Close Shave - Almost!

woodbine · 2020-08-14 17:20:29

Was thinking about a time when I had a front spring go on my Scudo approx 4 years ago. Parked the van on drive when I returned from work - no problems and all normal.

Next morning, started van, but it wouldn't move and steering locked. Found out the spring had broken and slid down the strut. It had jammed itself against the inside wall of tyre. Luckily it hadn't damaged anything like brake pipes or wires for low pad warning.

Often wondered what would have happened if the spring had let go when I was doing 70 in the fast lane. Anyone ever had any failures like this that meant a close call - or worse?

Last edited by woodbine (2020-08-15 16:24:02)

vaz2121 · 2020-08-15 12:24:26

woodbine wrote:

Was thinking about a time when I had a front spring go on my Scudo approx 4 years ago. Parked the van on drive when I returned from work - no problems and all normal.
Next morning, started van, but it wouldn't move and steering locked. Found out the spring had broken and slid down the strut. It had jammed itself against the inside wall of tyre. Luckily it had't damaged anything like brake pipes or wires for low pad warning.
Often wondered what would have happened if the spring had let go when I was doing 70 in the fast lane. Anyone ever had any failures like this that meant a close call - or worse?

This is all my sort of personnal experience and feelings towards results

Yes ....you are right there are many scenarios when it comes to broken front Springs....................

It'll be a good couple years ago now "We had after a quick lateish night (A couple hundred mls from home) shop/visit in the CO-OP came back out and after a brief period while partner and I were sitting in van the spring let go.............

I on hearing and feeling van rock I was 90% sure what happened ............. And a quick check confirmed broken spring........
When it had broken about 1 curl up from bottom that it had fell into the "Base cup" (I'll call it) on the strut that normaly supports spring
We had only left home earlier that afternoon......."WE Parked up over the car park had a better look in morning light".............

Luck had it fall the way it did and the break was IIRC at the back of the strut in relaion to wheel............
After B'Fast took the Decision to limp home after a drive around a ...as it turned out a bumpy car park and although we kept speeds much lower than norm it made it home and to get repaired without any ill effects.........

https://dispatchexpertscudo.org.uk/foru … php?id=281
(Had it broken further up and or/on side of tyre ..... Who knows)

Over the years either I/we had all sorts of issues or people I came in contact with............ what your asking is Not just exclusive to this van but all vehicles with a Macpherson strut type front Suspension............ (Tyre bursting more so on some than others)

I was lucky I know hence the having as best a look as I could
Other scenarios are Spring as you found locking up front wheel and jamming as it falls or the pointy jaggy end going straight through and ripping out side wall of tyre.......

I've had (Thnk 2003 Mondeo) spring broke near top and this meant No longer supported by the strut top bearing it was in among the spring Turret (were strut is bolted onto) and although the driving wasn't really effected it made for some very interesting noises ETC ............

Some vehicles depending on design are more prone than others at undercarriage damage .............
It seems "Modern" vehicles tend to have more with curved springs or ones that get fatter in middle or taper to a smaller seat
(With potholes and state of roads it's bound to get worse)

An MOT man once told me He believed that vehicles that have stood dormant for a long period seems to be more prone to break springs in the first few months of being "repurposed"

Had a neighbour get rid of a car as it had broken a spring and burt a tyre in the process ..........

This is more common than you think but most incidents go unnoticed and that's why it's part of the MOT to check and report condition as lots of folk have no idea they have a broken spring .............
Or multiple broken .........back or front ..... Both.......

Last edited by vaz2121 (2020-08-15 12:31:29)

woodbine · 2020-08-15 16:40:42

Thanks Vaz. Sounds like you had a close call and in similar circumstances to me - ie. luckily spring let go when you were parked. Yes, suppose the noise would have been noticeable as a hell of a lot of energy must be released when a spring goes suddenly. My break was very similar, a 6 inch long piece from one end, suppose it must have been the bottom end if spring slid downwards to rest on hub.

Still gives me a chilling feeling thinking it could have happened at 70+ on busy motorway as the tyre would have burst (tyre was fine when mine went - no damage) and the wheel would have stopped rotating, all at the same time as I lost the ability to steer.

Thanks for recounting your close shave. Luckily, touch wood, I haven't had a really bad mechanical failure when driving. Only thing was years ago when driving my Mk1 Carlton and the brakes suddenly failed as I approached a queue of stationary cars at red lights. Luckily there was an empty, hatched area of road in the middle and I yanked on the handbrake and managed to stop without hitting anything. Luckily I was only doing between 20 and 25 when brakes went. Turned out the rubbers in master cylinder had given up. Quick m/cylinder rebuild and all was well.

If anyone has any close calls with mechanical failures of any kind when driving, please tell.

kenbw2 · 2020-08-15 23:46:57

My biggest close call was earlier this year. My van had been in storage while I was in Australia for a few months. Came back, got it all cleaned out. As I drove away from the place, I felt the van accelerating, but I wasn;t pressing the pedal.

