Broke a coil spring

[Maniak]

Last Sunday I decided to take an easy scouting run up to Charleau Gap. I wasn't taking the hardest lines (just twisting the truck up a bit). I got to a rocky section, started to go up and once when the front left tire went over a small rock (8" or so) I heard a new bang/pop.

I got out and noticed the left front of the truck looked a little low.. I figured I poped a coil spring out of the mount again (that happens when my RA bushings get worn)..

Turns out I did this to my Duff spring.. (good thing I have a spare set)

~Mark

 

[Exploderpilot]

wow. I haven't seen that yet.!

 

[MustangP51]

damn

 

[RangerX]

Nice! You gonna see if they'll warranty it?

 

[Maniak]

I called them.. they blamed it on jumping (kinda a sarcastic, you were jumping weren't you?), which I don't to..

For $184 they are sending me 3.5" lift coils (pair). They didn't seem interested in getting the old ones back to see why it broke. The one that broke was only 18 months old.. The older set (my spare set) had 150k+ miles on them with no breakage.

My experience with the broken spring was much different than when I bent a bracket. When I bent a drop bracket they wanted to know what I was doing and I showed them a pic (my tie rod adjuster caught the bracket lip). They sent me a new bracket for free and put a pic of our X in their catalog.

This time they didn't offer anything, just took my CC number and ordered me a new pair of springs.. I called yesterday and I just got my notification that they notified UPS that they were shipping a package.

~Mark

 

[canyoncritter]

duff has deaver do the springs yes?


do you have coil bind at all?

 

[Maniak]

I'm not sure what you mean by coil bind.. they sit in there well.. and I ran the orig set from them for many thousands of miles.. I'd say I had them for close to 200k miles... and at least 100k of them was with the f-150 spring seat under it.

I replaced my orig set only because they had sagged some.. The new set only lasted 18 months and they were not interested in giving me a deal or wanting to even see pics or get the old one back..

When I bent a drop bracket years ago they wanted to know what I did (they were not accusitory like this time) and asked if I had pictures of it.. I sent them pics of what I was doing, and of the bracket.. they mailed me a new drop bracket for free (I didn't even pay shipping)..

It seems that they aren't the same company they were back in 2000/2001. You can tell they are cutting corners.. they still show pictures of the nice white boxes they used to use but the springs I got came in a not so sturdy brown box with a piece of cardboard between the springs.. No where near the packing that my original lift kit cam in (or replacemnt bracket)..

Also, you would think that since I ordered explorer springs that they would send me an explorer catalog.. but nooooo. they send me a bronco catalog.. both times (both of the recent sets of springs).. Back when I got my replacement bracket they sent me an explorer catalog (about 2 months afterwards) and they took the pic I sent them of us wheeling and put it in the catalog..

I just don't know if I would recomend them anymore... The brackets are holding up and the springs ride well.. but I just don't know...

~Mark

 

[canyoncritter]

coil bind, do yo have coil's touching each other, making a solid area in the spring when the springs are stuffed.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

you know, i've thought for a while my suspension was making a bunch of moans and groans over every bump... think it's time to get on it... 260k on original suspension... yeah, replacement time. good luck with your setup, at least nothing huge broke

 

[Maniak]

coil bind, do yo have coil's touching each other, making a solid area in the spring when the springs are stuffed.

ahh.. nope.. don't have that.. my shocks were my limiting factor.. I only had 2" of up travel (lots more down travel).. and when compresses the coils weren't touching..

~Mark

 

[SPORTEXP]

As a tool maker I see this type of stuff a lot with steel. It doesn't matter if its hard or soft.
Observe the fracture crystals very closely. Post a large picture of the fracture only so I can see. Sometimes the steel was already fractured before it finally broke. This is due to imperfections in the steel.

 

[Maniak]

As a tool maker I see this type of stuff a lot with steel. It doesn't matter if its hard or soft.
Observe the fracture crystals very closely. Post a large picture of the fracture only so I can see. Sometimes the steel was already fractured before it finally broke. This is due to imperfections in the steel.

Here are very high res versions... DIAL UP BEWARE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10384420@N03/2361633124/sizes/o/in/set-72157603245294946/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10384420@N03/2361633080/sizes/o/in/set-72157603245294946/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10384420@N03/2360801107/sizes/o/in/set-72157603245294946/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10384420@N03/2361632998/sizes/o/in/set-72157603245294946/

to me it looks like it was a manufacturer defect... but I had them 18 months so they didn't seem interested in them.

 

[SPORTEXP]

If thats rust that I think I see in the fracture, its indicating to me that it has been cracked there for a while (long enough to rust) and I would let the manufacturer know about the possibility of the material used in the manufacture of the spring could be flawed.
Don

 

[Maniak]

If thats rust that I think I see in the fracture, its indicating to me that it has been cracked there for a while (long enough to rust) and I would let the manufacturer know about the possibility of the material used in the manufacture of the spring could be flawed.
Don

The attitude I got from the person on the phone was that they didn't care.. I asked if they wanted pics or if they wanted the old ones back.. he said if I wanted to pay to ship them, they would take a look at them...

that attitude is what bothers me more than the fact that they broke..

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

...personally, i would persue it..especially after the guy said you were jumping your truck...i would call his boss and explain it to them and also about mr. attitude...
...most products have a warranty against defects...what info can you find on the warranty of the springs they sell???

...if i had a defective product, i would definately bring it to their attention and would not pay for another set since, i bought their product because they were warrantied against manufacturer defects...just my .02...

 

[SPORTEXP]

tbars4 has a good point, for what it would cost to send in the smaller piece of it along with the photo's of the rest, it probably wouldn't hurt just to see what they say.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

that sux bout ur coil spring

 

[91exploreron37]

Thats the first time I've seen a coil spring break. You had to pay for replacements?

 

[410Fortune]

I cannot believe DUFF would make you pay for a replacement set with a break like this, amazing....

If you were my customer I would jump through hoops to make sure you got another set of springs. That is a manufacturer defect 100K miles or not. Duff jumps their Bronco II in areana races with their 3" VR coils... and they dont break

jerks! I would raise heck

Not sure who they get their coils from, but that sucker there came in a Duff box in Duff blue...they should stand behind manu defects

 

[Stic-o]

I hate to say it...but Duff ain't the company they use to be