Springs again!

respace · 20th March 2018, 12:52

I know there is a lot of debate around whether Rover springs are any better or worse than anyone else's but I find it hard to believe they are not worse. I had the front one go last summer (taking out a brand new tyre in the process), today the rear one has gone. I know it's old and done 100k miles but i've always driven older vehicles and some with over 300K and never had a broken spring on any other make in over 2M miles.
Are there any aftermarket makes that are better or is there something in the design that is wrong?

BoroRover · 20th March 2018, 21:58

Talking to a friend, who has a mate who is a mechanic/MOT tester, he was saying broken coil springs are very common in almost every type of car, particularly down to the diabolical state of the nations roads.

Just a theory, but maybe we just hear more about 75 springs because we own 75's ? As I say, just a theory. We rarely read up on other cars.

steve-45 · 20th March 2018, 22:22

When the woman next door put her Ford KA in for its last MOT they found it had 3 broken springs.

So it's not just Rovers.

bendrick · 21st March 2018, 00:38

When i spoke to my local very experienced mechanic when I got my first Rover 75 6 years ago and a spring went he said that up to a couple of years before that time he virtually never changed a spring.

Now just about every garage you go in there are broken springs littering the floor all over the place, he reckoned that it was a combination of bad roads, speed bumps and springs made of cheap foreign steel.

daveconnolly · 21st March 2018, 03:13

My 75 has just failed its test last week on 2 broken springs and 1 no plate light out. Which has been going on and off since I got the car 6 months ago. And decided to go off again at the testing station. I also have a skoda which till a couple of years ago failed every year for 4 or5 years on broken springs. The tester said that the springs on the rover are the original springs so at 15 years old and the state of the roads I can't complain I'm 61 now but I don't think I've ever had a broken spring until about 7or8 years ago. I don't think the rover is any worse than any other car but with the state of the roads I think broken springs will be happening a lot more

MSS · 21st March 2018, 06:05

If you spend some time looking at MOT history of vehicles, it quickly becomes clear that broken springs are a common occurrence on all cars.

It is not just a Rover thing.

andymc · 21st March 2018, 08:56

A previous car of mine, a Seat Leon Mk1, ended up with broken front springs after about 100k miles. One of my Rovers had a front spring go after something like 138k miles, another had a rear spring go at 118k. The key difference was that with the front break, the Rover wasn't at all driveable, and had sustained damage to the tyre as well, whereas the only noticeable effect with the Seat was a tendency to pull to the left which I initially thought would be resolved by having the tracking re-aligned.

Another previous car of mine, a second-generation VW Passat, had a suspension set-up that was simply too soft and wallowy for the uneven roads where I used to live and on which I had to drive every day - built over soft ground, the surface wasn't potholed but was very undulating. The car regularly grounded out at anything over 25mph on a road with a 60mph speed limit - no other car I owned was as bad. Same applied for speed-bumps etc. Neither the shocks nor the springs were faulty, just unfit for purpose. I ended up putting in a Koni set-up with adjustable shocks - the overall effect was to lower the car by a couple of inches, but despite this I was subsequently able to drive that section of road at 45-50mph without hearing the dreaded scrape.

steve-45 · 21st March 2018, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by andymc

One of my Rovers had a front spring go after something like 138k miles, another had a rear spring go at 118k. The key difference was that with the front break, the Rover wasn't at all driveable, and had sustained damage to the tyre as well.

Hopefully the spring protectors will prevent tyre damage, had mine over a year, collecting dust in the garage, before I got around to fitting them.

madeupname · 21st March 2018, 10:16

With all the springs being the same age it isn't unusual for more than one to go once they start breaking.
I also agree with others that the main reason springs go so quickly now is because they are made from cheap, not fit for purpose, steel.

rustymotor · 21st March 2018, 10:32

I've had quite a few bust over the past 4 or 5 years, 2 rear on a Mondeo, both front on wifes Laguna, citroen van on the way for MOT and sons Ford Ka day before his driving test. Mind you the roads around here are bad for pot holes..

20th March 2018, 12:52	#1
respace Avid contributor Rover 75 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Dorchester Posts: 110 Thanks: 14 Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts	Springs again! I know there is a lot of debate around whether Rover springs are any better or worse than anyone else's but I find it hard to believe they are not worse. I had the front one go last summer (taking out a brand new tyre in the process), today the rear one has gone. I know it's old and done 100k miles but i've always driven older vehicles and some with over 300K and never had a broken spring on any other make in over 2M miles. Are there any aftermarket makes that are better or is there something in the design that is wrong?

