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Help Needed Urgently Please!
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TVR Dan
Novice
Dec 13, 2008, 12:33 PM
Post #1 of 13
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Help Needed Urgently Please!
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Hello,
I was asked today by a friend to service her Ford KA. Knowing enough about cars to do a good service i agreed and got on with it straight away!
I at one point needed to jack it up at the front to change the oil filter. But when i brought it back down again the wheels seem to have a huge 6 inch gap
between them and the trim of the car? I am not sure why it has not come all the way down but i can see that it just isn't right? I have also just seen a Ka on the way home which i took a look at. The trim was high but not that high. Also just had a spring changed on that side? Have i damaged it in anyway or is it a common thing?
I feel really bad now thats all...
2002
Ford KA
Endura Engine Model.
1.3
Not sure how many miles.
Please help i'm desprate as i said i feel terrible that its happened. 
Thanks TVR Dan
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 13, 2008, 12:46 PM
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Re: Help Needed Urgently Please!
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I'll give this a shot but don't know that car at all. No matter - many front suspension systems are the MacPherson Strut idea. Perhaps the mount at the top wasn't fastened properly and is not in place now. There may be a tower seen underhood with a few smaller nuts and a larger one in center (the shock absorber part) and if this isn't all intact there it might have jammed up.
Top under hood (bonnett ) may look like this......
This could happen if you lifted the car by the body - which is fine and should be ok. Something is suspect wrong about the spring replacement job - probably not your fault and actually better that it's found now and not at the wrong time driving it,
T
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Dec 13, 2008, 12:48 PM)
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TVR Dan
Novice
Dec 13, 2008, 1:07 PM
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As for the car this may or may not help
As for your suggestion it seems ok around that area and the suspension still springs back up when you press down on it but it just seems very high?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 13, 2008, 1:26 PM
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A common way to suspend front is like the strut shown below. That spring is loaded and locked in place. When the weight of the vehicle is lifted this would be at full extension and limited by the bolts such that spring would still be under tension but I think what may have happened is somehow it extended more than it should have and spring is now "cocked" - hence holding the vehicle height too high. It shouldn't be able to do that as even while driving the weight is shifted up to and including "air bourne" and isn't supposed to give up on you.
You said a new spring was just installed and therein lies the clue. You simply need to look at the thing and compare it to the one that's still right and see what went wrong.
The shock absorber part could have seized up but you said it still bounces a bit so I doubt that but there could be an unseen problem with that. The "shock absorber" aka "strut" are really a shock mounted within the spring as shown. That's just a generic pic of the engineering of the type I think the car would use,
T
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TVR Dan
Novice
Dec 13, 2008, 1:40 PM
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Yes this looks very familiar thanks.
If it is that this has jammed is there a way to fix it or is a trip back to the garage?
I will take a look around the are and compare it to the one on the other side.
Hope its something simple.
Thanks for the quick responce much appreciated 
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 13, 2008, 1:51 PM
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This is not such a DIY friendly item to deal with. The spring needs to be held compressed to assemble the strut as an assembly. Nice to have the right stuff to do that. Even in a small car as you posted the lower attaching bolts are a bit heavy duty and may exceed what you can handle AND most all if removed require an alignment as it loses the spot it was at exactly.
I'm not there and didn't watch what you did to hoist the car but it shouldn't have ended up like it did. I really think there was a problem lurking and you were the lucky one to make it show up.
Good luck. You know it has to be tended to and musn't stay this way. Might not be safe to drive at all as it is......
T
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TVR Dan
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Dec 13, 2008, 2:38 PM
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I'll get it of to the garage as soon as i can. Would it be ok to drive the short distance to the garage?
or best chucking it on a lowloader?
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way2old
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Dec 13, 2008, 3:38 PM
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Did you measure both sides up front? If there were springs just replaced, the front may sit a little higher than one that has original springs. The drivers side should be just a little higher than the passenger side. Did it drop any after driving it a little? I don't think there would be a problem with driving it to a shop if needed.
Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds
(This post was edited by way2old on Dec 13, 2008, 3:41 PM)
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TVR Dan
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Dec 13, 2008, 3:58 PM
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I have not drove it yet i was a bit worried that something serious had happened that might break it even more by driving it.
It is 6 inch's above wheel driver side (spring replaced) 5 inch other side.
I never noticed or mesured before doing work never thought to really.
It's only a short drive to garage might take it a run round the block tomorrow to see if it goes back again?
Thanks for the quick responce and advice anymore will be greatly appreceited.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 13, 2008, 4:01 PM
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Drive or not????
Dan - You said just ONE new spring was installed? Why? What was the problem or cause of that failure? Collision or accident?
From when you let it down from hoisting it has it moved at all? If you hoist a car and set it down the tire may not touch exactly where it will settle in just a couple feet of rolling/moving the car.
It's a bit odd that just one spring was replaced to begin with suggesting a strange problem. I would opt to replace in pairs if there was some reason to do one.
You brought this up as a SIX inch gap where indicated. What is the true difference between one and the other and is it possible that it was left like that from the spring replacement and you just noticed it now?
If you look at the right parts and they are all there and appear right, no strange noises when jounced and was fine without complaint before this it MIGHT be fine to drive - I can't make that call without seeing it myself so would default to say NO.
When spring was replaced there should have been an alignment showing that the adjustments were within specs. Any comments on a work order about that when the spring was done?
T
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Guest
Anonymous Poster
Dec 13, 2008, 7:07 PM
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The spring was done the day before i got it. It was done because the spring had snapped from what i've been told and that was the only one that did it. I will drive it to the bottom of the drive listen for bangs or bumps? It is meant to be be back at the garage thursday as the old spring did something else when it snapped not sure what this is yet? The diffrence is an inch from one side the other.
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Tom Greenleaf
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Dec 13, 2008, 7:27 PM
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Ok: So it was slated to go back for more work known needed already. I just hope if that's the suggestion of the shop that did the spring that it was deemed safe to drive till it goes back.
A one inch difference isn't scaring me to bits right now. Alignment angles could account for some difference but in my opinion if all things are equal - tires match, alignment correct, door closed!, load even, vehicle on level surface, tire pressure same AND wheel trim molding is an original thing (picture posted showed that might have been aftermarket on that one) -- then it should measure pretty close to even.
Now you know one spring is new and it's plain not likely that a new one would sit exactly where the old one did which is why I suggest these things be replaced in pairs when needed.
A BROKEN SPRING!! IS NOT A NORMAL THING in my experience - in fact VERY rare. What happened?
T
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TVR Dan
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Dec 14, 2008, 11:21 AM
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Sorry my friend no idea how it happened as i said its a friends so i ain't sure.
Thanks for all the advice it turned out to be nothing i was just paranoid the gap was too big!
It was fine once i removed it from the garage and it was running spot on.
Think i am use to the trim being much closer to the wheel?
Thanks again Tom Greenleaf.
Very helpful.
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