Describe the 'Snaking' phenomenon in Crest-to-Crest wave springs and how to prevent it.

Snaking is a buckling failure where a multi-turn spring moves radially out of alignment under axial load. This occurs when the free height to mean diameter ratio ($L_f / D_m$) exceeds approximately $1.5$. To prevent snaking, the spring should be guided by a bore or a shaft. If the application does not allow for a pilot, the spring must be designed with a lower $L_f / D_m$ ratio or use a nested design which is inherently more stable. For high-deflection applications, internal guides or 'sleeves' are often integrated into the assembly to ensure the spring compresses axially and maintains a uniform load distribution across its circumference.