New standard springs - big change in ride
Discussion
My PE was in a month or so back for service at Manchester and they found 3 broken coil springs so replaced all 4 (at crazy cost to me, as it's not seen as a fault by Alpine)
Initially I felt it was tighter than previous
Having now done some more distance, the ride definitely feels different and not necessarily in a good way
Where originally the ride felt more compliant (after a few miles while dampers warmed up), now it is consistently more jiggly and slightly unsettled like a mismatch between springs and dampers
It isn't noticeably much harder, but equally it's certainly not what I've been used to
The car now has 14k and it's obviously nearly 7 years old, so I can understand that the dampers will have softened and combined with new springs will feel different bit it makes me wonder if Alpine have changed the standard springs site to the number of broken items
Had anybody else replaced with "standard" springs and felt a marked difference in ride?
Initially I felt it was tighter than previous
Having now done some more distance, the ride definitely feels different and not necessarily in a good way
Where originally the ride felt more compliant (after a few miles while dampers warmed up), now it is consistently more jiggly and slightly unsettled like a mismatch between springs and dampers
It isn't noticeably much harder, but equally it's certainly not what I've been used to
The car now has 14k and it's obviously nearly 7 years old, so I can understand that the dampers will have softened and combined with new springs will feel different bit it makes me wonder if Alpine have changed the standard springs site to the number of broken items
Had anybody else replaced with "standard" springs and felt a marked difference in ride?
According to the Renault part numbers, the springs for Pure and GT are the same and haven't been changed since 2018. The numbers are printed onto the springs right behind the EIBACH logo in case you'd like to check.
Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Sounds like knackered dampers to me. Very different vehicle, but I just changed the dampers (only) on my Vito van and it's gone from jiggly and unpleasant to supple and composed. Wonderful.
It's on lowered/firmer Eibach springs, and I had assumed that I was just getting too old and intolerant of the sport springs, but no, 'twas knackered dampers.
Good move as I was even getting into 'new van' mode.
It's on lowered/firmer Eibach springs, and I had assumed that I was just getting too old and intolerant of the sport springs, but no, 'twas knackered dampers.
Good move as I was even getting into 'new van' mode.
jont- said:
Any chance they supplied S springs by mistake? Or got front/rear swapped? (not sure how much the lengths differ so whether that's even possible)
S springs: possible but unlikely, as the dealer has to enter the VIN to order parts.Swapped front/rear: absolutely impossible, as the car would sit like a beach buggy on the front and on ground at the rear.
k_m said:
According to the Renault part numbers, the springs for Pure and GT are the same and haven't been changed since 2018. The numbers are printed onto the springs right behind the EIBACH logo in case you'd like to check.
Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Good info - just wonder if they 'up-revved' the same part number perhaps. Wouldn't make sense from a Engineering perspective but I've seen weirder things happen.Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Otherwise I really don't get why the PE would ride any differently to a GT, despite journos claiming it does.
Michael-tcxzm said:
Otherwise I really don't get why the PE would ride any differently to a GT, despite journos claiming it does.
I cannot confirm that. I test drove intensively a 2019 Pure and a 2023 GT and both had exactly the same ride quality. No difference at all to me. PS: the whole chassis, so dampers, springs and ARB, is the same on Pure and GT. According to the part numbers nothing has been changed since 2018.
Edited by k_m on Thursday 20th February 16:55
Michael-tcxzm said:
k_m said:
According to the Renault part numbers, the springs for Pure and GT are the same and haven't been changed since 2018. The numbers are printed onto the springs right behind the EIBACH logo in case you'd like to check.
Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Good info - just wonder if they 'up-revved' the same part number perhaps. Wouldn't make sense from a Engineering perspective but I've seen weirder things happen.Pure, GT: Front 6020015033, Rear 6020015061
S: Front 6020016270, Rear 6020016280
With new springs installed the ride height might be initially a few mm higher until they settle a little over time, but that shouldn't have such a huge effect on the cars behaviour like you described.
