Coil Spring failure.Recall Notice. - Page 10

lipsee · 7th February 2017, 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules

There are after market springs not even lasting 2 years
It's disgraceful really

Hi Jules,We talked last week about you doing some work on my car today,and you could not fit me in..Well I could not have made it up to Wales anyway ,Because my front o/s spring broke. Its really in a shocking state,the broken end of the spring is really pressing into the tyre.I did not know anything about protectors unfortally and I cannot move the car an inch.But what got me was it happened on it own !!! Hows that ??? oh yeah I agree with whoever said all cars, a merc I had broke on me too,(perhaps its ME).I just got the car MOTd too. Anyway as I,m stuck down in London and my mech is in Lincs I hoping my breakdown cover will do the honours, fingers crossed..

ceedy · 7th February 2017, 08:14

Our Grande Punto has had both front springs break at less than 40k and now its had both those break after 2 year(ish) .and 14k miles ..

HarryM1BYT · 7th February 2017, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Cut

There is a remarkable coincidence of fracture rate against season with the rate peaking dramatically in winter and minimising in summer.

Snip...

The underlying cause of fractures is corrosion stress, exacerbated by ambient temperature, but other factors do play a part. There are lots of articles from easy read to academic research covering car springs fracture and all point to the same underlying causes.
TC

Winter is also a time when roads are at their worst for potholes and when what potholes there are, are least easy to spot in the murk.

It is of course well known that steel becomes more brittle in colder temperatures, but I think the major cause is that of concentrated stress fracture. An area of rust develops on the spring, this causes a spot weakness where bending is concentrated. The more it is concentrated, the more damage occurs in that spot and eventually it breaks.

When ever I remove a wheel, I smear waterproof grease along the spring. I had broken rear spring replaced before I bought the car, it might have been broken a while and replaced the other rear one (broken) since then. No other failures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceedy

Our Grande Punto has had both front springs break at less than 40k and now its had both those break after 2 year(ish) .and 14k miles ..

Low mileage breakage such as the above, might be due to poor quality steel used in the manufacture. Any weak point in a spring, due to stress concentration, will eventually snap.

binraider · 21st February 2017, 17:13

My offside front spring went when i just got into the car - it has been a warm day today and has been for a few days. I did 250 motorway miles at the weekend, so lucky i guess!

kaiser · 21st February 2017, 17:28

I don't think I can recall a single incident where I have seen or heard about a spring breaking in my own or my friends cars.

It should not happen during an ordinary use of a car. And not to an extent where it can damage a front tyre.
I can only assume there has been something wrong with the material and/or the treatment.

However, metal will break easier at lower temperatures, and I think that is one reason behind the graph shown earlier.

7th February 2017, 08:14	#92
ceedy This is my second home All Trophy Blue ,ZT260#50 , ZT CDTI Auto, ZR105+ and 1.8T Firefrost spoiling the Set . Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Nr Sherborne But in Somerset.. Posts: 6,075 Thanks: 916 Thanked 1,214 Times in 768 Posts	Our Grande Punto has had both front springs break at less than 40k and now its had both those break after 2 year(ish) .and 14k miles .. __________________ The Three Bloo's Wifey's Zr105, MY CDTI & 260 #50 and Number One sons 1.8T in Firefrost When I were a lad Zero to 142 in 10.25 secs at the Pod on my Blown Norton. 210 Kart Champ in 70's

21st February 2017, 17:13	#94
binraider Regular poster 2002 Rover 75 CDT Saloon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Diss, Norfolk Posts: 66 Thanks: 76 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Mine just went and i was wearing a T shirt it was so warm My offside front spring went when i just got into the car - it has been a warm day today and has been for a few days. I did 250 motorway miles at the weekend, so lucky i guess!

21st February 2017, 17:28	#95
kaiser This is my second home 75 Tourer 2.5 Auto, 1.8T, 75V8ZT Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Johannesburg ZA Posts: 6,200 Thanks: 1 Thanked 859 Times in 613 Posts	I don't think I can recall a single incident where I have seen or heard about a spring breaking in my own or my friends cars. It should not happen during an ordinary use of a car. And not to an extent where it can damage a front tyre. I can only assume there has been something wrong with the material and/or the treatment. However, metal will break easier at lower temperatures, and I think that is one reason behind the graph shown earlier. __________________ Worth his V8 in gold