Rear Spring Problem
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Friendswood Texas
Rear Spring Problem
I was driving about 35mph on a typical bouncy Houston concrete road Friday when I went up and down a slight hump and the bolt holding the rear spring on the right side sheared and the spring came loose. The spring crashed to the pavement and cut a groove in the concrete until I could stop the car.
Has anyone ever heard of or had this happen? The car was towed about a month ago and I believe the wrecker operator may have hooked the chains to the back spring when he winched it up on the flatbed. Do you think this could have caused it?
Thanks.
Has anyone ever heard of or had this happen? The car was towed about a month ago and I believe the wrecker operator may have hooked the chains to the back spring when he winched it up on the flatbed. Do you think this could have caused it?
Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,516
Likes: 0
From: Lockport NY
Re: Rear Spring Problem (Doug in Texas)
I doubt he hooked the spring...It's pretty high up under there, plus there's a convenient tie-down eye nearby...
Was the bolt ever replaced, say, to lower the car???
Sounds like a sub-grade bolt...Check the other bolt head...Count the radians...Should be 5...(Grade 8)...
If it's 3, you got a soft bolt...If there aren't any, you got a wet noodle...
If it's 5 (or more), maybe it was just old and fatigued...(and I know just how it feels)... :yesnod:
Was the bolt ever replaced, say, to lower the car???
Sounds like a sub-grade bolt...Check the other bolt head...Count the radians...Should be 5...(Grade 8)...
If it's 3, you got a soft bolt...If there aren't any, you got a wet noodle...
If it's 5 (or more), maybe it was just old and fatigued...(and I know just how it feels)... :yesnod:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,198
Likes: 2
From: Northern CA
Re: Rear Spring Problem (Doug in Texas)
The car was towed about a month ago and I believe the wrecker operator may have hooked the chains to the back spring when he winched it up on the flatbed. Do you think this could have caused it?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Friendswood Texas
Re: Rear Spring Problem (Doug in Texas)
The bolts and everything else look to be the factory original. The bolt has the 5 marks on the top. The car has 68K miles. No evidence that the wrecker driver hooked to the spring or the bolt except that to get to the towing eyes you have to snake the chain around to the front of the rear wheels and I don't remember him doing that. And it has less than 400 miles on it since the tow job and it appears these things don't just break that often. :confused:
I guess I just won the lottery and the one in ten thousand of these bolts that breaks happens to be mine. It was a pretty wild event. The spring has a lot of tension and when it slammed down, it went down hard and stayed down hard. I'm glad I was going 35 and not 85 or 135 and that the spring didn't get caught on something and rip the rear end out. :eek:
I guess I just won the lottery and the one in ten thousand of these bolts that breaks happens to be mine. It was a pretty wild event. The spring has a lot of tension and when it slammed down, it went down hard and stayed down hard. I'm glad I was going 35 and not 85 or 135 and that the spring didn't get caught on something and rip the rear end out. :eek:
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 26,679
Likes: 17
From: This vette goes to 11 Milford MA
St. Jude Donor '03-'05
Re: Rear Spring Problem (Doug in Texas)
Never underestimate the stupidity of a tow truck driver. Ask Scorp about my car.:) The guy hooked it through some sheetmetal on the frame and ripped it clean off, almost taking the bumper with it. Then he lifted it way the hell up to the point where he almost scraped the hood on the ground. Finally, I made him put it down and I got under there myself and hooked it up.
[Modified by Fastguy, 5:12 PM 3/25/2002]
[Modified by Fastguy, 5:12 PM 3/25/2002]
