I thought I broke a coil-spring last night but now starting to realize I probably didnt. At least I hope not.

I was driving last night when it sounded like I ran over a crowbar or something and sent it skittering actross the pavement into the next lane. There was no traffic so I pulled over and ran to grab what ever it was. I dont know why I did this, but I guess when you are insane about your car you imagine that something may have broken off and you just ran over it.

So I grab it and its the last coil and a half of a coil spring, it had snapped off. It was shiny black but dirty and I immediately thought it came from one of my eibachs.

But being lazy, I havent taken my tires off to see. Just looking at this coil makes me think its not eibach. I think its from a coil-over setup as the coils diameter gets smaller at the top (like it spirals inward in the top coil).

Our springs have the same diameter from top to bottom. Like this:
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/2/0/0...22426955_o.jpg

So....must be from a different car. But wow.....cant imagine snapping through a metal coil like that. Anyway...just wanted to share

 

I actually had a spring break on me while driving. It was not a thirdgen but a 99' Grand Am. I was driving, heard a sound like you described and found that the top 2 coils of this spring had broken. The car only had 30,000 miles at the time, so it was very unusual. I hope that same thing did not happen to you.

 

All I can say is go take a look! Weirder things have happened I'm sure.

About being insane about your car - twice have I pulled over after hearing something under my car in the last 3 months. The first time, I NEVER found anything on the road. It was night and it sounded like a big bolt fell out or something. Everything was OK - I later discovered that the bang was my tranny crossmember seperating from the body and crashing back because I stripped one of the bolts.

The second time I had my T Tops off and I heard two bangs under my car (no carpet so it was LOUD) and then I heard "tink tink tink........" from outside the car as I was driving away so I KNEW something must have fallen off. I immediatly pulled over cutting some guy off, got a flashlight and started walking up and down the street looking for whatever it was. Ended up being a brake pad...and it wasnt off my car. I must have just kicked it up.

 

I remember hearing a loud BANG as I pulled into my parking spot at home, and inspecting what had fell out. It was a sway bar end link, and I remember thinking "I don't think this is from my car." Later in the month I had the car on a lift, and I'm looking up and go "correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that THIS should be attached to THIS.."

This was before I knew anything about my cars suspension.

 

Damn.....im actually scared to look. Ive been chasing gremlins for about 5 months now, since the engine swap, big brakes, and suspension stuff, and fuel problems. Its been one thing after another lately. But hey, she's 15 years old.


I think I kicked it up, as the distance from fender lip to ground are the same on both sides.


Does anyone have a pic of the eibach coils out of the box?

 

they look like regular stock springs... but ebay has pics

eBay Motors: EIBACH PROKIT LOWERING SPRINGS 82-92 CHEVROLET CAMARO (item 200030704468 end time Oct-23-06 23:44:44 PDT)

 

I get that alot.. (hearing crap falling off while driving, or running over someone elses crap mostly)
last time I drove my car I heard some ****, but I kept going, next day my exhaust leaking real bad and running rough so I decided to install my headers, and **** almost every bolt on the passenger side up.. before I walk over to driver side and see the 2 rear bolts are nowhere to be found ;0

its worth pulling over to have a look