I normally fix things as they break and pay for it myself without complaint. However my 97 Bonneville just broke a front spring while sitting in my driveway. Its a strut type suspension so the spring is entirely above the tire. It broke about 2 coils up and dropped down under the spring perch and stabbed into the tire. Upon trying to move the car it sounded like a wheel bearing was being crushed. The springs now pointy end carved a tire destroying gash into my almost new Michelin tire. The really stiff sway bar on that car kept the car nearly level and did not show an obvious sag, so from the outside the car looked almost normal.
Examining the break, the spring has a textbook 45 degree shear failure. A crack appears to have propogated from the inner portion of the spring out to the outside. The flaw was therefore not due to something cutting or knicking the outside of the spring. It must have been a material flaw or manufacturing flaw. The springs are not even rusty, just dirty.
On my last trip before the failure I was on a 4 hour highway drive and highway speeds. The failure would have sliced open my tire at speed and the results could have been horrendous.
My experience is that GM designs springs with small wire and few coils therefore ensuring slow but sure sagging more than other brands. I had a 72 Chevelle and a 71 LeMans each break a lower coil off a front spring (no danger just dropped a bit). My Dad's 78 Catalina and 87 Caprice both needed springs replaced (serious sagging). Of course my Buick looked like a low rider with its stock springs in it.
Like I say I am not one to complain or sue but should I try to get some satisfaction from GM?
Has anyone here had a spring fail while driving?
Examining the break, the spring has a textbook 45 degree shear failure. A crack appears to have propogated from the inner portion of the spring out to the outside. The flaw was therefore not due to something cutting or knicking the outside of the spring. It must have been a material flaw or manufacturing flaw. The springs are not even rusty, just dirty.
On my last trip before the failure I was on a 4 hour highway drive and highway speeds. The failure would have sliced open my tire at speed and the results could have been horrendous.
My experience is that GM designs springs with small wire and few coils therefore ensuring slow but sure sagging more than other brands. I had a 72 Chevelle and a 71 LeMans each break a lower coil off a front spring (no danger just dropped a bit). My Dad's 78 Catalina and 87 Caprice both needed springs replaced (serious sagging). Of course my Buick looked like a low rider with its stock springs in it.
Like I say I am not one to complain or sue but should I try to get some satisfaction from GM?
Has anyone here had a spring fail while driving?
