Front suspension noice!!!

jdesousa

Active Member
Jun 13, 2008
49
0
Nottingham
Wonder if anyone can help.
I was driving out a car park last week and had to turn round a sharp corner. Got this weird quite loud noice that sounded like the front spring just released. It keeps doing it now whenever I turn the steering wheele quite far. I've also got a rattle in the same place now. Is it just the top mount thats had it or can anything else be wrong? How safe am I driving the car like it is? What parts would I need to fix it?

Any help will be much appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Feb 26, 2009
5,275
1
Wolverhampton
Agreed. The noise is the spring skipping on the top or bottom mount, and the rattle will be a loop of spring sat in the bottom mount. Jack the car up so the spring expands, you should be able to then feel inside the bottom mount and fish out the loop.

When mine broke it was midweek so I carried on driving it until the weekend (after removing the broken loop!).

Don't forget you should replace both springs at the same time.
 

jdesousa

Active Member
Jun 13, 2008
49
0
Nottingham
Thanks for all your replies.

Bloody hope it's not a broken spring :(
I've had both front springs replaced within the last year :cry:

I had a quick look last weekend but couldn't see anything obvious although I didn't look very hard. I'll have a closer look at it tomorrow.
 

jdesousa

Active Member
Jun 13, 2008
49
0
Nottingham
:censored::censored::censored:

Had another look today. It is a broken spring....... again :censored:
Found the broken bit in the bottom mount [:@]

Now I'm thinking, Is there another underlying problem somewhere else??? Why would a not even year old spring break??? Can't remember hitting any pot holes.

How dangerous is it driving it like that???
 
Feb 26, 2009
5,275
1
Wolverhampton
Could be any one of a number of reasons. Over compressed when fitted, cheap springs, manufacturing defect, binding top mount not allowing the spring to turn with the strut, etc.

If you hit a pot hole hard enough to break a spring, you're likely going to damage a lot more.

As I mentioned, I drove my car for a few days and it didn't do any harm. I think it's strictly unroadworthy as a broken spring would fail an MOT. But it's no worse than how it has been since you first heard the noise. Just remove the broken loop in case it comes loose and does damage somewhere (or someone) else.
 
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