Over time, a car that uses a spring suspension sags. Small rolls appear, comfort worsens. The cost of the original springs is quite high, and “rolling” them, like springs, will not work. How to get rid of banks in turns and at the same time increase clearance? For this, autobuffers are used. Pros and cons, reviews about these devices - further in our article.
Characteristic
This product appeared on the Russian market relatively recently. Another name is interturn spacers, or pillow buffers. Externally, they are a transparent gasket that is installed between two turns of the spring.
Material
The material from which TTC autobuffers are made is transparent urethane. It is very elastic to the touch, due to which it perfectly absorbs various vibrations, vibrations and shock during the suspension operation. More expensive Korean auto-buffers are made of synthetic rubber. At a cost it is much more expensive than its counterparts - about 7 thousand rubles per set for four springs. Material has the ability to quickly restore its geometry. Even when hitting a large pit, the element will work out a blow qualitatively and will absorb most of its energy. Some people put them so that the car does not sit down much when loading.
There is also a cheaper autobuffer. The shock-absorbing pillows are made of simple rubber and work out irregularities much worse. It is difficult to name such elastic material. Putting such auto-buffers (including VAZ) is not worth it. Reviews say that cheap products are completely ineffective. By the way, high-quality urethane products do not lose their elasticity properties over a wide temperature range - from minus 60 to plus 120 degrees Celsius, which is great for any latitude.
Varieties
Inter-turn spacers are distinguished by the size and diameter of the turns. Each model has its own marking. As a rule, these are Latin letters C, D, E, A and others. The distance between the turns can be from 1.3 to 6.8 centimeters.
And the diameter of the spring is from 12.5 to 18 centimeters. Therefore, before buying
car buffers, car owners'
reviews recommend measuring these characteristics in advance. Each car model is different. There are no universal models that would fit all "cars". When measuring the greatest distance, it should be borne in mind that in front (due to the location of the motor) it will be an order of magnitude lower than in the rear.
Functionality
Manufacturers position this device as something designed to increase safety and comfort in driving. When installing auto-buffers, the car becomes more clear in control. It does not heel in corners and does not pump when braking.
The main task of the element is to reduce the cost of suspension maintenance. By installing such a device between the turns, you reduce the level of load on the springs, shock absorbers and silent blocks, since a certain percentage of shock is absorbed by the urethane spacer. Accordingly, their resource is increasing. Reviews of car owners say that this thing is great for use on poor roads.
How to install do it yourself
For independent installation you do not need special equipment and special tools. All you need is an ordinary jack. Putting the car on a hand brake, we hang out completely one of the wheels. For ease of installation, you can pre-remove it. Further, when the coils of the spring are fully stretched, we place the element in the grooves. If there is dirt on the turns, it can be cleaned with gasoline or mineral spirits.
In addition, the element is fixed with plastic clamps. If part of the piece goes into the second turn, cut off the excess with the help of an office knife. Length mismatch can increase the load on part of the spring. But what if you specifically purchased a high autobuffer in order to increase clearance, and it does not fit into the spring? To do this, it is recommended to remove the lower shock absorber mount. So the spring travel on the suspension arm will be maximum. If necessary, use a minus screwdriver (as a lever when installing the pillow). After installation, fasten the wheel back, lower the car and tighten the bolt of fastening of the lower silent block of the shock absorber.
Benefits
What are the pros and cons of auto-buffers? Reviews note that this is one of the most affordable ways to tune the suspension. It is difficult to call it a significant refinement, but if you are aiming to increase clearance, installing a pillow between the turns will allow you to do this. At the same time, the geometry of the suspension does not change. Unlike other spacers, you do not need to look for or make additional brackets for attaching shock absorbers, since with an increase in clearance its course will be minimal. The device also fights sagging springs. The turns will not hit each other.
