Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 20 total)
  • Replace both springs or one side on a car?
  • matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I am a bit concerned the garage only suggest changing the broken front spring on a 140k/10year old VW Touran.
    £130 seems steep as well, but the spring is £70 supposedly.
    Your advice please.

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    do both.

    I’d at least remove the other and compare for length with the new one (I realise that this is not a test of it’s springiness) and once it’s off it might as well be replaced?

    globalti
    Free Member

    £70 for a spring? Blimey.

    *runs off to check box of old Land Rover bits in shed for something that might fit a Touran*

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    sharkbait
    Free Member

    How about getting a spring from a breakers (partsgateway.co.uk) and having it shipped to the garage. As it’s used it will prob match the other side (if there’s any difference).
    I had a spring break on our volvo, think we only replaced one but can’t be sure.
    £60 to replace is not too bad given a fair bit of stuff needs removing.

    Edit: one on ebay right now for £20 shipped

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    Do both – 6 yrs ago it cost me £300 to replace both on a mk2 mondeo so £130 a corner sounds okay to me

    the-muffin-man
    Free Member

    I just had the one done on my old Skoda a few weeks ago – all seems OK, it brakes straight and steers fine.

    kcal
    Full Member

    I would replace both, as matter of course. Likehood (IMO) is that the other spring won’t be far behind in terms of fatigue, so might as well do both.

    Not all garages are like that though, they may believe that you don’t want to shell out for two new parts when ‘only’ one is needed.

    Bust one spring (front) on the Saab 900 many years ago – local garage fitted a new pattern spring. When was next in for service in indy Saab garage down in Edinburgh, the guy replaced both, with Saab springs.

    Recently, one of the back springs went – different local garage gave me the option, went for both (L+R) but went pattern springs – reckoned car is old enough that may not be needed to have original parts any more..

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Cheers all.

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    For sure do both sides. Always an axel pair with things like that. If the spring is £70 he’s effectively charged you an hours labour to replace it. It wont take him an hour to do one side but they tend to round up their labour charges. You can do both sides in an hour easy so it should only cost £200 for both.

    LoCo
    Free Member

    Both always

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Go on then all of you saying both, why both?

    I’ve had springs go on 3 cars. On not one of the cars could you notice any difference in ride height, braking, handling steering etc.

    Maybe if you had a very finely tuned sports car you may notice the difference but not a mpv

    jools182
    Free Member

    both, more for peace of mind than anything else

    Brakes, tyres, suspension, I’d always do both sides

    Like others have said, if one has gone, the other can’t be too far behid

    highlandman
    Free Member

    One at a time is fine.. Am doing this myself tonight on a Passat, Have done one at a time before on this and other cars. £33 inc Vat for Lesjoffers (upper quality) spring at a local parts factors.
    Just make sure you know how to properly use spring compressors. Seized/broken bolts are the biggest problem, the fix itself is usually striaghtforward.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I am going for one by the way….
    Garage is fitting it, I don’t have time and after last time on the rear’s stress….

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Id sooner change the strutt top bearing at the same time as the spring than replace both. As i find that once you disturb them they die soon after meaning you do the work twice.

    I replaced passengers spring on the van 3 years ago …. Replaced the drivers side in january.

    Always find the passengers sidegoes first as thats the side that gets subjected to the pot holes.

    As per highlandman , its a corking easy job and i paid similar for lesjofors springs.

    sharkbait
    Free Member

    Like others have said, if one has gone, the other can’t be too far behid

    Why? The spring broke on my car about 4 years ago and the other is still perfectly fine.

    db
    Full Member

    On monday had 1 front spring done on my wifes renault – £98 – I thought that was good for probably an hours work (with tea break) and the new spring.

    Sons fiat had 1 done a couple of years back for about the same price.

    So £130 is not unreasonable

    peajay
    Full Member

    That was one of the only problems I had with my Touran, think I had 2 go on me, only ever replaced the broken one, my brothers Touran broke 3. Was always the rear ones that went on me, £130 sounds about what I payed, got them done by Fadgie.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    Well I just tried that partsgateway.co.uk (recommended above ^^^)

    What tosh – told them the exact car (using the reg. number). Four results back, two were for earlier/older models of the same car, the other two were for different models and even manufacturers.

    #fail

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Parts gateway is a joke.

    Its a bit like turning up at the scrappies who sees you have a dented wing on your red car . His red wing just went up 50% over the black one he had when you phoned him and the black ones suddenly sold.

    I tend to just look for what i need on ebay , certainly wouldnt buy a spring used , the cost wont be much less than a pattern spring due to the work involved in stripping it off the car , admittedly not much but its manual work that someone needs paid for where as springs are mass produced by machine and thus cheap.

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