308SW - front springs

[ianmcc]

MOT fail this year - the car is OK, but did you know both front springs are broken ? I didn't. Good spot by the Inspector as the bottom coil is encased in a plastic tube so it is hard to see.

The springs are double diameter so if you plan a DIY replacement have at least 4 spring compressors handy. The garages use a press to do this job these days as it is almost impossible to get the thrust bearing to centre properly on the new spring using coil compressors. The plastic cage on the thrust bearing unclips (x8) around the circumference if the thing falls apart and you need to reassemble

While the bottom of the strut will look good the (hidden) top components are steel and suffer a lot corrosion. A full replacement might be a cheaper way to go if you count in all the hours. You'll need a 21mm ring for the top nuts and a 7mm hex to lock the shaft - and these nuts don't come off easily. Plan for some large levers.

I'd also broken the top off one of the springs. While the ride height still looked OK the car no longer dives under braking - which is good.

Since the springs are available 'on the shelf' at the car parts place I am guessing this is a common problem .................

[Oldpug]

Have a word with your local Peugeot Dealer.
I think you will find that Peugeot increased the warranty on coil springs to around 100K miles??

[ianmcc]

Back in the day it was the shock absorber in a strut that needed changing - the spring would last forever - now it is the other way around...............

Had the same thing happen on a Berlingo. Maybe PSA are no longer designing for our world beating UK potholes anymore.

Thanks for the tip, but beyond 100k now - is that a 403 convertible ? Looks nice.

Did many miles in E.African 404/504s - they didn't break their springs ..................

[ChrisRobin]

308cc 1 rear spring, gone at the bottom.
Megane CC two front springs and 1 rear, all gone at the bottom as well.

Thanks to the off roading conditions we now drive on with public roads in the UK.
Hats off to the Councils, you have made it so much fun....not!
But at least now here in Wales at our new 20mph speed limit, the pot holes keep us awake, so there is a plus.

[Oldpug]

The coil springs on my 1964 404 Cabriolet are original. Now coil springs are failing all the time, why?
My mates 406 front spring broke standing still!! It was parked up for ages, went to move it and the spring was stuck on the tyre.

[myglaren]

A workmate had a Vauxhall Vectra, ex directors car and only three years old. He was about to leave for home one evening and the car moved forward a few yards and the front collapsed, both front springs broken.

As with droplinks, I ascribe it to the amount of speed bumps and potholes.

[xantia_v6]

I think that the design engineers are a lot less conservative than they were 50 years ago, so the springs are stressed much closer to their fatigue limits. The steel manufacturers are also using a higher proportion of recycled scrap metal, which is of uncontrolled composition.

[ChrisRobin]

Definitely cheaper manufacturing I think, and they also add that plastic tube to them which over time wears a bit and allows water in, which then just sits in the tube and rots the spring even quicker. Brake discs are the same, in my 20's & 30's I very rarely changed brake discs unless you left it to long and the pads went down to backing, now your change discs almost as often as pads.
I have to say when my meg broke her front springs she did one then 12 months later the other, I didn't know they had gone apart from a very slight knock over grids or small pot holes, she sat level, no lean, handled fine, so I was quite surprised to find one broke, the rear one we have no idea when it broke or how long, it was on the ramp wheels hanging changing oil and the we just happened as we were chatting to hold and lean on the rear spring under the car, and I thought, that moved.... gave it a shake and it was loose, it had broken off a 2 inch section right at the bottom again were the plastic tube had been put on which had deteriorated badly.
The 308cc made an audible bang when it broke in the same place as my Megane on the rear but again drove silently after, sat ok, and handled fine.
My old MK2 Megane CC broke a front spring whilst driving it, WOW that made a hell of bang when it went, scared you to death, it then leant heavily on the passenger side, that was a real fight to get the new spring on, it was quite long but when used the hydraulic compressor you had to compress it until almost every coil was touching to enable you to get the top mount nut on the tension was incredible on that spring, not surprised it made such a loud bang, it took out the top mount and bearing when it went, the Mk3 had no were near the same amount of tension, they were quite easy to fit.

[xantia_v6]

Re brake disks wearing more rapidly, it is the pads that changed. They became more abrasive when asbestos was removed from the friction material in the 1980s.

[ChrisRobin]

Right... makes sense
I can remeber at 17 as an apprentice BL mechanic (way tooooo many years ago now,43 yrs back) as they were in those days, common practice for squeaking drum brakes on mini's and Marina's, wheels off, air line pointed at the inner edge of the drum and a good blast of compressed air, results in clouds of brown dust billowing from under the arches, wheels back on squeak gone, horrible smelling stuff.
Not much Health & Safety going on in those days, no nitrile gloves either, and we all use to eat our butties with black oily hands, just leaving a small black corner you were holding it by, chips were interesting as you ended up with a few spotlessly clean finger tips, hate to think what we ingested.

[Rp0thejester]

My OSF spring went and what a bang that made! But that was last year when it was freezing and snowing. Luckily it broke at the bottom. I wonder if the modern climate has an effect on the springs, 1 day 40degrees the next day minus 15degrees, obviously not that quickly, but driving in minus 15 degrees the heat build up on the springs when potholes are present would surely create an issue