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How to Identify Broken Rear Springs in Your Volkswagen

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Carson Wileman
Volkswagen Rear Spring

Volkswagen is a durable and fun-to-drive car with good fuel economy and comfortability. The company still takes pleasure in building reliable models with agility, style, and durability, producing the popular GTI and racier Golf R. In all its high performance, this brand can also have issues, one of which is a broken rear spring.

Rear springs are generally formed of coiled metal rods or wound metal materials, which are attached to the shock absorber. For your car or SUV to function well and move through galloping roads and unstable surfaces, it must be designed with some form of suspension. This suspension gives stability and equilibrium to the car when on bad roads and when in motion stabilizing the car during turning and when moving.

What does a rear spring do for your vehicle?

Apart from the shock absorber, the rear springs of your VW allow your vehicle to absorb small impacts due to road imperfections. It assists your shock absorber in suspending and stabilizing your car during impact. It also helps to elevate your car appropriately to avoid touching or gliding with the ground or uneven surfaces as the car moves.

What causes a rear spring to break?

The exertion from a big load and strains from other suspension components could add to the breaking of the rear spring. Every car has its own load capacity that it can handle. If you give a car a load that is greater than the capacity of its spring, it could cause the spring to snap. Some of these factors will be highlighted as follows:

  • Condition of the road: Various cars are designed with different spring strengths. If the car you drive for a particular terrain was not built for those conditions, it could have an adverse effect on your VW. Some models have been built to withstand rough roads and territory. Rough and uneven terrain can cause your suspension to move sideways, which stresses the springs and cause them to become weak and eventually break.
  • A driver’s habits: Driving over speed bumps or over potholes without slowing or avoiding them is dangerous and can cause your springs to break. It is very important to always slow down and drive carefully to avoid harming your suspension’s parts and your rear springs.
  • Bad tires and wheels: When a wheel is not aligned or when the tire is not properly inflated, it can lead to uneven pressure of the spring and other components of your suspension. When your wheels are misaligned or your tires are underinflated, it may cause uneven movement of your suspension, which could have a devastating effect on your car’s suspension. This can be avoided by monitoring the tire pressure, wheel alignment, and overall health of your VW’s suspension. Routine maintenance can catch these issues early and prevent costly yet avoidable repairs.
  • Bad Strut: A strut is a structural component of your overall suspension. Struts work by resisting compression and tension. They basically help your car maintain its height and protect the frame from bumps, divots, potholes, and sudden movement from the tires and wheels, all the way up the suspension. It is possible for the spring to not sit properly if the struts are broken. This can cause the spring to wear out or break if it’s at an odd angle or too much pressure is being put on it.

Visit Keith Cox Autobahn Today

Broken rear springs can have a devastating effect on other parts of the car such as the steering and wheels. In order Volkswagen Wheel Alignment Check to avoid this scenario, it is advisable to always bring your VW to our professional mechanics any time you notice your car is not functioning properly. You now your Volkswagen better than anyone, and if you suspect something is out of sorts, listen to your tuition and stop in today to have one of our mechanics check it for you.

At Keith Cox Autobahn, we specialize in the care and maintenance of Volkswagen models, among others. Our mechanics will use the most recent diagnostic tools to detect and diagnose the problem so the repair can be specific to your car’s issue. Give us a call today so we can restore your VW’s performance to top condition.

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