If you want to know what recycles into Springs in ARC Raiders, the short answer is small mechanical junk — toys, clocks, pens, and similar coil-bearing clutter. Springs are a common crafting material you will burn through constantly when building weapon mods, gadgets, and gear upgrades, so it pays to know exactly which loot to grab and break down. This guide walks through what Springs do, where you recycle, the best items that yield them, and how to keep a healthy stockpile.
Like most extraction loot in ARC Raiders, raw value comes from what you do with it back at the hideout. Most of the items below are near-worthless to a vendor but are exactly what you need at the workbench, so recycling is almost always the smarter call once your stash starts filling up.
What you need to know first
- Springs are a crafting material, not gear — you cannot equip them, only spend them in recipes.
- You recycle at your Workshop in the underground hub, using the Recycler.
- Spring-yielding items are light and common, so grabbing them rarely costs you valuable inventory space.
- Recipes vary by patch. Exact yields and item names can change with updates, so treat the lists below as the reliable item categories rather than fixed numbers.
What recycles into Springs in ARC Raiders
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Step 1: Understand what Springs are used for
Springs are a mid-tier crafting material. You will see them listed in the recipes for weapon attachments and mods, deployable gadgets and tools, and various Workshop and gear upgrades. Because so many recipes ask for them, Springs are one of those materials you always seem to be a few short of — which is exactly why knowing what recycles into them matters.
Springs appear across weapon mods, gadgets, and upgrade recipes. -
Step 2: Recycle items at your Workshop
All recycling happens back at base, not out in the field. Open your Workshop and select the Recycler, drop the junk you want to break down into it, and confirm. The machine converts those items into base materials — including Springs — that flow straight into your crafting supply. Selling such items to a vendor instead would earn almost nothing, so recycling is the better return for low-value clutter.
The Recycler in your Workshop turns junk loot into materials like Springs. -
Step 3: Know which junk recycles into Springs
The reliable rule is simple: anything with a coil inside. Small mechanical and household items are your best Spring sources. Look out for toy cars (wind-up and pull-back types), alarm clocks and wind-up timers, retractable ballpoint pens, staplers and office clips, and other wind-up gadgets like music boxes. Spare common weapon attachments you no longer need can also be broken down for parts. Most of these yield a mix of Springs plus a little scrap metal.
Coil-bearing junk — toys, clocks, pens, staplers — recycles into Springs. -
Step 4: Loot the right places on the surface
To recycle Spring items, you first have to find them on your raids. These items live in everyday human spaces, so prioritise houses and sheds, offices, garages, and abandoned cars and wrecks. Search drawers and cabinets, toolboxes and lockers, cardboard boxes, shelves and desks. The same domestic containers that hold pens and clocks are exactly where the coil junk tends to spawn.
Raid homes, offices, garages, and wrecks, then search every drawer and box. -
Step 5: Stockpile Springs efficiently
Because Spring items are small and light, the smart habit is to grab every coil item you pass and recycle them once you are safely home. Hold a buffer so you are never blocked mid-craft, but do not let raw junk eat your loot limit when you are carrying valuable gear out of a raid. And before scrapping anything rarer than basic clutter, glance at the recipe — some attachments are worth keeping intact.
Pick up light coil junk on every run and recycle it back at base.
Tips for farming Springs faster
- Sweep residential zones. Suburban houses and office interiors are dense with pens, clocks, and toys — far more efficient than open industrial areas.
- Batch your recycling. Let coil junk pile up in your stash, then break it all down in one Workshop session so you can see your Spring total climb at once.
- Recycle, do not sell. Most Spring junk sells for next to nothing, so the material is almost always worth more than the coins.
- Keep a small reserve. A buffer of Springs means you can craft mods and gadgets on the spot instead of running a dedicated farming trip.
Troubleshooting
I recycled junk but did not get any Springs
Not every item yields Springs — only coil-bearing mechanical junk reliably does. Plain bottles, rags, or food items recycle into other materials. Re-check the item type and aim for toys, clocks, pens, and similar.
The Recycler will not let me break down an item
Some quest items and certain valuables are protected from recycling, or are worth more sold or kept. If an item cannot be recycled, it is usually one the game wants you to use or trade instead.
I keep running out of Springs mid-craft
Increase how much coil junk you collect per raid and recycle in larger batches. Carrying a small Spring reserve in your stash prevents recipes from stalling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best item to recycle for Springs in ARC Raiders?
Small mechanical household items are the best — toy cars, alarm clocks, retractable pens, and staplers are common, light, and reliably break down into Springs.
Where do I recycle items in ARC Raiders?
At the Recycler inside your Workshop at the hideout. Open it, add your junk, and confirm to convert it into crafting materials such as Springs.
Should I sell or recycle Spring items?
Recycle them. Most coil junk is nearly worthless to vendors, so converting it into Springs gives you far more practical value at the workbench.
What are Springs used for in ARC Raiders?
Springs are a crafting material used in weapon mods and attachments, gadgets and deployables, and a range of Workshop and gear upgrade recipes.
Are Spring items rare?
No. The household items that yield Springs are common loot in residential and office areas, so a steady supply is easy to maintain if you grab them as you go.
Final thoughts
Knowing what recycles into Springs in ARC Raiders turns clutter you would normally ignore into a steady supply of a material you will always need. Remember the rule of thumb — if it is small, mechanical, and has a coil inside, grab it and recycle it back at the Workshop. Sweep homes, offices, and garages on every run, batch your recycling, and keep a small reserve, and you will rarely be short of Springs again. For the latest official details, check the official ARC Raiders website.
