MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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My neighbour knocked on earlier to say that my car had made a loud bang when she walked past it. After taking a look it seems to be sitting really low on the drivers side front wheel arch. I'm guessing the spring has broken? Easy fix?
On the plus side I guess it's better to happen while it's sat stationary outside my house rather than at speed.
Springs don't usually break, not like that. Have you got hydraulic/pneumatic suspension?
No idea. It's a 2000 VW Polo.
Not sure on going on the drive, but they can go. Depends on car I think.
I took my astra in to the garage just before a long road trip to norway a couple of years ago, just to get bit of a knock from the rear end sorted before the trip, the knock had been occurring for a few months.
Both rear springs were in 2 pieces! 😯 Speedbumps are to blame!
Not a big job, only cost me 2 springs plus bout £30 in labour IIRC so hour or so work?
What car is it?
We had a fiesta at work, pushed out of workshop and sat in car park for a few weeks, when we pushed it back a front spring had snapped and rubbinb tyre,
It's not the first time I've seen a spring snap when the car is stationary . Once on an mot refresher course with 8 testers watching and the vosa guy doing a mock test the spring snapped for no reason as he was inspecting the filler cap.
Salt on our roads is the main cause. Not an issue in Europe apparently...
i'd put my mortgage on it being a spring, we've had 2 ford fiestas in the family and it is a very common problem.
they normally go in the cold, but its due to the potholes and speedbumps and crap in the winter degrade the steel. (according to garage man)
had 3 go on us, thank god we were not actually driving!
get both done aswell.
They don't make springs like they [s]used to[/s] should do.
get both done aswell.
This.
If it's a broken spring, it'll be easy to check because if you look at the spring, it'll be broken.
I are mechanicing!
I read that the springs often break at the ends which are hidden, so you sometimes can't see the break.
ive had springs fail - both sat on the drive and while driving.
there was a recall on my vehicle to fit "cups" to catch them when they do go - as they had a habit of going into the tire.
i have had the ends snap off as mol says - and then the piece falls out and you dont notice till mot time.... guy sticks it up on his ramp and the tension comes off - suddenly your springs rattling about - i did think the rear of my escort was very low- 2 snapped springs.
This is why these car a good idea: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1093040_audi-announces-composite-springs-to-save-weight-entering-production-later-this-year
I did wonder if they would transition over to bikes.
As molgrips says...I had a spring break, while on holiday down in the New Forest.
It broke on the final flat turn and couldn't be seen. Rattled a lot though!
My OH's Ka had a spring break on the rear and the whole car dropped right down. It was funny because her Mum had just clambered into the back....
As I pulled my old Prelude on to the drive I heard a clunk and the front left corner dropped.
I thought it was the spring but it was the lower ball joint had sheared. Doesn't bear thinking about what would of happened if it snapped a few minutes earlier.
Thanks for all the advice chaps, when I get a minute I'll get it off the road and jack it up to have a look. Does sound like a broken spring though. A quick google reveals it might be easier to just replace the whole strut rather than mess around with spring compressors etc.
My OH's Ka had a spring break on the rear and the whole car dropped right down. It was funny because her Mum had just clambered into the back....
😀
"A quick google reveals it might be easier to just replace the whole strut rather than mess around with spring compressors etc."
if thats what it says if your car - although spring compressors are NOT hard to use.
my car the NDS needs spring compressors to get the whole strutt assembly out so i required them anyway - springs = 25 quid.... whole strutt....about 100.
Ok, maybe I read it wrong. Thanks. Did you do it yourself?
yep - although im not quite a novice when it comes to wielding tools at a mechanical object - YMMV
if you do have a go just be cautious as its stored energy.make sure you have good quality spring compressors with decent secondary retention.
Boiiiiinggg!
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Yep. That's broken.
Watch that brake pipe doesn't get snagged. I think someone above has already stated to get them changed in pairs as the other one is likely to go soon and if not will be softer than the new spring.
You might want to get the discs checked too as that is quite a lip on them.