Evening all,

So while checking car over before MOT next week noticed ns rear spring had piece broken off in bottom cup. Spring still in place, but presume will need changing. Not having changed one before and seeing as wheel was off had a quick Google, found a video admittedly for a mk1, but looked similar.

Bottom nut cracked off fine on shock, so got excited and rang local factors. Excitement faded when he said they couldn't get one, ( very unusual for them) and to be careful as it was a Greenline. 

So questions are firstly is it as easy as it looks on video ; ie drop bolt out of bottom of shock, lower and spring should pop out?

Secondly should you replace both rears on what is basically a commuting car used twice a week? Other side is still ok.

Thirdly why did factor say be careful ( should have asked him myself I know)? Euro Car Parts do list one under my registration, £48 ouch.

Factor recommend a company called Killens , but not sure if they sell to man in street.

Lastly, sorry , been failed on MOT on snapped front spring before, fair enough. The Fabia has maybe just a inch and a half broken piece sitting in bottom cup. Would that constitute a failure? Obviously want to get it replaced , but MOT next Wednesday so not sure if it needs fixing for a pass. 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Yes it's a fail, yes you should replace both then you don't have to worry that it's already lower than standard (greenline), you can fit whatever springs are cheapest.

What is the colour dot marking sequence on the springs? That's the very best clue to finding out the correct part number for replacement.

Kilen is the brand your Factor was referring to

 

Should be just as easy to change as you've seen,

Thanks for the replies, always impressed how quickly you get a reply here.

Sepulchrave, am I understanding you correctly that if I change both I can use standard fabia springs?

Thanks Wino, I did notice the other side had some dots on, didn't think anything of it, I'll stick my head under tomorrow.

Not sure if these are the original springs, would coil springs from factors come with these dots also? My local EuroCarParts have them from Friday, I could take one of the old ones to match up.

Hope they are as easy to change as on the video, with the decreasing condition of our roads, particularly within TFL's  patch where supposedly every journey matters  (yeah right)  its a skill useful to learn.

 

 

 

Aftermarket springs won't have the colour sequences, no. But with the colour sequence you can find the Skoda part number, which then allows accurate cross-referencing with aftermarket parts.  Sometimes genuine NOS ones turn up on ebay at reasonable prices too.  What year is the car?

 

Edited 31 March, 20215 yr by Wino

8 minutes ago, Cheapas said:

Sepulchrave, am I understanding you correctly that if I change both I can use standard fabia springs?

 

Yes.

2008 1.4 tdi mk2 greenline. 

Don't really want to go ebay route as need car for work, no time to faff about returning wrong items. General UK courier network seems stretched at moment, we've had a few problems lately, so would rather buy locally, even if it means paying extra.

I'm lucky in having 3 chains of factors locally, so usually able to haggle.

Thanks Sepulchrave, I'll put this to my normal factor tomorrow. They even deliver for free same day , so hopefully can pull old ones off while waiting for new.

If you fit other springs the car will probably sit at a different height at the rear than the front. I guess you realise that though.

You'll probably find some combination of orange white and blue dots:

suspension; shock absorber (spring cyl.); for vehi... - Fabia(FAB) [EUROPA 2008 year] (7zap.com) (view on computer rather than phone to see all the info)

 

 

Thanks Wino, yes I imagined some difference.

As long as it's legal and doesn't look like something out of a rappers video, not too bothered.

Always presumed my Fabia was a bog standard small family estate, any idea why being a Greenline apart from having a dpf it's different parts wise to a standard Fabia? Would have thought running gear would be same to save on production costs.

Apparently the lower stance is for improved aero, as part of the Greenline package.

There are a lot of different spring types, not just standard/heavy-duty/lower. Each of those categories has 4 or more options within. 

Ok, thanks. If I could find a standard Fabia be interesting to see height difference.

ECP have 2 KYB springs for £19 ! total with their constant discount. These are just standard Fabia springs, I'll make a call tomorrow to see what catch is , hopefully just a discontinued line.

 

3 minutes ago, Cheapas said:

Ok, thanks. If I could find a standard Fabia be interesting to see height difference.

ECP have 2 KYB springs for £19 ! total with their constant discount. These are just standard Fabia springs, I'll make a call tomorrow to see what catch is , hopefully just a discontinued line.

 

 

Too good to be true I reckon!

Find out tomorrow ! Not holding my breath tbh, but you never know........

These are springs for the 2008 Fabia MK2 1.4TDI Greenline Estate.

 

Front Springs sold to replace OEM part number 6Q0411105M

Kilen 23119

KYB RA1140

 

(1)

6Q0411105M

coil spring for vehicles with sports suspension 3 paint marks 1 paint mark

red green Model data: PR-L13

Rear Springs sold to replace OEM part numbers 6Q0511115AF, 6Q0511115BB, 6Q0511115BR

Kilen 63527

KYB RA5136

 

1

6Q0511115BB

coil spring for vehicles with lowered running gear 1 paint mark 1 paint mark 1 paint mark

orange white blue Model data: PR-0YA

 

1

6Q0511115AF

coil spring for vehicles with lowered running gear 1 paint mark 2 paint marks 1 paint mark

orange blue white Model data: PR-0YB

 

(1)

6Q0511115AF

coil spring for sports suspension 1 paint mark 1 paint mark 3 paint marks

orange blue white Model data: PR-1JD/0YB

 

Edited 31 March, 20215 yr by Carlston

2 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Too good to be true I reckon!

