O/T, another broken spring...
Turbo Mini Forums

Mondeo (my other piece of crap).

A couple of months ago I hit some very large potholes at high speed in places you really wouldn't expect potholes - A12 southern parts and the M25 round to Heathrow.

After leaving the long stay carpark 3 1/2 weeks later I noticed a few "twangs" from the front right when on full lock. I assumed it was just the top strut bearing had gone a bit tight through lack of use while we were away, and then the noise went away.

I've only done short journeys since then

Last few days it's back again on full lock, so off with the wheel before another long journey (MITP).

Where the top of the spring should be...



And where the top of the spring carrier shouldn't be....



Strange, when the spring broke on Anna's Focus there was an obvious drop in the suspension, plus the spring coiled itself around the brake pipe.

Here there is less than 5mm difference in suspension height right to left....

Anyway, no MITP for me now.

(John, I'll PM or email you re. the ATB)

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

That sucks, doesn't take too long to pop another one in though
Tons about too

Reading up on RTS Clutches

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

I've changed them on a KA. There was a thing on the top of the strut to locate the spring, unfortunately it touched the second coil and rubbed the powder coating off. Let to inevitable snapping.

My Dads '07 Vectra broke 3 in a year, it doesn't do a lot of miles but I guess does the occasional country road.

Had to do mine on the Mondeo a couple of weeks ago, one broke at the bottom

I seriously doubt it!

I spoke to a good mate who does MOT's about this a while ago. He reckons that between him and the other MOT tester there, they fail at least 1 car per day on broken springs. I was surprised.
Reckon it's shit/cheap springs, or cheap/shit roads?

This is FORD country, on a quiet day you can hear Vauxhalls rusting.

change the shocks this is whats compounding the problem big time .............. also along with the government only spending Just! 20% of the road tax takings on the roads ....... the Rat Bastards

And they are encouraging us to buy smaller cars. I'll stick with the 4x4 thanks.

The roads in Wiltshire are the worst I have driven on in the UK.

Edit: or should I say blackmailing. Basically can't take the defender inside the M25 without paying a £100 charge.

Edited by minimole23 on 8th Aug, 2013.

2 decent racket straps crank em up should compress it enough ;]

I seriously doubt it!

I've had a rear on the old Focus loose the first 2" off of the bottom which then chinked every time I went down the road on the radius arm until I pulled it out. Chap at work with the same unit on his Mondeo had his break at the bottom. Only a slight drop in his suspension which he put down to a soft tyre. Only spotted it when he changed the brake discs!

I had a similar conversation with my MOT man last year; it is apparently one of the most common failures

Only 77k miles in my case (it's off the road broken more often than running hence the low mileage).

I too saw no difference in ride height, it's the very top coil only gone, just enough for it to jump off the bearing plate, and I thought the noise was just the bearing plate sticking on full lock so was just expecting to pull the bearing and re-grease it yesterday afternoon....

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

when the spring was broken on the TT we didn't see any difference in height either come to think of it.