Although the technology found in modern passenger vehicles and trucks have changed drastically over the years, the repair methods and physics behind suspensions have remained constant, said Sarah Buffum, owner of Denver Spring & Suspension, which was founded in 1953.

"Ride height is important because if it's not correct, it'll cause parts to wear prematurely," Buffum said.  As trucks and vehicles age, springs wear and shocks fatigue, altering the geometry of a front end and causing the rear to sag, she said.  Even overloading a pickup once or twice can stress or even crack a stock suspension, she added.

The process of re-arching a leaf spring for correct ride height is a true craft, Buffum said.  "It requires a hand-eye coordination and has been done that way for close to a century," she said. 

Rarely does the shop re-arch the top leaf, Buffum said, adding that the leaves below can be re-arched or more leaves can be added.  "Each leaf has to work individually and move as (the spring) flattens."

Like Foden, Buffum is the third generation in her family to work in the suspension business, one that began with her grandfather, a blacksmith from Wichita Falls, Texas.  Buffum and her late husband, Robert Buffum, responded to an ad in a Suspension Specialists of America newsletter and decided to move to Denver and purchase the business in '97.

Since then, Buffum said the business has grown from just spring work to include suspension work for all types of vehicles. 

This includes front-end replacement parts, such as kingpin rebushing and alignments, as well as coil springs, struts, and shock absorbers.  When a customer's vehicle has suspension requirements that cannot be met by stock coil springs, custom coils can be made, she added.

"We carry many different systems that can solve a customer's unique suspension problems," Buffum said.  These rear suspension enhancements include a variety of products, such E-Z Ride and Silent Drive tag axles.  She said she also distributes Mor/Ryde systems, which soften the rough ride normally found in vehicles that need heavier weight-bearing springs.  Timbren, Roadmaster, Active Suspension, and Firestone Airbags are also products that they install to achieve a smoother ride, she added.

A major portion of the heavy-duty truck work Denver Spring & Suspension offers is rebushing various heavy-duty tandem axle systems, used in vehicles such as garbage trucks, 10- and 15-yard dump trucks, concrete mixers, as well as crane trucks and drilling rigs.

Buffum said her diverse customer base includes everything from individual vehicle owners, repair shops, businesses, and fleet accounts.  The nature of Denver Spring & Suspension's niche brings in work on a variety of vehicles, she said--passenger cars, restorations, tandem-axle trucks, and tractor-trailers, RVs, motor homes, and utility trailers.

"We believe our greatest product is the service we can offer to our customers," she said.  "We know that for the length of time a truck is in our bay, it's costing them money."  Commercial customers usually have to rent another truck,  she said.  "We pride ourselves in the fastest turnaround time possible."

Quick repair times mean having the right parts in stock to do the job, Buffum said, who carries a large inventory of springs and suspension parts.  While Pacific Rim manufactures' products cost less, they only meet minimum specification requirements, she said, adding that for this reason they won't offer them. 

 
The tempered steel leaf springs used in the shop are purchased from Triangle, Dallas Spring, and UCF American, Buffum said, adding that her business will only use products manufactured in America, Canada, and Mexico. 

A large portion of business comes from selling parts to other repair shops or re-arching or fixing broken leaf springs that are removed from a customer's vehicle and brought into them, Buffum said.  To solicit business, she said she makes sales calls, as does Outside Salesman Bill Curry.

Providing good customer service also means looking out for the customer, Buffum said.  "We won't make springs so strong that they'll overwork the truck," she said.  Also, the shop recommends front-end alignments after kingpins and bushings are replaced to prevent abnormal tire wear.

"We can do repairs much faster because of our expertise," she said, adding that the shop bases a job on average hours.  Given the fact the cost of steel has gone up 82 percent since the first of the year, she said she tries to keep labor rates reasonable as parts prices rise.

Because of repeat business, coupled with relatively stable suspension technology, Buffum said she believes the future of her business is bright.

"Until the industry can come out with a totally different system, there will always be a need for this type of business," she said.  Regardless of what powers the vehicles of the future, the desire for a comfortable ride will remain, she noted.