Eek, rear suspension needed

A picture will follow but for now I need to know about replacing the nr side rear suspension, one of the leaves has broken off! I don't know how long it's been like that but must be while as its all just as dirty as the rest

Do you ever just consider buying a new van?

This van does sound a bit old in the tooth, next thing you'll know it'll need 6 hours of welding work like Logi's

Your choices are either replace both side with new leaf springs as you have to do a pair at a time - or put a single second hand one on it. Doing the single second hand spring isn't the best way in an ideal world but I've done it on commercial vehicles like sprinters van etc.

And to sound like a stuck record I have spare springs

Cool, how much for your springs?
I'm thinking second hand may be the way no go for now, doesn't seem much point in new, they'll last longer than the van!
As for buying new, I could only afford something of the same age so would be looking at being in the same situation!
I'm not used to going though having to fix this much on my vehicles, normaly somebody crashes into them and writes them off then I buy something else with the compensation!

If youre going to change a spring start now with a wire brush and WD40 and clean the exposed threads and soak them regularly in WD. Itll make them so much easier to get off.( normally you'd use heat but with your gas leak...........)

Ahh, yes good advice it does look like its gonna be a bitch to get off!

Or leave it till MOT time?

Well it's just passed the mot so not due till next year, I'm unsure how safe or not it is, I've gat a bad picture will try and get a better one in a mo to show you

so heres a couple of pictures, the nr side with the broken bit and the off side

If it passed with a broken spring leaf like that the tester needs shooting. Obviously knackard. Cracked, broken or excessively corroded springs are an MOT failure - for a bloody good reason.

I do have a pair of springs on the parts van but I'll need to check them out. I'll also have to be quite careful removing them so I don't ruin the bushes on them - this may work, it may not, depends show corroded in the bolts are too the bushes inner tube.

yeah i was quits shocked when i noticed it, my first response was how the hell did that pass the mot??!!
they are a bit dim there, always poping next door to my exs garage and asking how to do stuff!!

MOT testers have to work to a strict policy set by vosa. They work to the MOT testers hand book. If you contacted vosa about your broken spring the registered MOT testing centre would get investigated by vosa. They would secretly send some cars in with known faults, and if they are missed they would lose their testing licence.

I know this as a garage a few year back I know off lost their vosa registration.

Unless the law's changed, VOSA aren't allowed to put cars in with defects, the cars they put in must be road legal. They observe the test and it's usually testing protocol that that fails the garage.

I thought it was done like a mystery shopper system. The garage that lost their ticket were slack and were know for dodgy mot's.

What they can do is recheck a previously MOT'd car if it's still on the premises, that's why mine leave asap

Not a big fan of shady MOT's, I don't want an anally strict MOT tester, but I want to know what needs sorting.

Let me off on a little rust here and there and the emission been a bit off, maybe a missing catalytic convertor etc but when it comes to the running gear I want it inspecting pretty well as it's what keeps me rolling sunny side up

I tend to make sure i know what needs doing long before the MOT, but on the spring issue, i'd leave it for now, i reckon Daisy's getting to the end of her purse with the wee van.

Dunno, after fixing that overheating stuff she's probably too far gone to give up on it now!

Well I'm still thinking on the side of, I've barely spent anything on it in the 4 years I've had it, I saved myself in excess of £500 with all the work I did myself concerning the overheating,
And - no, I don't like to fail an MOT... BUT I don't want an unsafe vehicle, I'm not impressed that was missed, if I hadn't noticed it the consequences of that going while driving at any reasonable speed..... Not something anyone wants to think about
Emma does have the suspension I need HJ think it was £48.50 all in for one, so don't go to too much effort to remove yours if looks like its gonna be a bitch

Well I'm still thinking on the side of, I've barely spent anything on it in the 4 years I've had it, I saved myself in excess of £500 with all the work I did myself concerning the overheating,
And - no, I don't like to fail an MOT... BUT I don't want an unsafe vehicle, I'm not impressed that was missed, if I hadn't noticed it the consequences of that going while driving at any reasonable speed..... Not something anyone wants to think about
Emma does have the suspension I need HJ think it was £48.50 all in for one, so don't go to too much effort to remove yours if looks like its gonna be a bitch

Ehh? How did that post twice????

The million dollar question is does a second hand spring come with the bushes and drop links/bolts in usable condition. If not then you'll have to try and find them to put it on with.

It's very easy to mash the bushes when taking them off, but by taking your time you can sometimes save them. Sometimes they are just too rotten so you take the cutting torch to the drop link things and leave it in the customers hands. When it comes to Hijets you've then got to find the replacement bushes, something I've never had to buy yet.

I'd prefer to not take the springs of mine as it will make it immobile in my garden. And to be fair that's a damn fair price from Emma, so I wouldn't under cut it anyway. Not for the amount of effort it would take me to take a spring of gently.

Logan made a sound comment before - if you are thinking of swapping that spring, get a wire brush on all the bolts for the bushes and axle U bolts, then keep WD-40 soaking them as they are always a bitch as they are so exposed to the road weather.

Ahh, I'll ask her about the bushes and stuff tomorrow, hopefully she has all the bits ill need

So, ordered 2x suspension leafs and bits to put the on with, will be trying to use PayPal later to pay for them hope I remember my password!

i have now got two springs winging thier way to me, will probably need to source some bolts but figured that shouldnt be to hard...

I cleaned up all the bolts today ready for removal when my new springs arrive, they look amazing good, was expecting them to be very rusty and swollen but all still look like bolts and the threads are clean, and i love the smell of wd40 which is handy as i got it all over my coat! will post the pictures when I get a chance

Suspension fixed, I can drive on the big roads now so watch out!

I honestly thought there was more chance of a DFS sale ending than you getting your van finished.....
Congrats, now have some fun driving it

Logi wrote:I honestly thought there was more chance of a DFS sale ending than you getting your van finished.....
Congrats, now have some fun driving it

Hehe, when I get on a mission I don't give up easily, think I was just unfortunate to have it all needing doing at the same time, just seemed like a never ending mission! Luckily i had someones garage space to use to do most of the work myself or it would have been too expensive to be worthwhile. Hopefully that's it for a while now