Signs that your car is falling apart (ST220)

[mr_fibuli]

Had a bit of an annoying clunk from my car for a week or so now, I figured the exhaust was knocking on something. Today the knocking got worse, so I was heading home to jack the car up and investigate. Then about a mile from home there was a big clunk and I looked in the mirror to see part of my car wedged under the car behind... oops. Luckily the following car was ok and the guy was kind enough to retrieve and return my heat shield from under his car

So I continued home in blissful clunk free silence, quite pleased that the clunk had turned out to be "self healing" and non expensive.

To be absolutely sure the clunk was gone I took the speed hump route home - I've avoided this road religiously in my ST220 after all the suspension parts I used to go through on my Focus. 1st bump, no clunk, 2nd bump no clunk, this is looking good. Then third bump really bad clunk. Then really bad clunks for the last few hundred yards as I limped round the corner to my house.

Jacked the car up at the back and found the bottom coil of the rear spring had sheared off! Looking at the break it must have been half fractured for quite a while, as half the break was rusty, and half was clean.

Anyone ever snapped a spring on a car before? I'm guessing a new one is gonna be silly money from Ford...

[rsstman]

mr_fibuli said:

Had a bit of an annoying clunk from my car for a week or so now, I figured the exhaust was knocking on something. Today the knocking got worse, so I was heading home to jack the car up and investigate. Then about a mile from home there was a big clunk and I looked in the mirror to see part of my car wedged under the car behind... oops. Luckily the following car was ok and the guy was kind enough to retrieve and return my heat shield from under his car

So I continued home in blissful clunk free silence, quite pleased that the clunk had turned out to be "self healing" and non expensive.

To be absolutely sure the clunk was gone I took the speed hump route home - I've avoided this road religiously in my ST220 after all the suspension parts I used to go through on my Focus. 1st bump, no clunk, 2nd bump no clunk, this is looking good. Then third bump really bad clunk. Then really bad clunks for the last few hundred yards as I limped round the corner to my house.

Jacked the car up at the back and found the bottom coil of the rear spring had sheared off! Looking at the break it must have been half fractured for quite a while, as half the break was rusty, and half was clean.

Anyone ever snapped a spring on a car before? I'm guessing a new one is gonna be silly money from Ford...

springs can break on lots of cars, even a uprated and lowered set of 4 springs will only be about £120.

[anonymous-user]

Snapped a spring or two in my old Opel Manta.

Was quite a common thing for them.

IIRC, I had both a front and rear spring snap.

[Zad]

From the mechanics magazines I read, broken springs are starting to become somewhat of an epidemic on all makes of car. For some reason though, it seems to affect recent models more than slightly older ones. I wonder if they tend to be stiffer and shorter on new cars, whereas older ones have more suspension travel. You might be surprised how cheap the springs are.

[Dimski]

My sister had one snap on her in a focus. I have heard of it happen to a few of them.

[Princess_S]

Had a front spring explode on a MY03 Passat. Scary stuff.

[Podie]

Bloke in my office had this on his 2 year old BMW...

Think Ford sell Eibach kits as well, and as suggested they don't cost the earth.

[focusboy]

working for an indie garage, i must change 2/3 sets of springs a week due to them snapping, mondeo's mk 3 are common, vectra mk3 are common, rover 75 are common, any one else see the same pattern im seeing? also it looks like all the cars i do are always something a bit better than bog standard, ie- vectra sri rather than a vectra club etc etc, most tho are the front springs


garry

[mr_fibuli]

Nice to see I'm not the only one then

[mr_fibuli]

New spring ordered - £82. I know the full eibach kit isn't much more but I don't want to lower the car.

[bikerPaul]

How's this for giving you a complex..............jumped in my (Mk3 Mondeo) which was parked on the driveway for one of the springs to give out as sat down. Thought i was being attacked by aliens - what a bloomin racket!

Didn't realise it was a common fault with the Mk3s though.

Paul

[anonymous-user]

Audi TT's have this problem too, is that for one spring or two??

[mr_fibuli]

That's just just for the one spring. Knew the price would be vastly inflated - all bespoke 220 parts are. Paid £35 the other day for a track-rod end. Not sure if that is unique to the 220 though? I stick with Ford for suspension bits though as I'm never sure what's non standard on it.

On the plus side all the generic Mondeo bits are dirt cheep - just ordered a set of Mintex front discs and pads for £50 delivered, which I thought was pretty good.

[GaryST220]

I have been known to be wrong, but are you not suppose to replace suspension components in pairs? Replacing the one spring is false economy and potentially dangerous.

[mr_fibuli]

You're probably right, but I'm not that concerned about springs, as long as the car feels good and drives straight afterwards I'll make do with just the one for now.

Don't want to spend more than necessary on a car that is rapidly rusting its way into banger territory

[anonymous-user]

I suppose it's 7 years old now! Personally i'd replace axle sets on anything like that.

[mr_fibuli]

Here's the bit that snapped off, you can see from the rust how it must have been fractured for quite a while, before finally giving way.

[Mr POD]

bikerPaul said:

How's this for giving you a complex..............jumped in my (Mk3 Mondeo) which was parked on the driveway for one of the springs to give out as sat down. Thought i was being attacked by aliens - what a bloomin racket!

Didn't realise it was a common fault with the Mk3s though.

Paul

I feel wieght watchers is calling you.

[GaryST220]

A fiesta of a friends had snapped its coil in two places, similar to the above picture.

[focusboy]

being a mondeo you will be fine replacing just the one spring, we always fit what the customer wants, the only thing i would say is to have a 4 wheel alignment done as you are gonna be seperating the suspension and it does put it out slightly

garry