 

From ECP thats a given, they probably missed out the first 1

 

If they have made a mistake I hope Cheapas takes advantage of it, its rare that I really dislike a company with a vengeance but ECP have earned the honour.

2 hours ago, Cheapas said:

ECP have 2 KYB springs for £19 ! total with their constant discount. These are just standard Fabia springs, I'll make a call tomorrow to see what catch is , hopefully just a discontinued line.

 

It's not a good idea to match front sports springs with standard rear springs...in the same way that you wouldn't put wide low profile tyres on the front matched to skinny tyres on the back...it's a recipe for disaster.

29 minutes ago, Carlston said:

 

It's not a good idea to match front sports springs with standard rear springs...in the same way that you wouldn't put wide low profile tyres on the front matched to skinny tyres on the back...it's a recipe for disaster.

 

Nonsense, it won't make any practical difference, it might look a bit funny but who cares if it fixes it. Much safer than driving around on one broken spring.

11 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

Nonsense, it won't make any practical difference, it might look a bit funny but who cares if it fixes it. Much safer than driving around on one broken spring.

 

Both Kilen 63527 and KYB RA5136 rear springs are correct for the Greenline, and both are available for about £25 each on ebay. There's no point fitting the wrong rear springs when the correct rear springs are available.

Bilstein 36-314966 matches rear spring with OEM part number 6Q0511115BB

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/15803380

 

1

6Q0511115BB

coil spring for vehicles with lowered running gear 1 paint mark 1 paint mark 1 paint mark

orange white blue Model data: PR-0YA

 

Edited 1 April, 20215 yr by Carlston

9 hours ago, Carlston said:

There's no point fitting the wrong rear springs when the correct rear springs are available.

 

He doesn't have time to faff about, he needs the car, it's Easter, two bank Holidays and he won't get anything he orders until the middle of next week at the earliest.

 

You seem utterly divorced from reality and unable to read, OP said all this earlier, hence my advice.

Ok all sorted hopefully!  Never thought finding springs for a Fabia would be so much trouble. As I said I'm lucky in having 3 good factors locally, never normally have any problem getting parts.

Thanks everyone for the code numbers and recommendations, very helpful.

So I've bought 2 springs from a company called Parts In Motion. Had a chat with a helpful lady who said OE number was 6Q0511115 which = KYB RA5136. Even then their own system said they were wrong, but she said it's their system not recognizing the code and it's correct.

Anyway, £54 for the both with FedEx delivery on Tuesday, fingers crossed.

Pushed MOT back till next Friday, so hopefully all good. 

On shift at work all Easter so wouldn't have time to do anything sooner. On holiday from Tuesday so should have time to sort, still not 100% happy with handbrake, took drums off, cleaned up , shoes have 5/6 mill still on them and have adjusted up cable in cab. Still seems to come a long way up on lever, so when I've got wheels off next week for springs I'll have another go, or bite bullet and change cables.

Thanks again all.

Forgot to mention, not impressed with Killens customer service or lack of. Rang their head office to query code numbers to be told they ' categorically' do not deal with general public. Explained just wanted to verify part number, can't do that, and fobbed me off with a supplier miles from me.

Weird attitude when I'm trying to buy their product.

Hey ho.

2 hours ago, Cheapas said:

still not 100% happy with handbrake, took drums off, cleaned up , shoes have 5/6 mill still on them and have adjusted up cable in cab. Still seems to come a long way up on lever, so when I've got wheels off next week for springs I'll have another go, or bite bullet and change cables.

 Just ensure that the brake shoe expanding mechanism that the cables attach to in the drums are free on their pivots, as these are prone to seizing which can cause issues. Also make sure that the adjustment of the shoes is correct - while the adjusters are classed as automatic I tend to do in manually by spinning drums to check for rub, remove drums if very free, adjust manually, put drums on and continue until I feel happy - you have to use the footbrake/handbrake between adjustments to ensure that shoes re-centralise. This can make a reduction in pedal travel, but just don't adjust to a point where braking heat starts to cause a bind after you have driven for a while.

Thanks Keith for the advice. 

I took both drums off to do an annual clean up, check cylinders for leaks and de glaze shoes. The drums didn't come off too easily, and when refitted and spun 1 side feels easier to rotate than other , although both feel as though they are scraping on shoes, so wouldn't think there's much tolerance for adjustment outwards.

Think next Tuesday I'll try again. I've always just sprayed brake cleaner over the shoes/springs /pivot points etc, maybe I need to take one side to pieces at a time ( with a few photos and other side as reference) and do a more thorough lubrication.

Is it possible after this to adjust shoes with drum in situ? IE adjust them so drum can't turn , then back them off gradually or must adjustment be made with drum off?

Sorry, just reread your post- you state adjustment is done with drum off.