Front coil springs 240Z

[gundee]

Last year I installed Vogtland springs and KYB shocks. This spring I took it out for a run and noticed it seemed to be riding very rough in the front.

When I got back I noticed the front end is now very low. Hmmm, took a look see and the front springs look to be almost fully compressed.

Rears are still fine. I see nothing wrong so I sent the photos to Vogtland. They said the shocks could have failed. Even if they did, in my mind shocks

do not carry much if any weight. The springs support a car. Going to start to pull one side apart today.

[jfa.series1]

Shocks are (should) not be designed to carry the weight of the car, that is the job of the springs.  The OE shocks were hydraulic and therefore passive in the suspension, designed to dampen the up/down motion of the suspension.  Today with many gas pressurized shocks, they have typically become active in the suspension, perhaps not by design but certainly by result.  A spring maker should not be dependent on the shocks to carry the load and any statement to that effect is a cop-out.

Afterthought: if you installed the new springs at all four corners, be sure you installed the front and rear units at the correct ends.

Edited June 13, 2019 by jfa.series1

[Mark Maras]

  The only two explanations I can come up with are, an elephant sitting on the hood all winter long (doubtful) or the springs missed the tempering process during manufacturing. It will be interesting to see if the springs expand to original unsprung length when they're removed. Be sure to share the unsprung length with Vogtland.

[gundee]

Replaced springs with Eibach using the same shocks. Front is now back to normal.

Vogtland still  says not their spring problem as theirs never go bad. What a joke.