I'm on holiday at the moment and last night when parking the car I went full lock to full lock with the car stationary and had 2 loud *bong* sounds come from the passenger front wheel area. Sounded a bit like twanging a massive spring!

A couple of days before going away I started getting some noise when going lock to lock but that was more of a creaking.

Any ideas what I've broken?

Thanks.

The coil spring maybe?

You could jack the car up and inspect the spring if you want to be sure

My bets would be on a cracked coil spring, either at the top or the bottom.

Alternatively it could be the bearing at the top has seized up meaning that the coil spring is twisting and becoming compressed rather than twisting as a complete spring with the turning of the wheels?

sounds like a broken coil spring to me,i would get it checked asap,you dont want to be driving it if the spring has broken,ive had springs break & punchure the tyre! allways replace springs in pairs too!

My first thought was broken coil as well; my second was siezed top bearing!

Great minds, Ken

My money is on the top mount(s) or bearings too - I had something very similar on the Lancia I used to own - in that case the rock hard aftermarket suspension combined with crappy british roads and typically "italian" quality metal resulting in a pair of deformed top mounts, effectively removing the clearance between the upper and lower parts of them so they couldn't rotate.

I had "boinging" noises going from lock to lock and the car would pull whichever way I'd last applied lock as the springs were still partially twisted and applying some steering load...

probably broken coil spring.....on mine (130bhp pd 2003 estate) I could feel the loose broken bit lying in the cup of the strut cost about £140 at an independant

hope this helps

I would also go for a broken coil spring, but check it out urgently, because the coil could run against the tyre.

Thanks guys. I've had a look without jacking the car up and as far as I can see (which isn't much) it looks fine.

Today it was fine, no noise at all when parking so I think the top mount bearing sounds like a more likely culprit.

Sorry to bring up and old thread, but I was just wandering if you ever found out exactly what was causing the bong sound as mine has started to do the same. I got SWMBO to turn the wheels lock to lock whilst I peered under the arch, I could see the spring on the passenger side slipping round whilst the wheels were turning. I had a feel around the coil and it's definately not broken but it does feel like the lower end of the coil isn't located properly into the seat stop. Anyone else had this happen?

Mine broke at the very top of the spring, they go past the mountings and rest on the top of the strut arch bit thingy .

Jack up and get your hand right up the top and feel around.

Mine broke at the very top of the spring, they go past the mountings and rest on the top of the strut arch bit thingy .

Jack up and get your hand right up the top and feel around.

The Spring typically breaks at the weakest point , which is caused by the bearing seizing in the first place. When that bearing seizes it puts pressure of the coil spring as the spring can't rotate freely.

Best get it replaced before the spring does go if not done already.

A spring broke on my car during the test drive, it did the "bong" noise after that.

The vendor said he'd fix it and did, with one non-vRS spring.

New suspension on Friday will fix that.

very likely it is just the top bearing. Mine was like that when I bought it. £25 labour from a friendly local garage and £2.99 fior the part. Sorted.

ip

I'll have a proper look at it all when my poly bushes arrive as it's all gotta come apart anyway. Hope I don't need new springs, trying to save some pennies this month.