires are removed. The front and rear bottom shocks are disconnected while supporting the suspension.
• The defective front spring insulator is replaced by lowering the lower control arm and replacing the top and bottom spring insulators.
• The new rear spring insulators are installed by lowering the rear end till the spring can be removed to install the new insulators.
• The suspension is lifted and shocks are reconnected. All tires are reinstalled and the vehicle is removed from the jack stands.
• The springs are road tested to ensure proper quiet operation.

Our recommendation:

Front spring insulators are subject to wear but do not have a replacement interval. Problems are addressed as they arise. If you suspect your front spring insulators need to be replaced or are experiencing related symptoms, have one of our expert mechanics inspect and replace them as necessary.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Spring Insulators?

• Excessive road noise transferred into the passengers cabin
• Grinding noise when turning

How important is this service?

If your front spring insulators are damaged or worn, your driving experience will be significantly more noisy. Additional problems such as broken or worn coil springs can occur if the problem is ignored. Have your damaged or worn coil spring insulators fixed in due time.