Coil springs vs leaf springs for desert ride

[victor]

I have read here few times the reference of leaf spring and in a positive way, so wondering to understand what is the key difference in both and which one is better for desert driving?

Appreciate any heads up in choosing next capable off-road ride for weekend activities. Thanks.

[Danny]

Springs is new style and leaf is olden days style often used in heavy weight lifting trucks nowadays only.

[wildcat]

It depends on what you want to do, because  both springs and coils have advantages and disadvantages.

If you want to drive on fairly good surfaces, you are better off with coils since the suspension setups that go with coils almost always give a better ride quality than leaf springs do. Moreover, the trailing arms in coil suspensions allow for greater wheel travel, and with some modifications, it is possible to double the amount of wheel travel, which is what you want when you do rock crawling, or cross deep gullies. In addition, trailing arms prevent "axle bounce" that can break differentials and prop shafts under high power at large suspension extensions.

On the other hand, leaf springs can cope with point impacts much better than coils ever can, so if you are going to drive on uneven surfaces such as rocks that are all about the same size, you are better off with leaf springs. Leaf springs can also cope with higher vehicle weights than coils can , which is why you never see vehicles with coil spring suspensions on vehicle that do long overland trips.

In general, shock absorbers work much harder on coil spring suspensions than on leaf spring setups unless you modify the coils. You can change both the compresion and rebound rates to lessen the loads on the shocks. Also remember that the suspensions on so-called "off-road capable" SUV's and trucks are set up for highway use, which means that in off road conditions, these suspensions will always perform less efficiently than any standard leaf spring system.

So it all comes down to what you want to do, but I suggest you talk to the local off-road clubs to see what works best for your local conditions.

[vanhack]

Coil Springs suspension are more expensive to manufacture, now if you go towards independent suspension, that is even more expensive. Leaf springs as mentioned are more durable, and carry a better load for their own weight. There are not many newly manufactured 4x4s these days, and I mean the true 4x4 that are on leaves. LC200, patrols, wranglers, (defender...sadly no more) are all springs with coils. I believe that the LC70 series is still leaves on the rear, and coil/spring on the front.

I have not driven leaf spring much, but do remember that they give a harsh ride, even on the tarmac, I prefer the live axle with coil/spring setup...comfortable enough and cheaper to modify than IFS front.