The Leeds potholes combined with the missus driving have snapped one of the front coil springs on our Golf. Now I know the Haynes manual says you should replace coil springs in pairs, but firstly theyre expensive and secondly Im lazy. So, question; do I REALLY have to replace both or can I get way with replacing just the snapped one?

No you dont.

The first time a coil went the garage recommended doing both at once as it would unbalance the car.

2nd car it happened to I just changed one, and you really couldn’t notice a difference! If you have a highley tuned sports car I can imagine you would tell…..

Having said that most garages (main dealers) charge nearly as much for 1 as they do 2.

One at a time is fine. You don’t turn left and right at the same time anyway.

Its not so much the difference when turning corners that is an issue. It more about keep the car straight when under heavy braking. If the springs are not balanced then it may cause some issues

Bro in laws snapped- VW changed it FOC even though his car is a 2002 model.

hora – how on earth did he get VW to cough up!!??? Mine is a 2000 so would be even more unlikely

Let me ask. I did find it odd TBH.

I don’t see why you would need to do both if the correct rate spring is fitted (ie the same as the one on the other side).

Only did one when this happed to me (funnily enough also the mrs driving around leeds) without any negative effects.

They get weaker over time. Hence a new one would be slightly stiffer than an older one of the same spec, ESPECIALLY in an 8 year old car. Do both – you won’t be glad of the £ saved when you’re trapped in a mangled car having veered to one side when emergency braking on a rough road.

Plus there might be insurance issues, going against recommended practice.

BUy both from GSF and get them changed at non VAG dealer. You should be able to whip the shocks off in about 20 mins a side. Take to your local garage. With a windy gun its about 2 mins to fit a set of coil spring clamps and remove the top nut. Do not attempt to do this yourself. Unless you can borrrow the correct coil spring compresser.
reckon on 1 hour labour price for your local guy to fit both coil springs to your struts.

As has been mentioned the spring will have weakened over time and the car might yaw really badly under hard braking , potentially lifting a rear wheel, if this happens and you have any lock on at all the car could rotate on you.

ive got a spring compressor- theyre only a tenner.

I think I’ll go for the lazy approach and replace one and then do some ‘testing’ on an industrial estate to see what happens when the anchors are slammed on!

Thanks for all the replies

Lol – FS: one second hand Golf only rolled once, oh it needs another front coil spring replacing!

buy both and have both fitted, springs….. cart, coil or otherwise settle with use and may in actuality be a different rate or length regardless of what you think you’ve bought, that being said,you wont notice a difference till you really need to brake in a straight line, and then it wont.

With older or classic cars, it’s not uncommon to buy a a 2 inch or so lowering kit and find out the car is exactly the same height as it was before it was lowered as the springs have settled under load. I wouldn’t risk just changing one in a car that age. but maybe that’s just me……….

If you already own a coil spring compressor then you are obviously a capable home mechanic.
Your car will handle better with a pair of new springs. It might also not wear out the tyres as fast, as if one side is lower than the other this might make toe and castor setting impossible. You might get less mpg if the car is not driving straight and level and both wheels are pointing straight .
You are putting your life ,and your passengers at risk for what £35. (GSF)

If one has already broken then whats to say the other one isn’t damaged

Hell, there’s even a pair on the bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/vw-golf-mk4-STD-FRONT-SPRINGS-x2-TDI-1pink-2cream-dots_W0QQitemZ160310997759QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item160310997759&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Currently £15 , should fit yours if its a MK4. Might be a slightly higher lb/in rate , but they will match each other , and they aren’t snapped, like one of yours.

singletrackmind – “If you already own a coil spring compressor then you are obviously a capable home mechanic.”

Youre are jumping to conclusions here all it means is Ive got 10 quid, a screwfix catalogue and a (misplaced) gung-ho attitude!

What I would recommend would be to go down to the road, take lots of picture of the hole (with something to show depth), then send aletter to Leeds Council along with receipts for work done and get your money back frm them for being inept.

Exactly the same happened to me (saw the hole but it was a narrow road, I had just turned in to the road and a car was coming in the other direction so I could not avoid it). It was on the back road between Harewood and Meanwood just outside Leeds. It jacked the tracking and unfixably broke an alloy and tyre. They paid up in full.

I’d replace them both. At the end of the day it’ll pray in the back of your mind I guess.

What I would recommend would be to go down to the road, take lots of picture of the hole (with something to show depth), then send aletter to Leeds Council along with receipts for work done and get your money back frm them for being inept.

They dont pay up anymore – I tried it after smashing a flatspot into two alloys on mine, they pointed out that they’re not expected to know the location of all potholes on a week by week basis and as it hadnt been reported to them already they were not liable. I argued, they argued. I ran out of arguments as they cant really be expected to know of all potholes and dont pay someone to drive the roads checking on a daily basis. The best bet is to get a mate to report the pothole one day, then claim that you did it the next (assuming they havent had chance to fill it in yet).

And to the OP – springs are rarely that expensive, especially if you dont buy from the dealership- you can get custom wound progressive springs for £75 a corner!

I don’t see ow it is any different to tripping on a loose paving stone and taking your teeth out – and people still claim for that. Still – if you say they don’t then you have a more recent experience. My experience was in 1999-ish.