broken OME front coil spring - 5 days before a laning trip :(

[AndyCook]

When i was in my garage yesterday, heard a loud BANG,
i thought something had fallen in garage, but couldnt find anything, i also checked under cars on drive

then today I was looking over my LC and noticed drivers front OME coil spring had snapped at top... that explains the BANG yesterday!
arrghhh 4 days before i am due to leave for next green-laning trip...

then in due to fluster I drove into my garage with rack and CB antenne on... CB antenna SIRiO snapped when it hit the top of garage opening....

i fitted old toyota factory coil spring and LC sits 1cm down on that side now - as emergency last resort, as not sure i will get a new set coils in time before laning trip.. as TBR and devon4x4 dont always have stock

nipped over to AndrewT's and borrowing a mag mount off him so CB working again
and looked at his old 120 front coils, they are same height, the individual coils are thicker than my 881 OME ones, and overall the whole coil is about 2mm wider than my OME ones - so i think they might fit and also due to thickness difference give a bit of lift too over my old factory ones
so taken them for now and might fit if i cant get OME ones in time for thursday evening

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

How old is that snapped spring? Hopefully just a one off manufacturing fault. Your snapped CB antenna is probably one of the ones I can repair if it's the antenna that is broken and not the mount? You lose the ability to adjust the angle of the whip with what I normally do.

 

[AndyCook]

thanks for email Jon

the spring is a couple years old - i had driven the vehicle about an hour before it snapped, just sitting on drive
i have fitted two 5mm trim packers to that shock... so maybe that preload of coil hastened the failure

 

[Ben]

Thats bad luck Andy.

I can vouch for the quality of John's repair/modification of the Sirio mounts. Mine is still perfect after my truck ended up on its roof.

 

[AndyCook]

that sounds like a great seal of approval Ben !

im annoyed the truck broke when just sitting there!! not been driven etc
but glad i spotted it in time and it didnt happen just as i was about to hit the road south

 

[silvercruiser]

Thats bad luck Andy, i broke a rear spring on my Landrover defender once but that was on full flex and i got out to take a picture, as you do! Just as i got my camera out i had the same big bang and the spring was sitting in half but it was under full strain.
I hope the 120 springs fit


Joe

 

[Chas]

Thats bad luck Andy.

I can vouch for the quality of John's repair/modification of the Sirio mounts. Mine is still perfect after my truck ended up on its roof.

Yeah mine too, although mines not been rolled. . . yet , I did notice that in your upside down picture and I thought another JW success.

 

[Andrew T]

mmm slowly upgrading with 120 parts

 

[AndyCook]

mmm slowly upgrading with 120 parts

thats a last resort!

I am sure my subaru can drive most of the lanes fine

cheers for the CB help

 

[MDST]

thats a last resort!

I am sure my subaru can drive most of the lanes fine

cheers for the CB help

Bad luck Andy!

OME 882 an 881 have same spring rate and same bar diameter but different height ( 882 have 20mm more height than 881 ).

OME 883 ( Prado 120 ) and 881 coils have the same height but 883 have more spring rate and 1mm more bar diameter. 883 are good if you have weight on front I think.

You tell us later!!

Cheers

 

[AndyCook]

interesting info MDST - I had 882 springs on the vehicle for a few weeks, a couple years ago - but the lift was too high, i dont have a winch bumper, just a winch mount cradle. the 882 really need the weight of a full winch bumper to give the correct ride height. so i swapped to 881 coils and sold the 882 coils to a member on here.

sounds like the 120 coils are a bit beefier then, so the 120 Toyota factory coils i pinched on AndrewT should give a higher ride height than my old 90 series Toyota factory coils,
so the standard 120 coils will be better bet for this weekend trip if i cant source any new 881 OME coils in next couple days...

 

[AndyCook]

might be saved the contamination of my 90 with 120 parts

Devon 4x4 had 2 sets of the 881 coils in stock - a pair heading my way next day delivery

and broken Sirio parts off in post to Mr Wildsmith today for repairs - thanks Jon!
i have a mag mount to use for weekends trip (i removed it from roof last night so when i drive truck into garage this evening to prep it for replacing coils it wont get trashed )

 

[AndyCook]

Mrs Cook tells me the replacement OME coils have been delivered at home
so will crack on with fitting them when i get home

 

[AndyCook]

new coils fitted, and tools all repacked again... so he Collie is ready for action again

 

[Charlie]

That's good news, well done.

 

[J66P]

well done

 

[Ben]