Front spring retaining plate

[neil cundy]

As I progress through the front suspension - I have found this: the retaining plate for the front spring is completely broken (only remaining welds are two diagonal corners). It will not be too difficult to fix - I will clean it up and run a proper full length fillet weld, but I have never seen reference to this failure before. I am putting it down to poor welds at the moment but I will check the fit and geometery when I re-assemble.



Anyone got any thoughts ?

[neil cundy]

Try again with correct picture reference (is it possible to edit original posts ?)

As I progress through the front suspension - I have found this: the retaining plate for the front spring is completely broken (only remaining welds are two diagonal corners). It will not be too difficult to fix - I will clean it up and run a proper full length fillet weld, but I have never seen reference to this failure before. I am putting it down to poor welds at the moment but I will check the fit and geometery when I re-assemble.



Anyone got any thoughts ?

[neil cundy]

Try 2nd time with correct picture reference (is it possible to edit original posts ?)
As I progress through the front suspension - I have found
this: the retaining plate for the front spring is completely
broken (only remaining welds are two diagonal corners). It
will not be too difficult to fix - I will clean it up and run
a proper full length fillet weld, but I have never seen
reference to this failure before. I am putting it down to
poor welds at the moment but I will check the fit and
geometery when I re-assemble.



Anyone got any thoughts ?

[william]

Where the vertical bolts OK?
And where the clampingbolts on the side (4ea) tight?

[neil cundy]

Youv'e just beaten me to it ! I have just sketched out the assembly and followed the load paths round and it is pretty obvious that the only way it can fail in this way is if the vertical bolts that operate in tension (thus keeping the welded joint in compression) are loose - which would mean if the spring touched the bottom plate it would push the bottom plate down towards the loose nut whilst the side plate would be held by the clampbolts putting the weld into tension and breaking it. I didn't notice this when I took it apart but undoubtedly this is the cause.

I had always assumed this bridge plate was to locate the spring at the centre, but it is only a cage to stop it jumping out. If the vertical bolts are loose the plate starts to react the spring forces instead, leading to the failure.

[Huib]

Theoretically the spring does not need to be fastened in the center (don't ever try it) as the weight of the car is on it. Even if the wheels are hanging fully down there is still enough force from the spring to push itself against the top. The welds must thus have come loose from the small section of curvature with the 4 long bolts not fully torqued. I agree it is very strange.

Note that the earlier Fulvia's did not have the 4 bolts at the side

If you torque the bolts, the 4 long ones as well as the 4 ones on the side, the sping has to be in the position specified on the spec book. In practice it means the spring is fully horizontal. An extremely dangerous job if you do not have the tools, but necessary.