MOT Failed this morning - front coil spring

[Signumv6man]

I was mortified this morning when my beloved bus (Signum 2.8T) failed its MOT owing to a broken front effing coil spring.

My previous Vectra V6 suffered from this and a mate of mine has a Golf V5 which has broken two springs in the last two years.

I have got a good price from Vx for a pair (they only sell in pairs), so if this is such a common problem I'm going to fit one and then have a spare waiting for the next breakage.

As a motorist and home mechanic for the last 25 years (I'm 44) I never heard of this sort of thing happening prior to my mate's Golf. I had a 1984 Cavalier for 12 years/160k miles, a 1981 Toyota Celica for 6 years, a Mondeo, A VW Bora and a Rover 214, none of which suffered this sort of fault.

Am I being really cynical here by suggesting that now car engines have become much more reliable and servicing intervals so much longer that the manufacturers build the rest of the running gear from tin foil and rusty nails, which fail at the least provocation just to keep the motor trade busy and us digging into our pockets ?!?!?!

To add insult to injury the Siggy's only done 17k miles.

Disgruntled Signumv6man.

[Big Sig]

I think you will find all the pot holes and speed bumps don't help.

(also I would only every fit a pair on a heavy car like yours as its not good practice to only do one. It can upset the handling of the car, but thats your choice )

[Hideous]

shocking part (pardon the pun).
seems like most people have had the original coil springs snap - they really should have done a recall for this, as it is bl**** dangerous.

as OP, i've never experienced it on past cars (cavaliers, bmw 3 series etc, etc)

[lee gsi]

They only sell them in pairs because they should be fitted in pairs.

If you only fit one side the car will be unbalanced and could cause an accident in extreme cases

[neverlandandy]

i would take the chance now to fit a set of eibach springs

[dh.dti]

I would only replace in pairs too tbh...
I know i have 2inch missing off the bottom of one front coil & a failing rear damper, i can't go lower as it's not practical for me... i have just got a price off the Monroe website of £272 to replace all springs & reflex dampers, which i think is a pretty good price tbh

[Signum-Steve]

i would take the chance now to fit a set of eibach springs

^^^^^what he said^^^^^^^^^^
VX ones or poor IMO.

[m8internet]

I think you will find all the pot holes and speed bumps

Agreed, I too have never gone through so many shocks and springs (never had in any previous four cars)
Equally, the manufacturers are trying to reduce vibrations, etc resulting in more components, so the chances of failure are higher

[MickAP]

Well, well here I am sad I know on my hols in deepest Dorset and on on here (well we get free wi-fi) and I'm reading this.

Guess what happened to us this morning, yes a front coil spring snapped, and on the first day of our hols.
Car was not drivable so it was lifted by Greenflag and awaiting repair at a garage near Dorchester, that won't happen until Monday at the earliest. Glad it didn't happen on the way down on the M5. I just turned out of the driveway of the cottage were staying at and there was a rubbing and very bad smell of rubber burning. Yep the spring was into the tyre. And to cap it all those two front tyres were only new 2 weeks ago, so one may be wrecked.
At least we've got a courtesy car to run around in, but I want my Signum back quickly.


Mick

[Keif]

For the price of a pair of springs from Vauxhall you may as well replace all four springs with a lowering kit (Eibach or other)

Made from better materials, so less likely to snap.