Tyre protectors and drain holes.

[Roverconfident]

I've only recently bought my 2003 1.8 Turbo Club SE, my first 75. It isn't fitted with tyre protectors. I understand that they reduce the likelihood of tyre damage, in the event of spring failure. It seems improbable to me that MG/Rover designed the spring seats with holes for the attachment of 'spring protectors' which presumably hadn't been thought of when they were designed! The holes must have served a different purpose, presumably as drain holes to prevent water puddling in the spring seat. If that is so, then fitting the protectors blocks the drain holes and will cause increased corrosion of the spring seat in the long run, as will the trapping of water between the spring seat and the protector. Is there any experience of this?
I understand that the protectors do not ensure that the tyres are undamaged when a spring breaks, just reduce the probability. Have any owners had a spring break with no protectors and not damage the tyre, or do unprotected broken springs always take out the tyre? It might be interesting to gather some statistics.

[SD1too]

Hello Terry and to the club.

I agree completely with your thoughts on this subject. My car was checked by the supplying Rover dealer under its first owner according to the service bulletin. Because the VIN fell outside the specified range, spring protectors were not fitted.

22 years later the OSF spring sheared and punctured the tyre. When turning the steering during repairs the NSF spring followed suit but missed the tyre. This year a friend asked me to listen to a grinding noise when his 75 was in motion coupled with a burning smell. The NSF spring had broken and was slowly cutting a groove in the tyre.

So I've had one damaged tyre and the other survived so not a very helpful statistic!

Simon

[Matt_75]

I had a spring break on a car without protectors earlier this year. I was fortunate that I was only travelling at about 5mph at the time and that it didn't puncture the tyre, but it did come into hard contact with it:



Shock absorbers are wear and tear items anyway, so personally I wouldn't worry about blocking up the drain holes, if that's what they were intended to be. The spring seat steel is pretty thick and could always be protected with Lanoguard, Bilt Hamber etc. if you're worried about longevity.

My current 75 has the protectors installed and I shall be leaving them on.

[Arctic]

If the above worries you about drain holes, once you have fitted the tyre protectors, drill some new drain holes where you think would be best.

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...d.php?t=250430

[Geoff130]

I think it depends on where the spring breaks, I have had a couple go without protectors and no issues but it was only a small part of the bottom coil that broke each time. Nothing like the the picture from Matt.

[KWIL]

At around 100K miles (21 years) I have not yet lost a front spring but have lost 2 rears.


Reason? I can see the front springs more easily to monitor surface rust than the rears. I more recently changed the front springs for new ones, the rears fail at the lower pigtail which you cannot see very well. Forunately rear spring failure is not so dramatic as front ones.


So surface condition is critical for long life?

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Matt_75

Shock absorbers are wear and tear items anyway ...

But changing them at the front Matt is a major job equal to spring replacement.

Although I've had to renew my rear shock absorbers, amazingly the front are the originals and now 24 years old so are they really "wear and tear" items?

Simon

[Matt_75]

Hi Simon,

Personally, I would consider pretty much any suspension part a wear and tear item by nature of the way they work. There's so many variables (age, mileage, driving style, road conditions etc.) that dictate how long a pair of shock absorbers last though.

My 75 (22 years old) still has its original front shock absorbers too, with protectors fitted. Visually, they still look very sound with minimal corrosion and no sign of leaking. That said, I wonder whether they would still return/rebound, without assistance from the spring, like a brand new set? This is difficult to determine without removing them though.

From my own experience I wouldn't risk running without the protectors, I don't think trying to save a set of shocks from corrosion is worth the risk, but owners should do what's right for them and their vehicle.

[Ed3]

On a late CDTi I bought the Rimmer protectors but when examining the low down snapped front coil spring I cant see how protectors can make any difference at all.

The spring snapped while parked and still damaged the tyre. Cant see how the protector would have stopped it

I keep looking for rust spots on the coil spring and treat those

[Matt_75]

I believe the protectors were part of an official safety recall (R/2004/036). If that's the case, owner's might want to consider the following advice from the AA:

"You must maintain your car in a safe and roadworthy condition, so ignoring a safety recall could leave you open to a charge of ‘using a defective vehicle’. It could affect any insurance claim you might make too."

https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cove...20instructions.