Luckily my brother had had this once, so I knew what this was. Engine runaway from the turbo. It didn't end well for his engine but he'd told me what to do.

So I took it into the nearby layby, put it in 5th gear and dumped the clutch. Thank god it was only £500 for a replacement turbo.

kenbw2 · 2020-08-15 23:48:09

Not with my Dispatch, and not mechanical but my biggest one was a time I was driving my Peugeot 106 up to Scotland. Got as far as Fort William, kept driving north towards Skye.

Driving along in the middle of the night, when suddenly *deer* *bam* *scrape*

Managed to retrieve the bumper from underneath the car and pull over. It wasn't happy

I was planning to sleep in it anyway, so I rolled into a layby and assessed the situation in the morning

It was... yea I wasn't driving anywhere. Couldn't even run the engine for heat as the coolant had all leaked out the radiator.

Had to look for options. Breakdown cover wouldn't come as it was an accident, not a breakdown. Recovery costs would have been insane.

So I had to wait for my brother to come rescue me. 4 days without heat and only 4 gas canisters for cooking. Spent most of it huddled under a duvet and trying to get out for walks. It was a lovely place though and I had full G signal!

And was eventually rescued

woodbine · 2020-08-16 13:33:21

Couple of interesting ones, Ken. Seen those runaway diesel vids on Youtube. 5th gear is one option and the easiest. Other option is cover the air filter intake. Needs to be quite quick though, or engine is a gonner. Did you rebuild the Pug, or was it a write off? Must have been a long 4 days.

kenbw2 · 2020-08-16 13:51:58

woodbine wrote:

Couple of interesting ones, Ken. Seen those runaway diesel vids on Youtube. 5th gear is one option and the easiest. Other option is cover the air filter intake. Needs to be quite quick though, or engine is a gonner. Did you rebuild the Pug, or was it a write off? Must have been a long 4 days.

The longest 4 days, jesus. I did bring it back and fire it up, it was misfiring badly but I kept it up till last year with the intention of fixing it up. Maybe just the pump was out of time? And the rest of it, maybe £200 in body panels.

But it became one of those "one day" projects and 4 years later I stuck a battery on and turned it over. It struggled to turn over and I assume it was seized. Eventually decided it was always going to be a "one day" project and sadly sent it to the scrapyard in the sky.

If I had unlimited time I'd finish all my projects!

Jowettdriver · 2020-08-17 09:24:55

The only time that really leaves me with a feeling of just how lucky I was happened a few years ago in France.
My wife and I were on a two week tour of southern France in our self build motorhome which was built into a Fiat Ducato.
Just before leaving for France during routine maintenance I had discovered the steering rack was leaking power steering fluid and along with some small play in the inner track rod ends i decided to order a reconditioned steering rack.

Ordered one from a specialist who only rebuilt steering racks so thought they'd know whet they were doing, changed it over and thought no more of it.
So we're in the south of France and my wife asks me to pull over into a layby so she can take a picture of the views, we were descending a very twisting mountain road and the views were spectacular. As I went to pull out of the layby the steering wheel suddenly felt strange and the van would not move forwards, jumped out to find the two front wheels pointing at very different angles, had a look underneath and one of the track rods had snapped.

Got recovered and after an overnight stay on a garage forecourt a new trackrod was fitted. When I looked at the one that had failed it looked like it had been machined down in a lathe, and the inner track rod end was so tight I couldn't move it. Clearly the joint was so tight it had caused the already machined down track rod to fatigue and fail.

I still shudder at the thought of what could have happend had that failed while we were going round one of the hairpin turns we had been driving along only minutes before, I do know it was a bloody long way down a cliff face from up there!!

When I returned to the UK i took it up with VOSA and they instigated a full investigation into the company and asked them to change some of their practices.

Cheers Tim

AB_70 · 2020-08-18 20:17:19

woodbine wrote:

Was thinking about a time when I had a front spring go on my Scudo approx 4 years ago. Parked the van on drive when I returned from work - no problems and all normal.
Next morning, started van, but it wouldn't move and steering locked. Found out the spring had broken and slid down the strut. It had jammed itself against the inside wall of tyre. Luckily it hadn't damaged anything like brake pipes or wires for low pad warning.
Often wondered what would have happened if the spring had let go when I was doing 70 in the fast lane. Anyone ever had any failures like this that meant a close call - or worse?

Not in my Dispatch Woodbine, but had exactly that in a BMW 3 Series M Sport. Went to drive it in the morning, to the tune of metal on metal. Found a bit of spring next to where I parked it! Very luck happened wile asleep, think trousers would have been stained doing 70 down the M60 big_smile

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#1 2020-08-14 17:20:29

Close Shave - Almost!

#2 2020-08-15 12:24:26

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#3 2020-08-15 16:40:42

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#4 2020-08-15 23:46:57

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#5 2020-08-15 23:48:09

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#6 2020-08-16 13:33:21

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#7 2020-08-16 13:51:58

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#8 2020-08-17 09:24:55

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

#9 2020-08-18 20:17:19

Re: Close Shave - Almost!

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