Advice needed on front coil spring

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Sonia
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Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by Sonia » 26 Sep 2012 11:42 am

Hey guys,

I really need some help with my 1988 340. Yesterday I hit a large pothole in Milton Keynes (there are a lot of them around!) there was a large thud and my tyre popped. I noticed when changing the tyre that the bottom of the front coil spring (the protector?) was bent, so I got it bent back a bit and (with a police escort) managed to get it home where my spare tyre also popped....

I now have a car that I can't drive and I'm not really sure what to do as I'm not exactly sure how bad it is. I'm not sure whether to try to get it fixed or just give up. He's pretty rusty now and has had a water leak that I can't work out for a couple of months now.

What do you guys think? Advice greatly received :)

Sonia

volvomania
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by volvomania » 26 Sep 2012 11:45 am

It might be worth posting a (couple of) pic(s) showing the damaged part.
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Chris_C
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by Chris_C » 26 Sep 2012 11:46 am

Can you get a photo of the bottom of the spring? I've a feeling it'll have rusted through the bottom spring cup, resting it on the tyre? It's a fairly common problem, the part (the cup itself) is available cheaply but it needs to be welded on to the existing suspension leg.
'89(G) 340 GLE B172k
'03 S60 D5 SE, '91 (J) MX5, 1954 Cyclemaster
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'89(F) 340 GL F7R (ex B172k) - Fake -> SBKV 300 Runner Up 08, 12; '91(H) 340 GL B14.4E - Kar; '88(F) 360 GLT B200E - Jet -> BKV 300 Runner Up 09; '89(G) 360 GLT B200E - Beast

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trabitom99
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by trabitom99 » 26 Sep 2012 12:50 pm

If it looks like this:

Image
http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... f=5&t=6697

it'll be the lower spring cup that's rusted through. As Chris says, it's a common fault on 300s. A replacement strut would be your best bet, but you can have a replacement cup welded back in, there are Klokkerholm replacement panels available. I don't know which UK stockist to recomment though, Hadrian used to sell them, but apparently they're broke now ?

Cheers

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

macplaxton
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by macplaxton » 26 Sep 2012 02:49 pm

PM user "mac" on this forum. He has cups available and can advise.

(For reference for Eurozone folk, I've got a stash of these spring cups too in Ireland. ;))
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82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

Ride_on
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by Ride_on » 26 Sep 2012 09:39 pm

I would say the spring cup failure is only a common fault now, with the youngest cars approaching 25 years old. They are good cars but where never designed to last this long.

A spring cup is easily fixed with a welder, and a water leak not usually that difficult. The rust is the only reason to give up, but its usually when the sills are rotten that its time.

Still anything can be repaired, but by the time the sills are rotten you are in restoration terratory. If the car has been rust proofed (internal cavity wax etc) during it life the chances are that its still pretty solid and the rust is just surface rust.
1980 345 DL_______1987 360 GLE (project car restored to GLT spec and B230FT'd)
1984 360 GLT______1987 360 GLT
1983 360 GLS______1989 360 GLE
1985 340 GL_______1986 340 1.4
1985 360 GLS______1995 940 SE 2.3 Turbo Estate (daily)
1987 340 GL 1.7

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bogbasic
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by bogbasic » 26 Sep 2012 11:09 pm

It might also look like this....

Image

;-)
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!

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trabitom99
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by trabitom99 » 27 Sep 2012 08:35 am

... and when repaired, it will look like this :-)

Image

It's a good idea to clean those cups out with a high pressure hose, especially in spring. They trap all kinds of nasty stuff.

Cheers

Tom
343 GL Touring B14.1E CVT (155) 98000kms 1980 (sold)
343 L Junior B14.3E MT4 (155) 229000kms 1981 (scrapped)
343 DLS B19A MT4 (155) 167900kms 1982
360 GL Injection B200F MT5 (231) 348598kms 1988 (scrapped)
360 GLT B200F MT5 (302) 230000kms 1988

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bogbasic
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by bogbasic » 27 Sep 2012 08:07 pm

Looks like they're still available from Hadrian's successor....

http://www.crashrepairparts.com/parts/p ... ?_ts=44355
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!

macplaxton
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by macplaxton » 27 Sep 2012 10:36 pm

Yeah, but why pay 30 quid?
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bogbasic
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by bogbasic » 27 Sep 2012 11:40 pm

Great if we can do them cheaper - I'd love to know how much they are from anyone else.
1988 340 1.4 GL, 218k, 5 door (Grey Bess). Gone to CBA.
1991 340 1.7 GL, 64k, 5 door, petrol blue (Deep Blue).
1988 360 2.0 GLE, 140k, 5 door, ocean blue metallic (Blue Bess).
1989 340 1.7 GL, 108k, 3 door (Red Ness).
More info here!

macplaxton
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Joined: 09 Feb 2008 02:29 am

Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by macplaxton » 28 Sep 2012 05:21 am

Going back to my earlier post in this thread, PM mac for price. :wink:
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82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

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Fuse
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by Fuse » 01 Oct 2012 01:00 pm

Klokkerholm spring cups at the local parts dealer here in Finland cost 17.90€ so there's quite a lot of margin in that £30 price. :P

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mac
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by mac » 01 Oct 2012 09:27 pm

But of course nobody has actually asked me!

Marko is quite correct,
The parts are made by Klokkerholm in Denmark and available from various sources including "Imperial" (neé Hadrian) and Skandix (in Germany) and at a range of prices.

I buy in bulk and pass on at cost (I take no profit just as I do not for my diff cover gasket kits) for the benefit of V3M and VOC - and can supply as follows:-

X1 cup £12.00 + p&p @ £3.00 - £15.00 delivered to a UK address.
X2 cups £24.00 + P&P @ £3.50 - £27.50 delivered to a UK address.

Mac.
88 5door Redline 1.7 52k - 19 XC60 Momentum Pro D4 AWD 17k
1950 pair of legs that don't work very well.

macplaxton
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Re: Advice needed on front coil spring

Post by macplaxton » 01 Oct 2012 10:10 pm

mac wrote:But of course nobody has actually asked me!
Of course not. You can get spoon-fed everyfink on innernet without searchin'/PMing/emailing, innit?

I do try pointing them in the right direction Mac, with a lot of coughs and hints, but sometime the penny just doesn't drop. :roll:

I've got a box of ten here (via Mac, thankyouverymuch), but I haven't priced them up yet for posting (they cost postage to get here for starters). The intention was to use them in some sort of exchange scheme, but with a billion other things on my plate.....so, if you want, and in the Eurozone ask me nicely.
72 DAF 44 Estate 78 Volvo 343DL Black BeautyImageImage
82 Volvo 343DL CVTImageImage 88 Volvo 340DL Diesel

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