Cold Weather & Suspension Springs...

[st_files]

...very curious thing happened to a friends car - came back after Xmas to find the front drivers side suspension spring had snapped. It was parked up last Tuesday driving fine and then when it was started up yesterday the spring had snapped. The car had not been driven in the meantime. Could the cold weather make a suspension spring snap? Thats the only possible thing I can think of....

[OllieWinchester]

Vectra?

[norby1]

One of the front springs snapped on the Merc when it was sitting on the drive during the summer. Just heard a massive crash and the car rocked...I thought that some dozy pillock had reversed into it!!

It happens if the spring hasn't been finished properly at the factory apparently; to get the spring to the correct length all someone does is to angle grind the lower coils off...this weakens the spring (or something...)

[andy-xr]

st_files said:

...very curious thing happened to a friends car - came back after Xmas to find the front drivers side suspension spring had snapped. It was parked up last Tuesday driving fine and then when it was started up yesterday the spring had snapped. The car had not been driven in the meantime. Could the cold weather make a suspension spring snap? Thats the only possible thing I can think of....

Had it been sat under heavy snow?

[PhillipM]

If they'd got stress/fatigue cracks already starting, then the moisture freezes in them, expands, and the sometimes it's enough force to propagate the crack given the weight o the vehicle is still stressing the spring = snap.

[davebem]

Its a common problem on some cars, Ive seen it happen on a few fords, renaults and mercs. Its poor quality steel that rusts and snaps. On some cars the springs sit in rubber seats where mud and moisture gets trapped, rubs on the metal and corrodes the spring.

[st_files]

Its a 55 reg Saab 9-3 convertable, was under a couple of inches of snow for a few days....the spring has a rubber sheath, no evidence of rusting though...

[MartinQ]

It happened on my mk2 Mondeo a few years ago.

I got back from work a couple of hours previously, and while watching TV heard a bang. I thought one of the local chavs had thrown a snowball at the window. The next day, I got into the car, drove off, and the spring went straight into the tyre.

[T89 Callan]

I've never hears of it on a coil spring but I can believe it happened, once on a cold/snowy February day I snapped/sheered 3 (yes 3) 1/2" Breaker bars in quick succession just trying to remove a wheel nut.

[parapaul]

st_files said:

Its a 55 reg Saab 9-3 convertable, was under a couple of inches of snow for a few days....the spring has a rubber sheath, no evidence of rusting though...

Aaah. The springs (as most parts) on the 9-3 are shared with the Vectra, and they're renowned for being st. I'm suprised it snapped at rest, but even more so I'm suprised it's lasted this long!

[sniff diesel]

Happens a lot on E36 BMW's

[zax]

Agree with PhillipM above. Cold weather in itself probably wasn't the root cause, but could have helped highlight an existing weakness with the spring.

[The Black Flash]

Happened to our nissan a year or two ago. Bloke in the garage said that it was surprisingly common.

[kambites]

Freeze-thaw action maybe?

If there's a small crack in the spring and water gets in then freezes and thaws a few times, it'll eventually widen the crack to the point that the spring is no longer structurally sound.

[f1dget]

I had this happen to my 04 plate mondeo the day after its MOT.It was parked in the street and
about 9pm there was a god almighty awful bang,I thought there had been a crash ouyside so went out
too have a look and there was nothing too be seen.
The following morning I went out to work and the car had developed a list Port!!It cost me two springs
as I was advised if 1 went the other was sure to follow and a new tyre!

[st_files]

Sorry to revive this thread but I have a question for any mechanics and the like - would it not be good practice to replace both springs when one has snapped? The mechanic its been taken to has said he's just doing the one that snapped....

[ian_c_uk]

Had just this on my Octavia yesterday, one of the front springs has cracked and found the very top coil on the driveway.

[jon-]

st_files said:

Sorry to revive this thread but I have a question for any mechanics and the like - would it not be good practice to replace both springs when one has snapped? The mechanic its been taken to has said he's just doing the one that snapped....

Yes, it's best practice. Same way you should replace dampers and tyres in axle pairs. Doesn't always happen though...

[Zarco]

Thought I would resurrect this thread, as I believe I have suffered a snapped coil spring due at least in part to the cold weather.

Driving to work on Monday I was greeted by an awful knocking sound from the front left over bumps. It wasn't doing it when I drove the car Saturday morning. Obviously the weather changed from -5C to 12C on Sunday night. Seems too much of a coincidence for the extreme coid not to have had something to do with it. No doubt the spring was damaged anyway and the weather just finished it off.