Spring has sprung

Shocks, springs, anything to do with the running gear

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D9406
2.2 16v
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:12 pm
Location: IO81XW

Spring has sprung

Post by D9406 »

Got back to the car from walking the dog, loaded up and started for home. Car pulled heavily to the left, no puncture so drove the 3 miles to home, it grounded lighthly on a speed hump. Once there I looked at N/S wheel, not much room to the arch, popped the wheel off to reveal a broken spring.
Ho hum, out with the spring compressors and spanners.
My own fault really, i replaced the top bearings and put old springs back on 2 years back or so, springs have done 156K.
1999 406 HDi 2.0 110 GTX Estate. 48k when bought, now 150K. Second owner, I've covered over 100k in it.
Clutch changed @110k, bottom pulley changed, cam belt changed, EGR blanked, cat removed, front springs changed.
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Doggy
Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
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Re: Spring has sprung

Post by Doggy »

At least you got it home OK, many owners have been stranded after a spring breaking.
I changed the strut top bearings on my first 406 without replacing the springs and never personally suffered a spring fail on a 406 in over 10 years and getting on for 200k miles.
Then I got a C5 with 'sensible' conventional suspension which promptly failed its MOT with a broken rear spring. :roll:
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
D9406
2.2 16v
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:12 pm
Location: IO81XW

Re: Spring has sprung

Post by D9406 »

Strut came out very easily but i can't undo the nut on top of the damper. Very very tight. Wasnt this tight when i changed the top bearing. Might have to go to garage and let them have a go with a hammer gun.
No need for the compressors just took out pinch bolt and 3 torqz bolts on top, drop link off and out it came. Other side will need the compressors though. Broken spring had jumped over both top and bottom seats.
Andy
1999 406 HDi 2.0 110 GTX Estate. 48k when bought, now 150K. Second owner, I've covered over 100k in it.
Clutch changed @110k, bottom pulley changed, cam belt changed, EGR blanked, cat removed, front springs changed.
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Doggy
Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
Posts: 10710
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:49 pm
Location: Northants

Re: Spring has sprung

Post by Doggy »

A lot of this type of fixing use plated steel nuts/bolts which don't corrode except where the plating on the threads gets damaged as they're torqued up. They'll undo once, but often won't play next time. Soak it in WD40.
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
D9406
2.2 16v
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:12 pm
Location: IO81XW

Re: Spring has sprung

Post by D9406 »

All back together, it takes me a while now due to my disability getting worse.
Took struts to local garage who removed springs from shockers then put the new ones on for me along with new nuts and washers in exchange for a couple of bags of doughnuts.
Offered up the rebuilt struts and they both went in without needing the springs compressed or hubs removed. Put new pinch bolts on and new drop links.
At some point in the removal of the struts one of the front ABS sensors broke free of its mounting bolt, new one ordered.
Drove round the village and i must say its a big improvement, couple of warning lights on dash and the multi function display tells me that there is an ABS fault but other than that all good.
For a 23 year old girl shes not doing bad, love my 406, god knows what im going to do when or if she becomes unfixable.
Andy
1999 406 HDi 2.0 110 GTX Estate. 48k when bought, now 150K. Second owner, I've covered over 100k in it.
Clutch changed @110k, bottom pulley changed, cam belt changed, EGR blanked, cat removed, front springs changed.
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Doggy
Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
Posts: 10710
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:49 pm
Location: Northants

Re: Spring has sprung

Post by Doggy »

Well done. Hope you get the remaining snags ironed out painlessly.

I think we've all struggled to find a worthy replacement for our 406's, keep it as long as you sensibly can.
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
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