Snapped rear spring???

[Davey_saxo]

As the title says, just found that the rear RH spring is snapped causing it to drop about 2".
Has anyone changed one and is it any different to a normal spring change.
Being that weekend I'm unable to get a price of a spring, what could I be looking at???

Cheers
Dave

[Llanrads]

Paid £66 +vat for a pair of rear springs for my 159 local garage fitted them.

[Davey_saxo]

£66 plus vat fitted..........sounds like you got a bargain. The car is due an MOT on the 26th......better pull my finger out, if the local alfa spares place has them in stock I might do it tomorrow.

Did you change both or just one? I suspect mine has been bust a over a week and the other spring has been taking the extra load, so might just change both.

[swq4]

Always change in pairs so they are matched.

[JON156VELOCE]

I've changed them a few weeks ago on my car as I noticed just the bottom coil had broken off one side.
Its an easy job, to remove the shock spring assembly is a 16mm nut on the top mount inside the boot, you'll need to remove the boot carpet and pull back the side covers, the top mount is behind the foam blocks, then under the wheel arch its 4 torx bolts at the top and a 21mm nut and bolt at the bottom, remove the assembly, compress the spring etc and then refit.
As has been said its good practice to change them in pairs especially if your using aftermarket and not genuine Alfa springs.
There was a guy on ebay selling genuine springs for £20.

[Davey_saxo]

Thanks for your help, changed the rear springs yesterday, near death experience with the spring compressors slipping, but not a difficult job.
Ended up getting springs off ebay and in total cost about £55 for both rear springs.
Seems to sit a tiny bit higher than before, but I'm guessing the springs will settle down in time.

Cheers.

[Mr Grayson]

To revive this thread slightly, does anyone know if there are different variants of spring? I've found numerous sellers on eBay and most of them are quoting springs for the 1.9 Jtdm. Mine is a 2.2, but I did find one other site that seemed to suggest it was the same part number. Some kind of confirmation would be handy before splashing out, though.

[coxy1]

Originally Posted by Mr Grayson

To revive this thread slightly, does anyone know if there are different variants of spring? I've found numerous sellers on eBay and most of them are quoting springs for the 1.9 Jtdm. Mine is a 2.2, but I did find one other site that seemed to suggest it was the same part number. Some kind of confirmation would be handy before splashing out, though.

Having just had a nightmare trying to get a set of rear springs and shockers for mine, what I found out is.
1.9 & 2.2 are the same springs and easy to get after market.
2.4 & 3.2 are the same springs and a tawt to get after market, dealer only I think.

Shocks I can get after market for mine, not checked on the others.

[swq4]

YOu can check on elearn
- there seem to be a few varieties and 3.2 Q4 are different again
- I had to bite that bullet and get from dealer - on plus side next day delivery!

[AlfaReggie52]

Hi, I've just attempted to change my rear springs on my Q4, and have been unsuccessful

The problem that stopped me was the bottom bolt on the shock absorber. All the other bolts came off without problem, but regarding the bottom bolt, I took the nut off and tapped the bolt through the mounting, but the bolt struck part of the rear sub frame and was only about half way through when this happened and would not clear the mounting, and so there was no way that I could release the shock absorber of the subframe

I was just wondering if this is a Q4 problem or not. Did those of you that have managed this job done it after getting this bolt out?

The only way I can see that you could do it would be in situ possibly, or cut the bolt off, buy a new one and put it in the other way around.

Puzzled

Interestingly, I did read somewhere a few months ago, where somebody else had had this problem, but I don't know what the solution was?

[coxy1]

Originally Posted by AlfaReggie52

Hi, I've just attempted to change my rear springs on my Q4, and have been unsuccessful

The problem that stopped me was the bottom bolt on the shock absorber. All the other bolts came off without problem, but regarding the bottom bolt, I took the nut off and tapped the bolt through the mounting, but the bolt struck part of the rear sub frame and was only about half way through when this happened and would not clear the mounting, and so there was no way that I could release the shock absorber of the subframe

I was just wondering if this is a Q4 problem or not. Did those of you that have managed this job done it after getting this bolt out?

The only way I can see that you could do it would be in situ possibly, or cut the bolt off, buy a new one and put it in the other way around.

Puzzled

Interestingly, I did read somewhere a few months ago, where somebody else had had this problem, but I don't know what the solution was?

I'm not one hundred percent sure but I think they changed the way the bolt goes in to mine a 2006 model, but not Q4. I did put this on.
http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...-part-1-a.html (How to rear suspension change Part 1.)
But if your bottom pin is in a different way may be of no help. SWQ4 may be able to help you as he has just done his Q4 SW.

[AlfaReggie52]

coxy that's a good guide.

The subframe looks different to mine. You would not be able to see the bolt head as you can on yours, on mine. I'd be interested to hear how swq4 went on?

The only way that I think I'd be able to do it is to knock said bolt as far as it will go, if I can get in, angle grind what I can see off, knock the rest through releasing the shock absorber from it's lower mounting. Use new bolts and fit them in the mounting the opposite way around.

[coxy1]

Yes, I think you may be right.
Wind the bolt out as far as you can, then lean the whole lot over to see if you can then get the clearance on the bolt to the under side of your trailing arm.
It does make you wounder what these people have for lunch to change a design that works. I was told by my Alfa mechanic friend that they changed it for some reason.

PS:- You could always PM swq4 for help.

[swq4]

You have to have both sides of the car up in the air.
The RHS comes off easier then LHS - dont ask me why.
I used a small hydraulic jack ato hold the subframe at its maximum distance from the body -
- there is a plate under the body to take a small jack head and the jack base is onto the steel suspension cross-member
The shock is then very easy to move around

[AlfaReggie52]

So are you saying that you fitted the springs whilst the lower shock mount was still attached to the subframe by extending the frame down as far as it would travel and swinging the unit out from under the arch to remove/fit the spring?

[swq4]

No I removed everyting to deal with surface rust and clean before hammerite and woxoyl on the subframe.
Suspension units completely out to clean them too.

[Mr Grayson]

Originally Posted by swq4

YOu can check on elearn
- there seem to be a few varieties and 3.2 Q4 are different again
- I had to bite that bullet and get from dealer - on plus side next day delivery!

Sorry to be ignorant, what's elearn?

Thanks.