# When did leaf springs appear in vehicles? - Tags: technology, transportation, historical-techniques, metallurgy - Score: 8 - Views: 3,077 - Answers: 4 - Asked by: user18968 - Asked on: Mar 31, 2017 - Last active: Sep 6, 2018 - License: CC BY-SA 4.0 --- ## Question Passenger vehicles require suspensions for ride comfort. Most today use helical springs, but leaf springs were at one time a major advance over chain or leather strap suspensions, and are still used in some applications today. Metal springs for vehicles predate the Bessemer process. Making a leaf spring starts with forging a thin, curved piece of metal. Making a superior one calls for a smart cooling schedules (e.g. initial quench, then slow cooling) and a careful choice of materials. When did they appear in the historical record? --- ## Answer 1 — Score: 3 - By: djlindsay (71 rep) - Answered on: Mar 31, 2017 Leaf spring was first adapted to the horse drawn carriage in the 14th or 15th century. It didn't see widespread use until it's production became more practical in the 18th century. It cannot be said when "every" modern smithy was capable of producing Leaf Spring as each had it's own specialization as it w