Just had my MOT and apparently about an inch has snapped off the end of a rear coil spring. Looking at getting a pair of standard springs. There's a thread on lowering springs, but wondering about standard ones. I think the car is low enough as standard, and want to avoid insurance issues.

Found so far.... (prices per *pair*):

From EuroCarParts (with site discount 25% if still running): cheapest £53.10, Sachs £71.10. GSF "Premium" £82.68. Not yet checked dealers prices, but would expect a pair to cost more than the Sachs.

Would the Sachs ones be worth getting? Or would the cheapies be likely to last the rest of the car's useful life?

Any other jobs worth doing there while in pieces? - e.g. renew bump stops/spring plates etc?

TIA.

Edit: just found springs which seem to be Sachs (and hopefully not just using their reference number) here http://www.mister-au...032996!657.html for £58.73, seems too good to be true compared with ECP's price. Edit again: scrap that, reviews enough to easily put me off that site http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/mister-auto.co.uk

Edited 8 June, 201214 yr by anewman

I had to do this last September, bought springs, drove home, fitted them, 10 miles back to MOT place in under 90 minutes. I bought the Sachs ones from ECP and did not think they cost that much - maybe different springs (I would not think so) as the car was a 9N Polo 1.4SE 4 door manual trans. I was just happy that they were in stock and so easy to replace. Same as you, less than one inch missing "spring incomplete" - that was true as I discovered when I replaced them, and I had "checked" them over a day or so before, but that spring had broken quite some time before that I'd reckon.

Edited 8 June, 201214 yr by rum4mo

Hum, you are correct price wise, mine were £86.28 back in end August last year, ECP part number was 627445260

Any other jobs worth doing there while in pieces? - e.g. renew bump stops/spring plates etc?

TIA.

Edit: just found springs which seem to be Sachs (and hopefully not just using their reference number) here http://www.mister-au...032996!657.html for £58.73, seems too good to be true compared with ECP's price. Edit again: scrap that, reviews enough to easily put me off that site http://www.trustpilo...ster-auto.co.uk

First, other jobs, if the bump stops look okay just leave them - mine had split and one side had dropped down, so they got replaced before the spring broke. Next spring plate, most folk don't know they ever existed, I replaced mine some time after replacing the springs as the original ones seem to melt away. Seriously, all you need are two new lower bolts and nuts, to replace the rear springs, all you do is jack up both sides, remove the lower shocker nut and bolt, keep jacking up until the springs are free and take them out - then fit new ones and lower car back down until you can feed the shocker back in and fit the bolt and nut etc.

I was having a look at that site and these Sachs spring prices are very good - then I saw your comments, or referance to the customers comments!!

Edited 8 June, 201214 yr by rum4mo

Defo stick with Sachs, they are an OE brand, and as the other guys mentioned are top quality! Also you can click and collect using the forum discount, or choose the free delivery

Same as you, less than one inch missing "spring incomplete"

Fortunately the MOT tester was understanding and didn't fail it as it's still seated properly etc.

Defo stick with Sachs, they are an OE brand, and as the other guys mentioned are top quality! Also you can click and collect using the forum discount, or choose the free delivery

Thanks for the reply. Wondered if you could double check part numbers, please. I am after Sachs part number 996 657 (identified via their catalogue - OE equivalent 6Q0 511 115 K). The site presents me with 4 different Sachs rear springs. Assuming "heavy duty" are for estates, I suspect I need either part number 627780200 or 627780240. Many thanks.

Edited 9 June, 201214 yr by anewman

I'd keep very quiet about getting an MOT with that fault as its in back and white - spring complete = pass for that item, spring incomplete = fail for that item! Mine was like your's still very stable and not directly causing the car to be unsafe, but I did respect the MOT tester finding what I had missed and failing the car for that.

The lower shock bolts and nuts are described in the Skoda catalogue as N 905 173 02 hexagonal head bolt M10X75, and N 102 861 02 shouldered hex nut self-locking M10.

Any reason a High Tensile 8.8 M10x75 bolt and an M10 nylon lock nut from Screwfix wouldn't be up to the job, compared with a Skoda dealer's offerings? My local Skoda dealer is rather useless, and never has anything in stock.

Edited 12 June, 201214 yr by anewman

Personally, I'd stick with VAG parts as they tend not to use "default" thread sizes - so later on you introducing these threads could confuse things for someone. As far as I remember, the clamping bolt has a SPLINE head - though VAG call it TORX head - which it is not.

Thanks Run4mo.

One last thing, as you have already bought a pair, I wondered if you can recall whether the Sachs springs had markings identifying them as Sachs (other than the box itself)? I ask as what I bought one came in a Sachs box, and the other a box branded KME. Both appear the same though, but nothing makes it obvious the springs themselves are Sachs. The spring in the Sachs box has "74351 T268567" printed, and the one in the KME box has "74351 T324524" printed, both in yellow. Have tried asking around the net and not received a definitive answer.

I'm sorry but I can't remember if the Sachs springs had any ID printed on them - I'd suspect that they would have had, and the only numbers I found when I looked back at the boxes, I suspect, is the box's part number. My only reason for not checking springs for number would be that I was quickly replacing them to get back for a re-test - normally I'd a bit anal about checking things. I'd suspect that you have one correct spring and one wrong spring as I'd (as I'm sure you also) expect the numbers to be the same as they are not "handed". Also, it looks like Sachs get KME to make their springs - that seems fair enough as Sachs, I seem to remember, don't claim to be spring manufacturers - shock absorbers is their core business and that is the Sachs parts that VAG use in factory.

I would not worry about the springs not having any Sachs identifer on them - though they must have the p/n on them, my Lesfor(spelling?) ones from GSF only had their p/n printed on them.

Just a thought, these number could be industry standard "p/ns" - though I'd only expect them to be on the supplier's box stuck on by the vendor - but they should be the same as they are meant to be for the same application.

Edited 15 June, 201214 yr by rum4mo

A bit more digging and I think you're right. The part numbers ECP have that were KME (identified by looking at an old forum post), are now branded Sachs. Possibly KME bought use of the Sachs brand name, to increase the perceived value of the product with a recognised name? I would hazard a guess, therefore, at best, I have an old stock part thats been on the shelf a while - and a newer part, as they share the same part number. It seems that KME is Lesjöfors also.

Hi Alan!

Sorry about the mix up, i think i spoke to you on Facebook, and I was told by the Newport branch manager (Eve) that shes arranged for you to pop in and switch the springs

Sorry for any confusion

Patrick