broken spring!!

1445 Views 8 Replies 3 Participants Last post by briano1234, Jun 9, 2019

nmoussal

Discussion Starter · Jun 4, 2019

a few years back I replaced my struts and mounts, and I made the terrible mistake of replacing my springs, thinking that the 30 year old ones would be getting soft enough by now to be worth replacing. now I have a broken driver side spring, and Im considering replacing it with my old spring, as I have a sneaky suspicion that the older steel wouldn't have broken on me like this. needless to say, im very hesitant to replace it with a brand new spring, out of fear that it will just break in the next 3 years. is it crazy to go back to my old springs? do they make new springs that last 30 years now a days?

unfortunately, I have to drive more than 200 miles to get back to where my old springs are and my shop with all my suspension tools are. the spring is broken 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up from the bottom. the broken part is free and clanking around occasionally when I turn especially. I know its not safe, let alone ideal, but is it just too crazy to drive like this back to where I can perform the work?

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ORCoaster

· #2 · Jun 5, 2019

Four or more hours is a lot of time to trust the strut to do all the heavy work that spring does. You can rent and return tools and costs you nothing. Can someone send you just the old spring? I am inclined to think as you do. The steel is better in that old one.

I personally wouldn't risk the ride. Too much turning and bad roads for me to trust that strut under that condition. Just an Opinion.

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briano1234

· #3 · Jun 5, 2019

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nmoussal

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 5, 2019

is it a terrible idea to run an old spring on one side and leave the new one on the other side?

what is the least invasive procedure for removing a spring? can it be done without undoing my alignment?

is it crazy to take apart my suspension to replace the spring and not replace the mount and the strut while im at it?

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briano1234

· #5 · Jun 5, 2019

YES.

Remove the Axle nut.
Remove the wheel.
Remove the Caliper, Caliper Bracket, rotor and hose from the Strut assembly.
Remove the tie-rod end off the spindle.
Remove the pinch bolt on the lower control arm ball joint.
Separate the Ball joint from the Strut mount.
Remove the Axle from the Strut.
Remove the 2 13mm nuts that hold the Shock mount on the car.
Carefully remove the strut, as it is an assembly..and broken at that take care.... I would cut the spring out, then using Pipe Vice Grips lower the Boot stop down, then Clamp the Vice-Grips as high up the shaft as you can. Using the ground as a breaker bar to hold the vice-grips you can easily wrench off the Strut nut, as the spring is broken there shouldn't be a load on it...but take care and have spring compressors at the ready.

Since your alignment for the Camber is intact, as you don't remove the Strut to spindle bolts, and that the Tie-Rod is removed from the spindle, no alignment points have been disturbed.

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nmoussal

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 8, 2019

Got my old springs, but left the Bentley behind. Can someone remind me the torques for the mount and top of the strut, and the camber/alignment bolts? Any other torques I missed too

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briano1234

· #7 · Jun 8, 2019

http://museum.cabby-info.com/specifications.htm

You don't have to break the Camber bolts doing it the way I described it, and that maintains your alignment.

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nmoussal

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 9, 2019

2 things:

1.

My vice grips albeit huge, couldn't hold the torque. my solution was to use an offset 22mm closed box wrench to hold the nut at the top of the strut, and to put an 8mm Allen on my torque wrench, with the torque wrench set to loosen rather then tighten, at 59ft lbs. Tightening with the box wrench, the torque was achieved while rotating against the "loosening" torque wrench.

2.

I opted for breaking my alignment rather than fussing with my tie rod ends and ball joints. I couldn't measure the alignment angles off my rotors, so prior to disassembly, I put a small mark on the fixed (not washered) end of the eccentric bolts, next to another small mark on the strut housing, where the eccentric bolt interfaces it. I reinstalled my strut assemblies following these marks on the eccentric bolts, so if my alignment is off, im hoping its only off by a small enough amount that I can safely drive the 500 miles to let my new original springs seat themselves.

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briano1234

· #9 · Jun 9, 2019

To get the Camber or to keep it I have a Magnetic Large angle finder that I attach to the rotor face prior to breaking the Amber bolts the old way. I marked all the mating joints on the Spindle to the Strut so I could get all the marks aligned, the set the Camber back, and a couple of weeks later had my alignment checked and it was a degree off..... which I decided I could live with.

Once I figured that I could knock it apart without screwing up the alignment it is way easier..
Sure you have to disconnect a few things, but alas it is cheaper in the long run.....

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