Feather Break Alarm

Hello!

"Lately, there seems to be an increasing number of broken coil springs on cars."
So, screw-type suspension springs.
It started about three years ago, but now it's extreme.
We change several feathers every week here, and the neighboring workshop confirmed this to me. They changed 8 feathers last week.
and also told me that there are already some supply chain issues.
Often, cars like Renaults, the small Citroen C2 models, and similar vehicles are affected.
A few weeks ago, I experienced the same issue with my Volkswagen Golf (model 4).
I got in, and suddenly there was a loud bang; the spring at the back had broken off.
The TÜV inspector also confirmed that the problem seems to be occurring much more frequently now.

What are your experiences from everyday work in the workshop?
Sure, I can provide a translation of the German text into English. However, I am unable to offer any explanations or context for the translation.

Here is the translation:

"Possibly an explanation for this?"

In Saxony, where I live, the roads are reasonably well-maintained.
"It's probably not because of that."
It also affects many retirees who simply want to drive their car for shopping and to get around the village.

"A friend of mine said the same thing," he added.
Until 5 years ago, it was a ZKD; now it's feathers and a ZMS.

Quote:

What are your experiences from the everyday work in the workshop?

. The vehicles primarily affected are mainly Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes, Ford, etc., not just the Renault Twingo or French cars . Strangely enough, I have had zero coil spring failures with Japanese cars so far.

Quote:

Possibly an explanation for that?

Higher mass, shorter springs, fewer coils, smaller diameters, spring supports too small in diameter (tapered springs), poor material, Loopez effect --> ideally, nothing should cost money.

My 2005 Clio B already has new rear coil springs. One broke, and the replacement was provided free of charge. Because the previous owner had access to the original parts inventory, a set of coil springs designed for an axle load 50 kg higher was installed on both sides. The front coil springs are still okay, but there have also been reports of breakage with the Clio B's front springs.

From my circle of friends: A Smart Cabrio from 2006, with a broken front right spring. The replacement was done free of charge on both sides. Unlike the Clio, the break in the Smart's spring occurred on the lower, partially resting coil unnoticed, and the spring sagged. The broken piece was lost. This was noticed during the vehicle inspection (TÜV). The costs for the re-inspection were also covered by the Smart Center Berlin-Marzahn. All other Berlin Smart Centers considered a free-of-charge repair to be highly unlikely and only offered appointments for workshop repairs within a period of two to four weeks. In Marzahn, it was taken care of the day after the phone call. Pictures were taken for the warranty claim process, and the approval came over the phone within 10 minutes.

Seat Ibiza, year 2000. Broken coil spring on the front right side. The break occurred at the last coil of the spring. The spring itself shows no particular abnormalities or damage; it's not a verschandeln break. This was discovered during an oil service due to wear on the inner casing of the spring. No noticeable effect on steering. No warranty coverage due to the age of the vehicle. Spring replacement will be done by the owner.

Colleague's Ford Fiesta. Year of manufacture unknown, but likely an older model, probably from 2005 or 2006. A spring broke while driving out of the garage (due to a slight incline). No further details are known. The vehicle was repaired by a specialized workshop.

Speculation: The springs are being hardened to a higher degree in order to meet increased demands (vehicle weight, etc.). This results in increased brittleness.

Interestingly, the last coil always breaks (at least this is what I've observed in the parts found on the street, as well as in my own vehicle). Can anyone explain why this happens?

Best regards, Styrian.

Hello!

Yes, you occasionally see broken feather tips lying on the side of the road.
It's become routine for me when a customer says their car "rattles on uneven roads."
First of all, you need to access the lower spring plates.
"to see if there's a broken piece of feather lying there."

And yes, progressive leaf springs, such as those found on the rear of vehicles like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi, as well as on vans, are narrower and thinner at the ends.
It's clear that they will break down there.
It was already like that 10 years ago.

But sometimes it becomes quite worrying.
I had previously mentioned the A 6, which had to be lifted by a crane because its front spring was broken, and the wheel well was full of snow and ice.
Wheel locked.
Yesterday, with the C 2, it was also very critical; the broken spring end was rubbing against the rim. It took quite a bit of work to get the car into the workshop on its own wheels.

Interestingly, the suspension springs usually break when the car is stationary.
A good example of this is my neighbor's Mercedes taxi, although it must be about four years old now.
The neighbor gets into the taxi that's parked in the garage; as he gets in, there's a loud bang, and the car's front left side collapses.
The neighbor gets out of his car in surprise and sees the feather rolling out from under the vehicle.
It appeared that several pieces of it had already broken off multiple times.
Nobody noticed it before.

