Front suspension spring broke

[marco2002]

Lucky i had those 2 chains on...........

[marco2002]

Maybe a welding mask is a good idea? lol

[steve_earwig]

Maybe you need one of those glove boxes like they use for working on dangerous chemicals...

[marco2002]

Managed to unwind the spring . I'll have another go tommorow. Might just get the car fixed by xmas! I saw that picture of your exhaust steve. Hope you get it fixed ok. I had a bit of welding done on mine just on the front of the cat where it was starting to rust. Mechanic cleaned it all up and did a nice weld all the way round the joint hopefully it will last a few years.

[steve_earwig]

Cheers, I hope so to (unlike my other half who insists we go shopping first )

[Longintooth]

Marco - Just in case you misunderstood - I put the jubilee clips around the wire of the spring i.e. just a half inch one, just where the hook of the spring compressor touches just to grip the spring to stop the hook sliding round. But if you use jubilee clips as compressor I'm not sure they will take 200kg of force i.e. like a compressor.

[teamster1975]

I put the jubilee clips around the wire of the spring i.e. just a half inch one, just where the hook of the spring compressor touches just to grip the spring to stop the hook sliding round.

That's a very good idea, I shall do the same when I change the other strut bearing!

[marco2002]

Hi
Just off to the car shop to get a few of those small jubilee clips. Don't fancy another brown trousers moment today. I did understood what you meant about the clips.
The jubille clips will take a fair amount of pressure i used 3 of them to pull in the side that went ping and i had a steel chain around the whole thing as well. Sounds like overkill but it did work. Going to have another go at the spring this afternoon.......

Maybe i'll have to look at a better set of compressors invest in some that have 3 legs rather than 2 when i have a bit more money.

[marco2002]

One other thing welton had a post on here a while back talked about when you put new springs on that its a good idea to put some waxoyl on it do you coat the whole spring in it or is it just the bottom part where the spring sits on the strut?

[Longintooth]

I'm all for anything that protects steel bits such as Weltons suggestion, however, by coating the seat with waxole I'm not sure it is a terribly good idea for this reason - there is a rubber seat that is retained by the spring pressure and if you make that slippery It may allow the rubber to work its way out. If you do it let me know what happens. Otherwise I would think a good paint will see it through a few years - the original paint coat is usually a good enamel.

[marco2002]

is the paint coat enamel similar to hammerite?

[Longintooth]

I'm not sure it's the same but it feels a good hard finish - thinking about what mine looked like after 8 years it is very tough and separated by the rubber on the bottom but the top was just flaking on the support plate. You thinking about painting it with something else?

[marco2002]

Just going to put a coat of hammerite on it maybe give it a few more years life.......

[DaiRees]

I reckon hamerite is too brittle, surely it'll just crack? What about using something like schutz?

[marco2002]

I'll have a look tommorow you are right the paint has to be a bit flexible with the spring flexing. I think some sort of enamel paint would be okay not heard of schutz is it any good?

Been looking online tonight and 406's are not the only motors that suffer from broken springs seems to be common on saabs and quite a few other vehicles. Just thinking if i put another layer of paint on the factory paint might keep the corrosion at bay which is the main culprit.