21st March 2018, 08:56	#7
andymc Posted a thing or two Wedgewood Connie SE / Black Club SE Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Ballymoney Posts: 1,459 Thanks: 542 Thanked 583 Times in 365 Posts	A previous car of mine, a Seat Leon Mk1, ended up with broken front springs after about 100k miles. One of my Rovers had a front spring go after something like 138k miles, another had a rear spring go at 118k. The key difference was that with the front break, the Rover wasn't at all driveable, and had sustained damage to the tyre as well, whereas the only noticeable effect with the Seat was a tendency to pull to the left which I initially thought would be resolved by having the tracking re-aligned. Another previous car of mine, a second-generation VW Passat, had a suspension set-up that was simply too soft and wallowy for the uneven roads where I used to live and on which I had to drive every day - built over soft ground, the surface wasn't potholed but was very undulating. The car regularly grounded out at anything over 25mph on a road with a 60mph speed limit - no other car I owned was as bad. Same applied for speed-bumps etc. Neither the shocks nor the springs were faulty, just unfit for purpose. I ended up putting in a Koni set-up with adjustable shocks - the overall effect was to lower the car by a couple of inches, but despite this I was subsequently able to drive that section of road at 45-50mph without hearing the dreaded scrape. __________________ My blood brother is an immigrant A beautiful immigrant My blood brother's Freddie Mercury A Nigerian mother of three

21st March 2018, 10:16	#9
madeupname Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Connie Mk2 1.8 (Mo) Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1,534 Thanks: 875 Thanked 335 Times in 289 Posts	With all the springs being the same age it isn't unusual for more than one to go once they start breaking. I also agree with others that the main reason springs go so quickly now is because they are made from cheap, not fit for purpose, steel. __________________ Mo was born Tuesday, 22nd June 2004 @ 08:32:41 This vehicle was the 99,307th 75 to run off the production line, out of 112,381 This vehicle was the 5,377th 75 1.8 Connoisseur to be made out of 6,033 This vehicle was the 783rd 75 in Firefrost Red (code: CEV) to be made out of 2,089 Firefrost Red 75s

20th March 2018, 21:58	#2
BoroRover Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Middlesbrough Posts: 1,518 Thanks: 1,861 Thanked 723 Times in 471 Posts	Talking to a friend, who has a mate who is a mechanic/MOT tester, he was saying broken coil springs are very common in almost every type of car, particularly down to the diabolical state of the nations roads. Just a theory, but maybe we just hear more about 75 springs because we own 75's ? As I say, just a theory. We rarely read up on other cars.

20th March 2018, 22:22	#3
steve-45 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon CDTi Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Belvedere Posts: 4,076 Thanks: 108 Thanked 1,089 Times in 774 Posts	When the woman next door put her Ford KA in for its last MOT they found it had 3 broken springs. So it's not just Rovers.

21st March 2018, 00:38	#4
bendrick Gets stuck in Ex CDT Auto Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Barry Posts: 655 Thanks: 76 Thanked 266 Times in 155 Posts	When i spoke to my local very experienced mechanic when I got my first Rover 75 6 years ago and a spring went he said that up to a couple of years before that time he virtually never changed a spring. Now just about every garage you go in there are broken springs littering the floor all over the place, he reckoned that it was a combination of bad roads, speed bumps and springs made of cheap foreign steel.

21st March 2018, 03:13	#5
daveconnolly Avid contributor Rover 75 saloon Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Darlington Posts: 124 Thanks: 135 Thanked 58 Times in 31 Posts	My 75 has just failed its test last week on 2 broken springs and 1 no plate light out. Which has been going on and off since I got the car 6 months ago. And decided to go off again at the testing station. I also have a skoda which till a couple of years ago failed every year for 4 or5 years on broken springs. The tester said that the springs on the rover are the original springs so at 15 years old and the state of the roads I can't complain I'm 61 now but I don't think I've ever had a broken spring until about 7or8 years ago. I don't think the rover is any worse than any other car but with the state of the roads I think broken springs will be happening a lot more

21st March 2018, 06:05	#6
MSS This is my second home Rover 75CDT, Jaguar XF-S 3.0V6, V'xhall Omega V6 Estate, Twintop 1.8VVT, Astra Estate and Corsa 1.2 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7,111 Thanks: 283 Thanked 624 Times in 440 Posts	If you spend some time looking at MOT history of vehicles, it quickly becomes clear that broken springs are a common occurrence on all cars. It is not just a Rover thing.

21st March 2018, 10:32	#10
rustymotor Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Tourer Join Date: May 2017 Location: Hull Posts: 1,848 Thanks: 216 Thanked 432 Times in 340 Posts	I've had quite a few bust over the past 4 or 5 years, 2 rear on a Mondeo, both front on wifes Laguna, citroen van on the way for MOT and sons Ford Ka day before his driving test. Mind you the roads around here are bad for pot holes..