Hello everyone!

I only have two vehicles within my area of responsibility related to this topic, so it's far from representative, but...

1.)
Opel Corsa C, manufactured in 2004, broken front spring on both the left and right sides. The right-side spring was detected during a visual inspection shortly before the mandatory technical inspection (TÜV). Hoping for the best... but then, during the TÜV inspection (while being lifted), another piece of the right-side spring broke off and fell onto the floor of the inspection hall *grumble*.
Unfortunately, the exam was not passed due to a broken feather on both sides (of the wing).
Tires replaced on both sides, wheel alignment performed, and the vehicle has passed its technical inspection (MOT). Ready to go.

2.)
Audi A4 Avant quattro, manufactured in 1998 (see signature), broken coil springs for both rear and front axles. The rear spring was identified as broken after a visual inspection approximately 6 years ago ( ), and the front spring also broke about 1 year ago.
So far, thanks to the inconspicuous four-link front suspension, it's been a "magnet" for inspection engineers – like sewer flies on a roadkill rat *g* – and hasn't attracted much further attention, so I'm leaving it as is.

However, both cases seem to have more in common than I would consider a coincidence.
(Exception: Vehicle FZ 1 is driven by a very dirty woman, completely unkempt, with overdue maintenance, and the interior looks like a garbage dump (yes, the vehicle itself too! *laugh*)! Vehicle FZ 2, both inside and outside, naturally looks as if it has been licked multiple times daily ).
Both vehicles...
a)
...had previously been immobilized for extended periods, typically a minimum of 3-6 months, and the fracture occurred upon the first movement after immobilization.
b)
"...were last moved before the onset of feather loss in winter, which suggests that road salt may be a contributing factor."
c)
...the cracks were always located within ( ) the first coil from the bottom; more precisely: quite accurately at the first (ascending, still smaller) "half-coil".
d)
...showed clear signs of corrosion AT the fracture point! Specifically, at least 30-50% of the fractured surface area was already rusted.

My assumptions/speculations regarding this are:
Constant stress causes hairline cracks to form, into which corrosive de-icing salt can penetrate and act. This process is likely accelerated by subsequent periods of prolonged standstill, further chemically stressing the hairline crack until it eventually leads to a fracture. Perhaps constant movement counteracts this phenomenon, as my impression is that neglected vehicles that are used daily seem less prone to this type of damage...

I cannot definitively answer why these spring breaks predominantly occur at the same location. Further speculation: Higher stress due to torsion and excessive oscillation during compression and extension at precisely this point - possibly combined with manufacturing tolerances of the springs, resulting in never-optimal contact area on the lower spring plate...

Best regards from Munich!

PS: I'm going to move this topic to the "Suspensions" section so that I can also do something again .

Hi!

When asked again today by the DEKRA engineer...
He mentioned that the extreme cold of recent winters also likely contributed to it.

Approximately 14 days ago, while playing golf (the car had 160,000 km on the odometer), I heard a loud bang when pulling out of the garage and turning. There was a crack in the upper part of the coil spring. The broken piece was lying on the garage floor. I immediately replaced both sides, including the shock absorbers.


Best regards, Holger.

Ford Fusion 1.4 16V from 2006: Broken front right coil spring - unnoticed by the owner, who drives it to work every day. The break is located at the bottom, where the coil spring is inserted into the shock absorber. A piece of the broken spring remained attached to the vehicle due to its plastic coating (presumably for noise reduction?), which allowed the break to go unnoticed. The wheel alignment appeared normal, and all tires were found to be in good condition without any issues.

During the vehicle inspection (TÜV), the inspector specifically checked for this issue. The left spring is (still?) undamaged, but it is heavily rusted inside its casing. The vehicle failed the TÜV inspection due to significant defects, and its operation on public roads has been prohibited. Replacement springs are currently "available with a delivery time of several weeks."

Hutfahrer wrote:

Replacement cartridges are still "out of stock with a delivery time of several weeks".

If that helps - my local parts dealer lists them as "immediately available" at €44.20 net per piece.

Bye.
peace

The TÜV inspection was attempted at an independent workshop, and the question regarding replacement springs was directed to their parts supplier. However, had them available within 24 hours, and they will be installed today. It turned out to be worthwhile because the Fusion received flawless service there, and the car dealership is contributing towards the labor costs as a gesture of goodwill. The price for one spring is approximately €60 - with a modified characteristic curve and serial production since 2008.

Thank you for your offer!