Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Citroen Berlingo Issue

Mcsandlaly

Active member
Messages
132
Location
Peak District Bakewell Area
Hi with my new compact water tank and power up reel I set off this week and an hour later the front spring had gone on the van. The roads are bad round here so pot holes are an issue but wondered if by putting my tank against the bulk head I had overloaded the front axle. By my reckoning with everything added up I was not over the 600kgs allowed and my tank with water probably weighed in at about 300kgs. Any thoughts from you pros out there. Appreciate your comments.

 
You will have to get the spring/springs replaced to begin with. Springs are made of very poor quality material these days so it could be that you were just unfortunate.

We replaced both front springs on my son's Peugeot Partner a number of years ago and we have replaced springs numerous times on the cars over the years - which reminds me; I need to replace my spring compression clamps.

Once you have done that then fill the tank and take your van to a weigh bridge and get them to check axle weights against manufacturers specs.

I put up a schematic on how to determine load distribution a while back. I found it quicker than I expected to.

Tank position?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well I've got a Berlingo it's 14 years old I have had one Spring replaced don't think there is anything in it about poor springs these days years ago they were a lot worse.

 
Well I've got a Berlingo it's 14 years old I have had one Spring replaced don't think there is anything in it about poor springs these days years ago they were a lot worse.
I'm quite friendly with the owner of our local motor factors. He says springs are a profitable business these days. He has a long shelf devoted to springs. He's been in business all his life and said that he never carried a single spring in stock 15 years ago.

I was in Andrew Page's warehouse about a year ago and I couldn't believe how many springs they have in stock.

When I worked for Citroen we had a spate of spring failures on Berlingo vans around 2002/3. The factory didn't have stock and we were only to fit the latest specified ones with particular coloured rings when we did get them. Any stock we had on the shelf had to be withdrawn. My son's Partner was a 52 plate and both springs broke just out of warranty. Peugeot weren't interested even although they were the faulty springs according to the colour code. But that was a particular issue on virtually new vans under warranty with little mileage.

Last MOT but one the wife's Citroen Xsara failed on a broken front spring. The break was perfectly clean. It wasn't broken the afternoon before as I checked them both doing a pre MOT check. I was gutted. The MOT tester we always use said that they had had a car in for MOT a few days previously. It was still parked in the parking bay when they heard a loud bag like a gun shot. The car failed on a broken spring.

This is the AA's take on it. Interesting about which countries the issues are occurring in and which countries the issues aren't occurring in.

Coil springs breaking | AA

The other issue that can cause stress on the coil spring is a failed bearing on top of the strut. If that has seized or is seizing up that will also cause stress on the spring when turning. TBH a partially seized upper bearing was a contributory factor in the first spring on my son's van breaking. I was stretched for time so only replaced the broken spring. The other side went the following week.

Coils spring should be replaced in pairs.

 
I used to work in the spares industry first I've heard that coil springs should be replaced in pairs think Shocks are though.
Definitely shocks have to be replaced in pairs. I haven't replaced a shock in the 22 years I've been in the UK.

We had to replace shocks about every 80k kilometers in South Africa. I'm can't figure out why the difference as the roads I traveled on were tar. The only thing I can think of is the heat. Perhaps the higher temperature changed the viscosity of the damping fluid and hence the dampers not working to spec.

We used to use an adjustable shock which had 3 settings; sport, normal and soft. Sport was stiffer and seemed to work better.

Another thing that should always be changed in pairs are headlight bulbs.

 
Another thing to consider is carryin 600k in a 600k payload van will wear it out a lot faster than a 1000 payload van.

Always buy a bigger van than you rrally need it will last longer

 

Latest Posts

Back
Top