Snapped Spring

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Well it looks like no model is immune from the shite quality of SEAT components.

Just been driving home and heard a loud clang.

Stopped and checked around with a torch to find a chunk of the nearside front spring hanging out of the strut lower mount.

Typically it's just out of warranty

Anyone else had a spring snap on a 2.0TDi ?
 

MJ

Public transport abuser
Apr 22, 2008
5,508
13
Manchester
m.facebook.com
I'd blame the shitty British roads rather than seat mate. You have to bare in mind these cars are designed on the continent where road conditions are vastly better than what we have to put up with, quite simply it hardly happens abroad (that's not saying it doesn't).
 

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
3 years old is plenty long enough for a spring to corrode enough to snap due to the elements and road surfaces

The spring is showing no signs of corrosion. In fact it is in excellent condition for three years under a wheel arch.

70% of my miles are on a motorway and there is only 34k on the car.

The snap is clean through.
The break is crystaline in structure which is indicative of shite metal.
 

Big-Pete

Always on the Limit
Aug 8, 2010
3,032
2
The spring is showing no signs of corrosion. In fact it is in excellent condition for three years under a wheel arch.

70% of my miles are on a motorway and there is only 34k on the car.

The snap is clean through.
The break is crystaline in structure which is indicative of shite metal.

VW had massive problems with this in the rears of the mk4 R32 golfs.

id go ****in ballistic at seat, saying it endangered your life! going over the top is good as they then have to acctually do something!! if you go in all namby pamby they wont give a flying ****/
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Well, when I had one front break on wife's late 2002 Polo at about 4 years old, the replacement I bought was labelled up as being made in CZ - now that follows as the "lead" marque for this platform at that time was Skoda. It could be if the new Fabia was launched before the new Polo or Ibiza, then Skoda is still the "lead" marque for this revised platform, so once again all the running gear will be CZ sourced where possible to save money. I have noticed that the front spring on daughter's late 2009 Ibiza is a bit curdy near the bottom. Bad road surface will exacibate this issue, poor quality material including coating will be the primary issue I'd expect. The issue of "these cars being built for European mainland use" does not come into it, Seat UK should have made sure that all UK sold cars are correctly protected for our roads and weather. Remember it is VAG we are talking about here, not Seat of old who did not even bother to engineer in door safety latches - when even Lada had probably included them!

My advice to anyone replacing broken VAG car springs is, if the car is beyond warranty period, only buy springs made by and branded by spring manufacturers - not from car manufacturer's parts place. Ie aim to get Swedish made springs and not CZ made springs.
 
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DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Strut is now off the car.

Top end where it meets the strut tower in the wing is all very clean with no corrosion showing yet.

The spring has snapped right up near the top spring mount. There is no corrosion showing on the spring, the powder coating all seems to be in very good condition.

Major components of suspension should not be breaking after just three years/35,000 miles. I could see bushes etc wearing but not such a major part.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Major components of suspension should not be breaking after just three years/35,000 miles. I could see bushes etc wearing but not such a major part.

I'm afraid I agree with you there, I certainly thought that a lot of years ago when my wife's 9N Polo suffered the usual early ARB failure, followed a month later by an OSF spring breaking neatly at mid height, especially as the correct way to complete both these repairs at dealer involved carrying out a full four wheel re-alignment! Shame that re-alignment job was needed to get done a couple of years later when the TCA bushes gave in, and again a year later when that re-alignment caused the front tyres to get trashed without me noticing.

Still, lets be positive, this revised platform surely can not be as expensive as the early version was to keep running correctly, or can it? (I'm still planning on getting my wife a newish Polo after her car passes 100K and 12 years.) Maybe like the early platform, once you have got rid of the nasty parts it becomes plain sailing - I'm talking about the running gear here not the engines!!!

If you are doing this repair without help from Seat, maybe consider buying a pair of new springs from GSF - the Swedish made ones I suggested. Cheaper and in my mind from a known source (manufacturer of springs).

The structure you observed at the break is normal for this type of material as it is a spring after all.
 
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DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
If you are doing this repair without help from Seat, maybe consider buying a pair of new springs from GSF - the Swedish made ones I suggested. Cheaper and in my mind from a known source (manufacturer of springs).

Tried ringing around and checking the web sites.

Nothing yet listed for the 2.0TDi in the Ibiza.

Have managed to find a 2.0TDi with a trashed rear end locally and will be getting the front springs off that.

Agree with you that the next move is a better quality set of springs.
 
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