My Astra has TWO broken rear springs!!!
10 September 2014, 11:42 AM
#1
My Astra has TWO broken rear springs!!! Final update.
Thanks to potholes.
I've reported one of the roads near us so many times, yet there are still hundreds of potholes about 4-6" deep and at least 2 feet across.
Today the car went in for MoT and a weird feeling to the rear...and BOTH rear springs are broken...£90 kerching!
I've put in a claim against the council, let's see what they do.
I've reported one of the roads near us so many times, yet there are still hundreds of potholes about 4-6" deep and at least 2 feet across.
Today the car went in for MoT and a weird feeling to the rear...and BOTH rear springs are broken...£90 kerching!
I've put in a claim against the council, let's see what they do.
Last edited by alcazar; 04 March 2015 at 01:11 PM.
10 September 2014, 12:11 PM
#3
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Ha, could be worse. 
Girlfriend sent me this link yesterday
http://www.newsdzezimbabwe.co.uk/201...-mess.html?m=1
( We will be there February, and just trying to source suitable vehicle!)
Girlfriend sent me this link yesterday
http://www.newsdzezimbabwe.co.uk/201...-mess.html?m=1
( We will be there February, and just trying to source suitable vehicle!)
Last edited by dpb; 10 September 2014 at 12:14 PM.
10 September 2014, 05:31 PM
#4
When I went to pay the garage man told me that he had been misquoted for the springs which should have been £21 dearer. ("Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you say it was an SRi.....")
He made the factors sell him the springs at their original price.
Pretty good I thought.
He made the factors sell him the springs at their original price.
Pretty good I thought.
10 September 2014, 10:19 PM
#7
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Does the astra have those banana shaped upper control arms? The bushes in mine had gone which created a scalloping effect on the rear tyres. Which sounds just like wheel bearings gone.
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11 September 2014, 10:05 AM
#8
I dunno, I'll look.
But it had FOUR of these balsted things on, I swapped the fronts as the noise kept making me think the gearbox was suspect again. The gearbox guy had a good look, drove it and said it's tyres. We put it on a ramp and you could FEEL the scalloping.
It's better without them, it's now on Firestones, but the rears weren't hardly worn, so I stuck with them. They will be gone this winter, but being on 225/40 x 18's, there's not much out there under £90, and most are over £100......with Michelins etc being around £150 each!!!
I HAD thought of getting a set over in France, but Osborne has set the £ back against the € AGAIN...I think the man does it on purpose, and how the € is holding as high as it is is beyond me....and most Europeans.
But it had FOUR of these balsted things on, I swapped the fronts as the noise kept making me think the gearbox was suspect again. The gearbox guy had a good look, drove it and said it's tyres. We put it on a ramp and you could FEEL the scalloping.
It's better without them, it's now on Firestones, but the rears weren't hardly worn, so I stuck with them. They will be gone this winter, but being on 225/40 x 18's, there's not much out there under £90, and most are over £100......with Michelins etc being around £150 each!!!
I HAD thought of getting a set over in France, but Osborne has set the £ back against the € AGAIN...I think the man does it on purpose, and how the € is holding as high as it is is beyond me....and most Europeans.
Last edited by alcazar; 11 September 2014 at 10:06 AM.
11 September 2014, 01:41 PM
#9
Broken springs; nothing new in this day and age - blame all the salt they chuck on our roads, meaning the spring cups in which teh springs sit in are caked in a load of salty grit which is then kept damp by our lovely damp climate. Along with the poorer quality metal, the potholes just finish them off.
Astras are usually beam axles on the rear, so no adjustment of camber (just setback is affected if the bushing wear), unless its bent - takes some effort to bend that, unless you are related to Bo Duke.
The tyre noise is probably from saw-toothing in teh inner tread blocks; have a feel along teh inner circumference. For every two to three tread blocks you'll find one block more worn than the others. Thats what makes teh noise, its terrible on some cars. Usually down to the tyre construction. For example the Bridgestone RE050s on our our Altea did it, but the replacments since - Good Years F1s and Michelins Primacys haven't done it. My Golf has never done it and it has the same rear suspension setup - but then its only ever worn Michelin Pilot sports (ignoring a brief period where they were fitted with some god-awful Pirelli Rossos).
Astras are usually beam axles on the rear, so no adjustment of camber (just setback is affected if the bushing wear), unless its bent - takes some effort to bend that, unless you are related to Bo Duke.
The tyre noise is probably from saw-toothing in teh inner tread blocks; have a feel along teh inner circumference. For every two to three tread blocks you'll find one block more worn than the others. Thats what makes teh noise, its terrible on some cars. Usually down to the tyre construction. For example the Bridgestone RE050s on our our Altea did it, but the replacments since - Good Years F1s and Michelins Primacys haven't done it. My Golf has never done it and it has the same rear suspension setup - but then its only ever worn Michelin Pilot sports (ignoring a brief period where they were fitted with some god-awful Pirelli Rossos).
Last edited by ALi-B; 11 September 2014 at 01:47 PM.
11 September 2014, 10:39 PM
#15
I can't say I've seen it personally on anything made by GM, but I am not suprised either. I've seen plenty on Volvos, Mondeos, Mercs, and anything VAG. Usually budget tyres, but I have seen the odd branded one too (i.e Bridgestone RE050). Mostly rears (as a pair), but I have seen the odd front do it too (as a single tyre) - the latter of which I have put down to physical damage (be it pothole or under-inflation/puncture ) or suspension wear. The rear tyre wear IMO has to be the tyre being subject to a force it doesn't like, otherwise they wouldn't wear as a equal pair in such a identical fashion (which is what I see them do).
I'm wondering if having asymmetric, directional or omnidirectional tyres makes a difference in this aspect. The RE050s I endured were directional, but I haven't paid too much attention to other tyres I've seen with this problem. I rotated the RE050's (both front to rear and reversed the tyre them on the rim) in hope it would even them out, it just made them worse.
My current thinking is maybe asymmetrics have a differing structure on the inner tread to the outer, so in theory they can cope with the forces that camber and toe-in create on the inner part of the tyre....that's just a guess though, I'm yet to observe it in practice.
12 September 2014, 04:54 PM
#16
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I bought an 07 Astra SRI a month ago, the seller put a new mot on for me. Guess what it needed done. Yup, rear coil spring. The bloke that repaired it blamed all the speed bumps.
03 February 2015, 01:09 PM
#17
Just to update:
Today, nearly FIVE MONTHS after submitting a claim, I get a letter asking for a copy of my repair invoice, ....."without which we cannot proceed".
I bet they will be surprised when they receive it by return, plus a letter detailing the claim and stating that I ALSO still have the broken springs, should they wish to examine them.
LOL.
I await their response.
Today, nearly FIVE MONTHS after submitting a claim, I get a letter asking for a copy of my repair invoice, ....."without which we cannot proceed".
I bet they will be surprised when they receive it by return, plus a letter detailing the claim and stating that I ALSO still have the broken springs, should they wish to examine them.
LOL.
I await their response.
04 March 2015, 01:03 PM
#18
Update:
They've offered £50 against a claim for over £90.
I've rung and told them to get closer to £75 and I'll take it.
They are talking about wear and tear on the old springs, but FAILING to take into account that I had to pay to have them fitted, and that there was VAT on top of everything.
We'll see.
They've offered £50 against a claim for over £90.
I've rung and told them to get closer to £75 and I'll take it.
They are talking about wear and tear on the old springs, but FAILING to take into account that I had to pay to have them fitted, and that there was VAT on top of everything.
We'll see.
04 March 2015, 09:54 PM
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