2004 XC70 Broken front macpherson strut spring after being towed home.

[XC70Rider]

I had my AWD XC70 towed home last August. The flatbed tow truck wrapped chains somewhere on the rear end and pulled it up that way. It was 2am so I cannot recall where the chains where put.

Reason for towing is I didn't give the right rear caliper bracket enough torque. Flooding that bolt with antiseize and driving the 2 ton wagon down steep hills caused the bracket to loosen off and cracked the wheel. No damage to the tire so I got identical used wheels for $25 each and had a shop swap the tire for free.

From here on I'll manually drive her low gear while skiing down steep hills.

[abscate]

So they used straps and probably wrapped around control arms.

Volvo Horns to Shiloh...

[mrbrian200]

Strapping to the control arms is still no different than driving up a steep incline as far as the stresses on the spring are concerned. It's the same forces whether applied via a strap around the control arm or by engine power at the wheel. I've seen two coil springs break over the years on different vehicles (both Chrysler products, which is interesting). In both cases the break happened in that last loop at one end or the other at the transition between the middle of the coil and the ends that are 'flattened' to sit on the strut or upper spring seat. I would probably attribute breaks under these conditions to a problem with the steel/fabrication of the spring. Like with connecting rods even microscopic flaws/impurities in the steel can be detrimental.
Now that I know the car was towed on a flatbed, I'm doubling down on the idea that the spring would have failed, probably sooner than later, with or without the tow.

[shiloh51933]

Strapping to the control arms is still no different than driving up a steep incline as far as the stresses on the spring are concerned. It's the same forces whether applied via a strap around the control arm or by engine power at the wheel. I've seen two coil springs break over the years on different vehicles (both Chrysler products, which is interesting). In both cases the break happened in that last loop at one end or the other at the transition between the middle of the coil and the ends that are 'flattened' to sit on the strut or upper spring seat. I would probably attribute breaks under these conditions to a problem with the steel/fabrication of the spring. Like with connecting rods even microscopic flaws/impurities in the steel can be detrimental.
Now that I know the car was towed on a flatbed, I'm doubling down on the idea that the spring would have failed, probably sooner than later, with or without the tow.

I agree with you. Usually the spring would break where it sits inside the spring insulator, actually that's were the original from factory spring broke and same location the first replacement broke. But the spring was fine b4 tow, so there's only 1 conclusion. Riding down hill I wouldn't have straps pulling on the springs or controls arms or whatever this guy attached the straps to load and unload. He loaded my car from the rear first(because of where it was parked), so he unloaded face first. Anyway if this draws a better picture of where my mind was going. I really appreciate your input in this thread.

[shiloh51933]

So this is the F/R strut with a new Febi Bilstein coil spring. I figured I would try a different brand this time, Bilstein is very well known for excellent suspension parts whether factory spec or high performance. I've seen springs break but 3 broken springs from same vehicle I haven't seen. But after reading everyone's responses I'm getting the feeling that the P2 chassis V70 Cross Country should of had a heavier duty set of coil springs at all 4 corners.

[mrbrian200]

This is more for future people who may come across this conversation..

The problem with most 'heavy duty' springs, which are usually aftermarket, is that generally they're designed to facilitate a heavier cargo load. Which can be confused with the concept of longevity. They will make the car sit a little higher and not compress as much over bumps resulting in a comparatively stiff/jarring ride quality for a daily driver unless you add weight to the vehicle to compress them back down and restore the OE design ride height. However, adding weight puts you back to square one as far as stress on the springs as well as a heavier (less fuel efficient) vehicle.
I made this mistake on a Chrysler Cirrus years ago. One of the front springs broke. Thinking I never wanted to replace them again, and not really understanding what the difference designated by 'HD' was, I installed HD springs. I regretted it. I unwittingly turned a fairly decent riding cloud car into an exorcism on wheels.
Possibly on the wagons the difference isn't quite so dramatic. But I would exercise caution around the idea unless you regularly load the vehicle with a full compliment of adult passengers and/or heavy cargo.

[Rattnalle]

Heavy duty springs on the rear don't do that much of a difference at least on the V70. The car is a bit stiffer but not as harsh as a lowered car. Loaded it gets pretty stiff but the alternative as I see it is the same stiffness with regular springs but then ride height is lost too.

[abscate]

I put the IPD blue HDs on the back of my 1999 and love the ride with just me, I am a fat porker though.

When I tow boats it really keeps the ride good, but even unloaded I get a nice stiff Euro highest ride

[shiloh51933]

This is more for future people who may come across this conversation..

The problem with most 'heavy duty' springs, which are usually aftermarket, is that generally they're designed to facilitate a heavier cargo load. Which can be confused with the concept of longevity. They will make the car sit a little higher and not compress as much over bumps resulting in a comparatively stiff/jarring ride quality for a daily driver unless you add weight to the vehicle to compress them back down and restore the OE design ride height. However, adding weight puts you back to square one as far as stress on the springs as well as a heavier (less fuel efficient) vehicle.
I made this mistake on a Chrysler Cirrus years ago. One of the front springs broke. Thinking I never wanted to replace them again, and not really understanding what the difference designated by 'HD' was, I installed HD springs. I regretted it. I unwittingly turned a fairly decent riding cloud car into an exorcism on wheels.
Possibly on the wagons the difference isn't quite so dramatic. But I would exercise caution around the idea unless you regularly load the vehicle with a full compliment of adult passengers and/or heavy cargo.

Yes your correct...I should have said stronger coil springs, not taller.

[shiloh51933]

My R/R coil spring just broke, so I've replaced each front spring twice and now the R/R is getting replaced. I just purchased 2 Lesjofors from FCPEURO.COM for about $70 a piece. After researching the Lesjofors company(150 years of experience) and reading customer reviews I decided to make the purchase. FCP implied that these are the same springs that come in the blue box factory equipment. More so I relied on customer reviews/feedback. The manufacturer offers a 3 year warranty, to me that implies confidence in there products. Regardless FCPEURO.COM has a lifetime warranty.