Coilovers vs. Leaf Springs for Your Restomod

The Great Suspension Debate: Coilovers vs. Leaf Springs for Your Restomod

In the world of classic car restoration, few topics spark as much debate as the "rear-end" setup. If you are building or buying a restomod, you will inevitably face a choice between sticking with the traditional Leaf Springs or upgrading to a modern coilover system.

While both serve the same fundamental purpose, supporting the vehicle's weight and absorbing road shocks, they do so with completely different mechanical philosophies. Here is the breakdown of how these two systems stack up in a restomod context.

Leaf Springs: The Rugged Old Guard

Leaf springs were the standard for almost every American muscle car and truck built before the 1980s. They consist of several layers of spring steel (leaves) clamped together in an arc.

The Pros

• Simplicity and Durability: Leaf springs are incredibly robust. They serve two roles at once: they act as the spring and the structural link that holds the axle in place. This means fewer moving parts and less complexity.

• Load Distribution: Because they attach to the frame at two points (the front eye and the rear shackle), they spread the car's weight over a larger section of the chassis.

• "Period-Correct" Feel: For many, a classic car should feel like a classic. A well-sorted leaf spring setup provides that authentic, "connected" vintage driving experience that some purists prefer.

The Cons

• Axle Wrap: Under heavy acceleration, leaf springs can twist into an "S" shape. This causes the rear tires to hop, leading to traction loss and potential damage to the driveshaft.

• Friction and Harshness: The leaves rub against each other as they flex. This internal friction leads to a "jittery" ride over small bumps that modern suspension effortlessly glides over.

• Limited Adjustability: Want to lower the car an inch? You’ll need lowering blocks or a trip to a machine shop to de-arch the springs. There is no "turning a dial" to change your ride quality.

Coilovers: The Modern Precision Tool

A coilover is exactly what it sounds like: a coil spring wrapped over a shock absorber. In a restomod, this usually requires a "4-link" or "3-link" subframe to hold the axle in place, as the coilovers themselves cannot provide structural support.

The Pros

• Total Adjustability: This is the big one. With coilovers, you can adjust your ride height, compression, and rebound damping in minutes. You can dial in the perfect "stance" for a show and then stiffen the ride for a weekend at the track.

• Superior Handling: By decoupling the "springing" from the "axle locating" (handled by the 4-link bars), the suspension can move more freely. This results in significantly better grip, less body roll, and zero axle wrap.

• Ride Comfort: Coilovers eliminate the metal-on-metal friction found in leaf packs, providing a much more "civilized" and modern ride quality.

The Cons

• Cost and Complexity: A full coilover conversion is expensive. You aren't just buying shocks; you’re usually buying a new rear subframe, control arms, and high-end hardware.

• Installation Intensity: Unlike leaf springs, which usually bolt into factory locations, coilover conversions often require welding, cutting, and precise geometry alignment.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Which Would You Choose?

Consider Leaf Springs if... You are building a "street sleeper" or a traditional cruiser. If you pair high-quality composite leaf springs with modern adjustable shocks (like QA1 or Ridetech), you can achieve 80% of the performance of a coilover setup for 20% of the cost and effort.

Consider Coilovers if... You want your classic car to handle like a modern vehicle. If your restomod features a high-horsepower crate engine and big brakes, the leaf springs will become the "weak link" in your build. Coilovers are the only way to truly modernize the chassis to match modern power.

When we design our RestoMods giveaway builds, we refuse to choose between classic muscle aesthetics and contemporary road manners; driveability and modern handling performance are always at the forefront of our upgrades in mind. A prime example is the evolution of our RM30 Charger, now sporting a sleek black finish as the RM33.

To ensure this beast handles as well as it looks, we performed a full suspension overhaul featuring a QA1 front cradle equipped with adjustable coilovers and a precise rack and pinion steering system. We mirrored that performance in the rear with a QA1 4-link suspension and matching coilovers, transforming the iconic Mopar into a corner-carving machine that delivers a tight, responsive ride height and a level of control that original 1960s tech simply can't touch.

Get your chance to win the RM33: fully restored and modified 1970 Charger, $50,000 in cash with a $10,000 donation in your name to the Honor Foundation at https://RestoMods.com