Are these knackered? Update 19/2

[grizgut]

First picture is front spring and second is rear. Both fitted a few years ago to my multivan. Van was empty when I took the pictures. Should the coils be touching each other

20130210_113255.jpg

20130210_113411.jpg

Thanks.

[Ian Hulley]

The back one has almost zero 'spring' left in it You'd have to ask whether they were the correct ones in the first place ?

Ian

[grizgut]

Ian,

I've had the van about 6 months and just thought the harsh ride was a result of the lowering kit. I looked under it this morning and had to pinch myself, the rears are really bad, the front is very poor, almost no travel before I get a clonking noise and it bottoms out. I have the receipt for the kit from the PO, 80mm lowering kit ordered from T3 Detectives in 2008 cost him £423 and I think that was trade. They are H & R springs.

Time for some new springs?

[Ian Hulley]

To be fair I'm not well-versed in lowered suspension ... our's is stock van height with Sachs shockers. No-doubt there are others who can help you though.

[kevtherev]

Useless now so you might as well remove them and fit some proper springs designed and developed for the t3
Brickwerks sell a range of these springs for the lowered van

Leaving those pieces of scrap on will really do more damage.

[Mocki]

Not so much springs as spacers with small gaps !

[California Dreamin]

At 4/5 years old I doubt you would have any come back, however, you never know, it might just be worth a phone call to the importers to see how they react.

H&R do have a good reputation so they might see this as a quality control issue.

But...like you say, collapsed coils does indicate that there was an issue in the tempering of the springs.

Martin

[CovKid]

Not so much springs as spacers with small gaps !

Yup, those springs have relaxed for good. Either they were poor quality or not designed to carry this kind of weight or both.

[grizgut]

Ordered a new set from Brickwerks, now I'm hoping it warms up and the snow melts.

I did some research last night and found some folks posting on German forums that appeared to be less than happy with these 80mm springs. Could the fronts have been designed to have the top coils unspaced? Seems a bit unlikely.

Thanks for the help, most welcome.

[grizgut]

Fitted new 50mm AVO springs and still can't believe the difference. It's so much better!

The old springs were longer than the new ones when I compared them out of the van, very strange for something that was supposed to be 80mm shorter than standard. Only slight cloud was that both track rods ends, upper ball joints and one lower ball joint are shot (have now ordered complete sets for both sides). At least I won't have to take the springs out again when I fit them.

[AdrianC]

The old springs were longer than the new ones when I compared them out of the van, very strange for something that was supposed to be 80mm shorter than standard.

Merely demonstrates that they're really not designed for these vans - or, even, anything around 2t in weight. Springs compress a certain distance per kg of load on them. So for them to go from "longer" to "shorter", they must be massively under-rated for the load they're carrying. Which, of course, is precisely why they're utterly coil-bound in the first pics.

[Plasticman]

the actual unfitted lenght of the spring is not a real guide to how your van will sit . its more down to the springrate as well as free length, anyhows as long as your now happy with them
mm

[ermie571]

Hey up.... t3 detectectives are for the fasty - the T3....not the van (although easily confused, as they are T3 in Europe!)
John has a fasty - we get stuff for that from them..

though why you would want to drop one of those 80mm god alone knows....lol ....but the price....OMG!!

Em
xx

[grizgut]

I looked up the part number from the old springs and it would seem that they were designed for the T25, the only benefit I get from the previous owners money is a nice set of yellow shocks

[AdrianC]

I looked up the part number from the old springs and it would seem that they were designed for the T25

"Sold for" != "Designed for" != "Works on"