front spring broke
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 347
From: No Where USA
front spring broke
The front spring on my 99 convertible broke last night. I jacked it up and put jackstands under it. Then changed the oil also cleaned off the frame with aluminum cleaner, put the car down on the tires went to drive it into the garage. I heard a snap and the front dropped. This was a fairly new spring it was 4 years old with 10,000 miles on it.
Why would it just snap like that.
Why would it just snap like that.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
Fiberglass springs are VERY durable – Unless they are mishandled.
1. Never jack the car using the spring.
2. Never support the car with a jack stand under the spring.
3. Never use a solvent to clean a fiberglass spring – the chemicals can (and usually will) cause delaminating (splitting/separation). This affect could take weeks or months.
Fiberglass springs can last the life of the car without sag unlike metal springs.
1. Never jack the car using the spring.
2. Never support the car with a jack stand under the spring.
3. Never use a solvent to clean a fiberglass spring – the chemicals can (and usually will) cause delaminating (splitting/separation). This affect could take weeks or months.
Fiberglass springs can last the life of the car without sag unlike metal springs.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 347
From: No Where USA
Fiberglass springs are VERY durable – Unless they are mishandled.
1. Never jack the car using the spring.
2. Never support the car with a jack stand under the spring.
3. Never use a solvent to clean a fiberglass spring – the chemicals can (and usually will) cause delaminating (splitting/separation). This affect could take weeks or months.
Fiberglass springs can last the life of the car without sag unlike metal springs.
1. Never jack the car using the spring.
2. Never support the car with a jack stand under the spring.
3. Never use a solvent to clean a fiberglass spring – the chemicals can (and usually will) cause delaminating (splitting/separation). This affect could take weeks or months.
Fiberglass springs can last the life of the car without sag unlike metal springs.
I didn't jack it from the spring or support it there. This is the second spring that either sagged or broke on this car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
I also had a daily driver 1974 with a rear fiberglass spring with 170,000 miles on the spring. I also used that 170K car for auto-crossing and actually tore apart the strut rear rods TWICE auto-crossing but the fiberglass spring is still just fine. (A relative owns the car now) I do all my own mechanical work and I took care working with and around that spring.
If you want the real scoop of what to do and what not to do to care for a fiberglass call forum sponsor Vette Brakes & Products (VBP) in Tampa (St. Petersburg?) Florida.
Could your spring have been mishandled during install, or is it a used spring that could have been mishandled in its past?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 347
From: No Where USA
I had a fairly new rear fiberglass spring fail (split apart along its length) due to it being wiped down with cleaning solvents by a body shop after a repaint. They wanted to remove the overspray that got onto the rear spring. This was on a 1972 Corvette and it took about 6-months to fail.
I also had a daily driver 1974 with a rear fiberglass spring with 170,000 miles on the spring. I also used that 170K car for auto-crossing and actually tore apart the strut rear rods TWICE auto-crossing but the fiberglass spring is still just fine. (A relative owns the car now) I do all my own mechanical work and I took care working with and around that spring.
If you want the real scoop of what to do and what not to do to care for a fiberglass call forum sponsor Vette Brakes & Products (VBP) in Tampa (St. Petersburg?) Florida.
Could your spring have been mishandled during install, or is it a used spring that could have been mishandled in its past?
I also had a daily driver 1974 with a rear fiberglass spring with 170,000 miles on the spring. I also used that 170K car for auto-crossing and actually tore apart the strut rear rods TWICE auto-crossing but the fiberglass spring is still just fine. (A relative owns the car now) I do all my own mechanical work and I took care working with and around that spring.
If you want the real scoop of what to do and what not to do to care for a fiberglass call forum sponsor Vette Brakes & Products (VBP) in Tampa (St. Petersburg?) Florida.
Could your spring have been mishandled during install, or is it a used spring that could have been mishandled in its past?
I installed it myself and the car or the spring is never mishandled.
