Hi all,

 

Just replaced front drivers shock absorber and noticed that when I reinstalled the spring it was not seating correctly on the shock at the bottom. When up against the stop it's as if the spring is not sitting central to the shock and not fully contacting the bottom seat. When assembled you can still turn the spring slightly. This also happens when turning the wheel when on the car. Is this the spring or have I missed something on reassembly? Or something else.

 

Side note: seats on old shock fine 

 

Thanks in advance

Any chance you've re-installed it the wrong way up? How do things look at the top mount end?

Just now, Wino said:

Any chance you've re-installed it the wrong way up? How do things look at the top mount end?

I did think this, but I had compressors on and just put back on same way. There is a possibility that I took the compressor off before reinstall. The spring on the last coil only contacts the seat at one point, almost as if it has a slight kink in it and the end of the spring is not sitting flat and not contacting the shock.

Maybe some photos of top and bottom could help?

Just now, Wino said:

Maybe some photos of top and bottom could help?

I could do when I'm off work and it's not raining.

I had this issue recently and identified that the springs can only fit one way. If you look at the spring you will see that the seat is flat at one end which sits against the top mount,  while the other end is profiled to sit on the rising profiled seat on the strut plate with the end of the coil sitting against a stop. If you drop the spring on  before compressing you will see that it sits basically correctly one way round but the other way sits at an angle.

11 minutes ago, KeithCheetham said:

I had this issue recently and identified that the springs can only fit one way. If you look at the spring you will see that the seat is flat at one end which sits against the top mount,  while the other end is profiled to sit on the rising profiled seat on the strut plate with the end of the coil sitting against a stop. If you drop the spring on  before compressing you will see that it sits basically correctly one way round but the other way sits at an angle.

Sounds identical to my issue, also on lock to lock the spring will move you can clearly hear it suddenly release as the steering is turned

The spring is not sitting in the lower mount correctly, if you jack the car up and remove the roadwheel you may be able to twist the spring by hand until the tail drops into the mount.

So, starting from the beginning, I'm assuming that your car needed a new front damper, so you fitted compressors to the spring, removed the top nut and mount, and fitted them to the new damper and that was when your problems started?

 

If that is correct, then maybe examine the difference between the old damper and new damper lower spring platform.

 

Other things that can cause springs a bit of grief is if the top bearing is seizing up, but normally the twanging comes from the top and the bottom stays seated correctly.

 

Most of these springs are tapered and so compressing them and releasing the compressors needs to be done while helping the lower end of the spring get onto and stay on it final position in the spring platform, though trying the spring on the damper before compressing it would allow you to see if it was possible that everything could fit together properly later on.

2 hours ago, rum4mo said:

So, starting from the beginning, I'm assuming that your car needed a new front damper, so you fitted compressors to the spring, removed the top nut and mount, and fitted them to the new damper and that was when your problems started?

 

If that is correct, then maybe examine the difference between the old damper and new damper lower spring platform.

 

Other things that can cause springs a bit of grief is if the top bearing is seizing up, but normally the twanging comes from the top and the bottom stays seated correctly.

 

Most of these springs are tapered and so compressing them and releasing the compressors needs to be done while helping the lower end of the spring get onto and stay on it final position in the spring platform, though trying the spring on the damper before compressing it would allow you to see if it was possible that everything could fit together properly later on.

Bearing is fine, still smooth twist movement so I saw no need to replace that. The top mount is still in good condition. As I said in my other comment the bottom coil is not seating as it should once the to bearing is in place and spring released but sits in there fine when the spring is compressed

Spring / stop position.

Didn't @KeithCheetham's post confirm my idea that this spring has been fitted upside down?  

Hope I'm wrong for the OP's sake, but it seemed clear from how I read Keith's post that he'd seen this before and that was the problem?

Edited 4 September, 20205 yr by Wino

1 hour ago, Wino said:

Didn't @KeithCheetham's post confirm my idea that this spring has been fitted upside down?  

Hope I'm wrong for the OP's sake, but it seemed clear from how I read Keith's post that he'd seen this before and that was the problem?

I haven't had the chance to take a second look yet. Just to add aren't the top and bottom coils different diameters? I may be wrong.

From memory, not much if at all.