Hi guys :wave:

I bought my sister a MK1 Fabia SDi (W reg, 90k miles) last week and today it had been making quite a racket when turning full lock on the right. Whilst I was checking for a snapped spring on the drivers side, I found that a metal object was lodged halfway inside the coil spring. On closer inspection, it felt like a top mount, I could spin the bearing with my hands. I snapped a couple of pictures of the offending object but it begs the question, where has it come from? The steering feels fine and is very light, so if something was amiss with the top mount, I would be able to feel it. Can anyone shed some light on this isssue?

Thanks in advance

Idnan

Piccies:

Well that's not right! (but you know that!!), yes it kind of looks like a bit like the top bearing - but that is meant to be above the spring and held in place there by the fact that these springs are tapered and the smaller diameter spring bit at the top should have held it in place - so has that spring broken and let that bearing fall down? Looks like further investigation is now needed. BTW when the weight comes off that bearing it tends to "let its ball go" - well that's what I've found!

Maybe try feeling all the way up to the top of that spring and see if it feels okay - and still tapered - I'd hope the other side looks a bit different - its not sitting a bit low is it - maybe difficult to work out if you have nothing to compare it with - sneak some measurements from one in a carpark - there should be lots of them around (but maybe not when you are looking for one!).

I tried to feel the top of the spring but as you can see I have pretty fat hands and couldn't get all the way to the top for a proper feel. The other side looks to be fine and the car seems to sit 'normal'.

Looks like I am a bit stuck as all the shops are going to be closed tommorow and Monday. My only glimmer of hope is if the top mount is same on the polo or ibiza as I know there a lot of spare parts for these at my relative's garage I'm taking it to tommorow.

My famous last words to her was, "don't worry it will be far more reliable than your Peugeot". Should've kept my mouth shut

I know on the Ibiza it is common for the springs to snap.

Looks to me as though the bearing has somehow come through the rubber top mount and down into the spring?

I also think that the top mounts are the same on the ibiza and polo just for info.

I'd say the top mount - rubbery thing sits above the bearing, so its chassis turret>top mount>bearing>spring - from top to bottom. I can see that you managed to tilt the misplaced "part" over a bit - that just is nor right at all, I'm trying to remember what the plastic springy dust gaitor grips on at its top end - maybe bump-stop, I know it grips lugs on the stut at the lower end. It still looks like the bearing has come down through the spring - and that should mean that the top "turn" has broken off and let the bearing through. Someone else with regular practical experience of this lot will turn up soon!

Of course, someone with a sense of humour (or small brain) might have assembled or re-assembled this lot in the wrong order!

For a W reg car, this spring looks quite clean (for my part of the country anyway!) - so maybe this car has had its front suspension worked on!

Its the spring, its snapped and the bearing has come apart as its now sat on a larger diameter part of the spring.