Strut top bearing (Boing! said the dogmobile).

[Doggy]

Looks like my nsf strut top bearing's gone as I'm getting a 'boing' from that area and can see the spring jump as the steering moves.

What do you guys advise - just swap the bearing, or change the two front shockers and bearings together, or something else?

Car has 182k on the clock and the front has got a little 'floaty', plus there is some sign of rust on the osf shocker.

Is it a reasonable DIY job, if you have a spring compressor?

Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

[OdinEidolon]

Should't be too hard if you have a spring compressor... I advise you to change all that can be changed (at that mileage and age they'll be tired...) and then have another 200k of happy motoring!

[plod]

I've said it before, and i'll say it again - the size of the springs is inordinately long on the 406, and trying to compress the springs "CAN" be a dangerous job, unless you're equipped with a hydraulic spring compressor - which turns it into an easy job.

If you want to go cheap, then pay about £30 for a second hand strut, and hope the bearing is in good condition, and just change the strut, which is a simple job.

[teamster1975]

It's not a bad job Doggy but make sure you've got spring compressors with decent hooks on; I used two pairs of them to be on the safe side.
If you can budget for it I'd do the springs, shocks, strut bearings & ARB drop links.

[puggy]

i would agree with teamy , recently had my front wheel bearings and strut
top bearings replaced also droplinks , wish now i had told my mate to replace
spring and struts but finances didn't allow . He used a hydraulic compressor
and even then one end slipped and the spring went along the floor like a
missile so be careful doggy . (teach you a lesson for racing Audi's and BM's )

[Doggy]

Thanks guys. Think I'd more or less come to the conclusion to do both struts & bearings and possibly at least one of the drop links, (the other's only a few weeks old), but hadn't thought there was any point changing the springs. Is there a good reason to do them too?

[puggy]

Are the springs the original one's ?

[Doggy]

AFAIK yes, but the blue coating is still intact and apart from being a bit grubby, would pass for a few months old. I imagine they must weaken eventually, but have never changed one that wasn't broken. Is it necessary / desirable / advisable?

[puggy]

If they look ok prob best leave them as is , they loose springiness over time.
If there is any weakness could show up when you compress them . Think the
thing to look for is if they are heavily coroded .

[Welly]

Interesting about the springs losing their 'boingeyness' when one of my fronts snapped we replaced just one side and I half expected to leave the place with a wonky 406 but no - the ride height and feel of the thing was exactly the same as pre-snappage

I don't really believe the springs go lazy as such but certainly the dampers go off (my Ford-derived dampers are reliably reported as having a useful life only up to 50K and I believe it too).

When we changed the top mounts on the Vulva (they lasted 50k too) we had to replace both drop-links because you have to get a bit rough with them which normally fucks them up anyway so for what they cost just change it all (plus it speeds the job up cos you can cut through the old ones).

Unless you are very competent at compressing these springs I'd get a garage to do it. When I saw mine in the flesh it was mahoosive I was shocked at how long it was (waits for puggy typical response here).

I've never had top mounts go before but it's a weird creaking/doyng/ping noise when you turn the wheel and it doesn't sound anywhere near where you'd expect the noise

[OdinEidolon]

I don't really believe the springs go lazy as such but certainly the dampers go off

+1
You don't really need to change the springs, the dampers at that mileage however are a must, if still original ones. Sadly I'll have to get mine changed soon too .

[puggy]

When I saw mine in the flesh it was mahoosive I was shocked at how long it was

Been hanging a heavy weight on it again welly or have you got a picture of my trouser snake

[Welly]

or have you got a picture of my trouser snake

I've seen Button Mushrooms in the shops, is that the sort of thing you mean?

[Doggy]

Well, I've ordered two bearing inserts for the top mounts and two dampers, plus scrounged a decent spring compressor & a 21 mm combo spanner for the nuts.
(As you can see I'm being suitably tight-fisted)
One of the drop links is only weeks old and I've made sure replacements are 'on the shelf' if required.

Now, if you can just arrange some decent weather and a less serious than usual hangover for Saturday morning, I'll set to with a will to win.

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of how not to do it, live from launch control.

[OdinEidolon]

How much did you pay for the bearings mate?