Otherwise I really don't get why the PE would ride any differently to a GT, despite journos claiming it does.
It's true all the cars with standard suspension have the same springs, interestingly the PE does have different part numbers for dampers.
The only journalist I recall mentioning the PE riding differently was Dan Prosser, after buying an A110 himself he even swapped the dampers from a friend's PE and didn't seem convinced it made that much difference.
I think it probably comes down to the mileage on press cars, different test roads and different speeds; on one road my A110 can feel utterly smooth and compliant and another road it feels like a tight sports car where I feel every bump, overall it's a great compromise between the two.
After 7 years I would expect the dampers to be well past their best anyway.
If the springs have been snapped for some time, which would seem likely if 3 have gone then the car would be sat at a different ride height and the damper working in a slightly different range of motion.
Even assuming the garage didn't cock up he install, resetting the dampers to factory height could have had a negative impact.
If the springs have been snapped for some time, which would seem likely if 3 have gone then the car would be sat at a different ride height and the damper working in a slightly different range of motion.
Even assuming the garage didn't cock up he install, resetting the dampers to factory height could have had a negative impact.
My 2020 Legende failed it's MOT last month with a cracked rear spring, so with some spectacular application of man-maths, I’ve bought a set of Life110 AST coilovers, being fitted next month.
It’s been suggested before that the stock dampers are quite likely built down to a price, so it seemed pointless shelling out for the recommended pair of new springs, when for a few more ££s I could upgrade the entire suspension.
I figure the car deserves it. Plus it’s my birthday in March
It’s been suggested before that the stock dampers are quite likely built down to a price, so it seemed pointless shelling out for the recommended pair of new springs, when for a few more ££s I could upgrade the entire suspension.
I figure the car deserves it. Plus it’s my birthday in March
Due to other commitments, the car had done less than 500 miles between MOTs
It had just had an an MOT 3 weeks before and passed. I can accept that potentially 1 spring broken could have been missed but I have used the same test again for a long as I trust them to find faults
On the 40ish mile drive to Manchester the car didn't write seem right, however I'd be amazed if all 3 snapped within the same trip
As for resetting damper ride height, the dampers are standard Alpine so don't believe that there's any option to change anything other than for new springs and follow up with a geometry check and adjust if anything out of line
I can also accept that after 7 years the original dampers won't be as good as they originally were but with under 14k miles (and always garaged) they shouldn't have suddenly gone off
The difference is quite marked compared to the previous feeling of sort of spring and damper working together for a more fluid feel, as opposed to stiffer spring rate
Although part numbers may not have changed, I would think that there is every chance that although the specified rate is declared the same, the material may have changed slightly leading to difference in feeling
The fact that there are so many people reporting broken coils and many in relatively low use, may have led to a change in either material or heat treatment
However, Alpine accept that there are a lot who have suffered broken springs, but they deny that it is a fault issue and class springs as wear and tear item
It had just had an an MOT 3 weeks before and passed. I can accept that potentially 1 spring broken could have been missed but I have used the same test again for a long as I trust them to find faults
On the 40ish mile drive to Manchester the car didn't write seem right, however I'd be amazed if all 3 snapped within the same trip
As for resetting damper ride height, the dampers are standard Alpine so don't believe that there's any option to change anything other than for new springs and follow up with a geometry check and adjust if anything out of line
I can also accept that after 7 years the original dampers won't be as good as they originally were but with under 14k miles (and always garaged) they shouldn't have suddenly gone off
The difference is quite marked compared to the previous feeling of sort of spring and damper working together for a more fluid feel, as opposed to stiffer spring rate
Although part numbers may not have changed, I would think that there is every chance that although the specified rate is declared the same, the material may have changed slightly leading to difference in feeling
The fact that there are so many people reporting broken coils and many in relatively low use, may have led to a change in either material or heat treatment
However, Alpine accept that there are a lot who have suffered broken springs, but they deny that it is a fault issue and class springs as wear and tear item
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