As for handling, it is getting much better. The car gently passes such bumps as rail and tram rails,
speed bumps and just holes. When braking, the car does not "bite its nose." When hitting a large pit, the rack does not rest against the chipper. As you know, frequent blows into it can break through the shock absorber. The spacer adds a few centimeters, thereby saving the rack from breakdowns. At corners, the car does not seek to go to the “oncoming" or roadside. She strictly adheres to a given radius. When turning a large degree, you will not feel that the car is about to roll over. But this can only be achieved with serviceable shock absorbers.
How to determine shock absorber wear?
If they fail, then installing urethane pillows will be pointless. Since their price is quite serious, before buying, you should diagnose shock absorbers and suspension struts. This can be done without dismantling. You should swing the car up and down and see how it will deal with vibrations. If the car returned to a calm state for 1-2 fluctuations, the racks are whole. But when she continues to jump, it’s not normal. During a turn, such a car will rush to the side of the road or oncoming lane. Also, the condition of the shock absorbers is checked on the go. If during the movement you hear characteristic knocks in one of the four wheels, the stand most likely has broken through. External examination also does not hurt. If there is a leak on the shock absorber housing, this is clearly a sign of wear.
Only after fixing this malfunction, you can think about installing parts such as auto-buffers. Where to buy them? You can purchase items at any car market in your city, in stores or online. The range of choices is simply huge.
How much does it serve?
Since the material of manufacture may be different, the life of urethane pillows is significantly different. It is from 2 to 7 years. Owner reviews note that the product of urethane is considered the most high-quality and relatively inexpensive. They are as hardy as rubber counterparts. Remember that the color must be transparent. When adding dyes, be aware that the manufacturer has mixed the material with other components. This significantly reduces the cost of the manufacturing process, but at the same time their strength and service life are reduced. A quality product shakes the car less, which is very useful when traveling long distances. Due to the good absorption of shock and vibration by such pillows, the service life of shock absorbers increases, and the risk of leakage decreases. They also reduce the landing level of the machine at high load. She does not sink on the bottom and does not catch them on the bumps. This is a big plus.
disadvantages
What are the pros and cons of auto buffers? Reviews note the main drawback - the high price. The cheapest set of two pillows will cost about one and a half thousand rubles. Also, many do not like the stiffness of the suspension. Like, the car does not work well in pits and bumps. But often this applies to products from substandard materials. Also, when choosing, you need to carefully measure the diameter and length between the turns. The slightest discrepancy - and the pillow will not hold normally. Also, the reviews of the owners note the poor quality of the fasteners. Even if the pillow matches the size of the spring, it flies out of the grooves. All because of the poor quality of plastic clamps, which are frayed by metal coils and break off. In this regard, motorists decide to fix products on metal clamps. But such fasteners can wipe the spacer or the coil of the spring. Therefore, periodically check the condition of the plastic clamps and if there are deformations, replace them with new ones. Auto-buffers cannot be installed on hard sports springs. This can provoke the appearance of cracks in the coils due to the increased load on them. The pillow is installed only on standard springs.
How to choose?
We just looked at the pros and cons of auto-buffers. Motorist reviews can vary greatly. Some praise urethane pillows, while others categorically do not recommend installing them. And the whole thing is the quality of manufacture.
The Russian market is full of fakes. And autobuffers are no exception. Therefore, when buying, we bypass the painted products. They should only be transparent. Also test them for elasticity. Rigid elements will not provide damping in any way - they will only increase the load on the turns, since out of 5 only 3 of them will be involved. Pay attention to the smell. It does not have to be harsh. Low-quality products quickly crack. Among manufacturers, it is worth noting products from the TTS company. This is a Korean company that makes really high-quality urethane pillows. They give a three-year warranty on their products, although in fact they last much longer.
Conclusion
So, we found out why we need autobuffers. As you can see, this is a good way to return the suspension to its former stiffness and restore the clearance of sagging springs. Some install pneumatic cylinders as an alternative. They have something similar to air bags, but they are pumped not from the passenger compartment, but manually, with a compressor. The function is approximately the same, however, pressure must be controlled at each load. With autobuffers, you do not need to pump anything. But they are 2 times more expensive than cylinders.