Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

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smoker
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Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by smoker »

Driving my 52 reg 110 hdi estate just now, a loud clonk signalled something was amiss. Car initially pulled notably to the left, but clonked a second time and steered straight again. Upon inspection it's evident that the front o/s spring has snapped off at its bottom coil.

Would a broken spring cause the strange steering (i.e. pulling left and then not)?

Springs seem widely available from around £46.00 - but I'm not sure whether I'm up to the job. I do all my own brakes, cam belts etc, but have never removed a drive shaft (which I assume is required?). Also I don't have a spring compressor (which again I assume is required?).

Any help would be very gratefully received.

Cheers
52 reg Xsara 110 hdi
mickeymoon

Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by mickeymoon »

You probably won't need to remove the driveshaft. You'll need to take the strut out of it's mounting on the hub - on many vehicles this can be done without disturbing the driveshaft (certainly can on a Berlingo). Even if it is disturbed, it'll probably just pull out an inch or so and leak some oil, rather than come out totally. Check the seal, push it back in. I've done it twice, and if I can....

Spring - yes, you'll need a pair of spring compressors. If you remove the strut, you might want to find a local independent garage to swap the spring over for you - I've done this, and they charged me £20, and to be honest, it was well worth it having changed one with compressors before!

Oh yes - replace the top mount and bearing at the same time, even if the one there seems ok. It'll obviously fail as soon as you've put it back together with a new spring if you don't... don't ask how I know this :)
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by elma »

Springs terrify me, it's one of the few jobs I'd just take to a garage. If you do go for it yourself get a quality set of spring compressors and don't stand over the things.
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by mickeymoon »

elma wrote:Springs terrify me, it's one of the few jobs I'd just take to a garage. If you do go for it yourself get a quality set of spring compressors and don't stand over the things.
They used to terrify me until I did a couple, now they don't. I'm all for the "take strut off yourself and get someone else to swap the spring over" method though..
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by Paul-R »

I've changed the front springs on both sides of the Xsara. One spring broke and speared the tyre, the other was only picked up on the MOT as it was just on the very bottom coil.

If you have spring compressors it's not a hugely difficult job. About an afternoon's work but that was in good weather.
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by wheeler »

On the xsara you can definitely take the struts off without disturbing the driveshaft or ball joints, a big lever helps a lot especially to get the struts back in the hubs.
My best piece of advice for this job is to make sure you change both sides. If they are both the same age then they will both have the same amount of wear on them, it is not uncommon for the other side to pop a matter of weeks later only this time it may rip the tyre open as Xsaras often do.
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by RichardW »

They don't always want to come apart....https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... hp?t=55947

I've done a few with wind up compressors - they take some winding, but readily do-able with ratchet / spanners. Much easier if you can wind it with a windy gun!!
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by elma »

That's the bit I don't like, one imperfection in the tool and it's just a matter of time before zebadee is free. Really worth investing in quality spring compressors if undertaken yourself, not the cheap laser crap or similar. Even better take the Mickey approach and deliver the strut to a garage to do, minimising labour charges and risk. Thats my preferred method as well.
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by chinkostu »

Cheap compressors are deadly. I banana'd a spring when it fired the compressor down my hallway towards my door. horrible!

As said, I would definately do the top mount bearings and do both sides. Mine went within 2 months of each other and both tops were buggered! I had a friend at a garage who swapped the springs over on the struts for me, took him minutes.
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by Filberton »

Most folk use 2 spring compressors but they need to be exactly opposite each other to save the banana effect. These days I use a couple of those ratchet straps from the discount store work well as a safety so if a spring escapes it is not catapulted out.
I have heard of folk actually using these cheap ratchet straps to compress. They are good but not sure I'd trust them that far though.


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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by smoker »

Many thanks for the great advice. Encouraged by what I've read, I think I'm going to give it a go myself. Springs ordered - £56ish for two "Sachs" springs, and another £35ish for two top mounts. I'm now looking for compressors and possibly a strap or two. Not sure when I'll be able to get started on this, but will try to report back on how it went.

Thx again.
52 reg Xsara 110 hdi
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by Stewart(oily) »

I needed two sets of spring compressors, they tried to slide about, in the end I took the whole thing to my local engineering place where they had a floor mounted device that made it easier and safer, well worth £20
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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by Paul-R »

I've used this type of spring compressor for years. In fact I think they may even have been Draper branded.

They can be a bit of a squeeze to get in sometimes and occasionally you wish that you could get just one more coil in but nothing insurmountable.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draper-Coil-S ... xyAs9SQWRI

I strongly advise you to buy the type with two hooks at each end rather than the cheaper single hook per end. The single hook type have a greater propensity for slipping sideways and being squeezed off the spring.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
mickeymoon

Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by mickeymoon »

If you're anywhere near Reading I've a set of spring compressors like those in the eBay link you can have for free...

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Re: Advice needed please - Xsara broken coil spring

Post by RichardW »

Wind up compressors in use:

Image

I was changing the strut top bearings - you can see the state they were in - but fitted new springs whilst i was there. Modern asymmetric springs are a bit of PITA to get enough compression.
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