V8V broken springs

[matrignano]

My offside front suspension spring is broken!
I just remembered that the previous owner also had to replace a broken spring.

Is this a common fault with V8Vs?

£1,050 to replace!!!

[gibbon]

I have seen cracked springs before when looking at cars, so not a unique thing at all.

[krisdelta]

Sorry, £1050 for a spring? What on earth is it made of? I'd reach out to a friendly indy and get them to do it.

[matrignano]

£700 parts, £170 labour + VAT from a London AM dealer.
Sadly I'm a bit stuck as the car is with them (in bits currently!) for a service and MOT, and it won't pass the MOT with the broken spring...not sure what I can do?

Suddenly this starts making sense:
http://astonmartinbits.com/models/5-V8-Vantage/par...

[matrignano]

Oh and the same dealer quoted £150 a piece to refurbish my standard 7 spoke wheels!

[mikey k]

Get a set of H&R lowering springs fitted for less at an indie

[Cockernee]

^^what he said^^

I would ask them to kindly put it back together and take it elsewhere. £700 for a single spring is outrageous.

[ds2000]

100% with Mikey. The car shouldn't be in bits for an MOT unless you've asked them to do additional work? Let them fail it, take it away and use the 10 days they give you to get it fixed at an indy and return for your free retest!

I can't imagine a single spring can be anymore than £300 (even that sounds steep to me)

Edited by ds2000 on Tuesday 26th February 17:10

[michael gould]

matrignano said:

My offside front suspension spring is broken!
I just remembered that the previous owner also had to replace a broken spring.

Is this a common fault with V8Vs?

£1,050 to replace!!!

Im sure a spring on my DB9 was replaced a couple of years ago under warranty and the cost was £300 ish ....i just cant seea spring costing £700....is that for a pair ?

[Lunablack]

I was recently speaking with the MOT chap at the place I use, and he told me, he's never seen so many broken springs on cars, as he has in the last 3 years or so... This chap has been a tester for about 25 years.... The roads are in that bad a state it's inevitable I suppose

As for replacing a broken spring....£1000 quid is robbery without violence territory..... fking outrageous..

[matrignano]

It's in for a service so is in some bits, but yes, I can ask them to put it back together and have the spring fixed elsewhere.

And the £700 is just for the one spring!

[DangerMonkey]

matrignano said:

Oh and the same dealer quoted £150 a piece to refurbish my standard 7 spoke wheels!

that's ridiculous as well. A dealer up north charged me £80 a corner (and whoever they out-sourced it to did a very nice job I might add)

edit: Also astonmartinbits have got a new spring for £170. there's a saving right there even if your current dealer fits it

Edited by DangerMonkey on Tuesday 26th February 17:32

[Tony V12V]

Lunablack said:

I was recently speaking with the MOT chap at the place I use, and he told me, he's never seen so many broken springs on cars, as he has in the last 3 years or so... This chap has been a tester for about 25 years.... The roads are in that bad a state it's inevitable I suppose

As for replacing a broken spring....£1000 quid is robbery without violence territory..... fking outrageous..

We see so many broken coil springs on ALL makes from your shopping tolleys up to Merc/Bmw etc

I don't think its just the roads. I know of cars that have failed 1st MoT at 3 years old, driven by the more mature person, never carried anyone in the back or been out the village and they still break.

Had a run of Renault Clio's (4 or 5 I think) about 3 years ago ALL had a broken NSR spring at first MoT.

Ford Fusions seem to break front coils whilst parked overnight in a garage - drive in ok, customer thinks brakes stuck next day but spring is on the tyre

Had a Merc C class break and shoot out across a customers drive whilst He was hosting a dinner party - they heard a loud bang and looked out to see the Merc looking a bit pissed

VW Polo, Citroen Relay(aka Peugeot Boxer) and many others suffer from the top mounting bearings seizing up so the coil 'pig tail' doesn't freely rotate when going lock-to-lock - result...broken spring

Think steel quality OR lack of quality. You can see flaws in the steel on MOST broken springs. Like all things it seems 'made to a price' runs the car industry.

[MaverickV12]

Tech question guys ....... should springs be changed in pairs? Or can you change them individually, as in just one? Would that not upset the balance of the car, as one spring is say 3 years old and one brand new. I though I read in my manual that the car will lower by up to 25mm in time (I forgot what time scale they gave).

Can they be changed individually or in pairs?

[Lunablack]

I had this argument with an insurance company years ago..... They wanted to replace the one damaged shock and spring...

I argued on safety grounds that they should be replaced as a pair.....




I lost

Edited by Lunablack on Tuesday 26th February 19:41

[drofnavi]

I would always replace springs in pairs. An old spring will have settled and I would be surprised is the ride height will be the same on each side if only one is changed.

[mikey k]

drofnavi said:

I would always replace springs in pairs. An old spring will have settled and I would be surprised is the ride height will be the same on each side if only one is changed.

though its more critical on dampers and always get a geo done after

[Neil1300R]

matrignano said:

Oh and the same dealer quoted £150 a piece to refurbish my standard 7 spoke wheels!

There is a wheel refurbishment place next door to Trinity Engieering in Surrey. Get Trinity to replace the spring and get the wheels done at the same time. £70-75 per wheel.
Your dealer is treating you like:-

[drofnavi]

It's the road spring that dictates the suspension ride height, not the damper.

[mikey k]

It is but dampers wear more than springs