Saab 93 Suspension Issues!!

[Neilman]

Hi All,
I just wanted to let you know of an issue (some may be aware of but I certainly wasnt).

Recently I noticed a slapping or Knocking on the NSF suspension and I thought, as did my mechanic that it was just the bushes as we all know that the suspension is firm on 93's. I drive on an awful road in Dorset the A350 to Blandford from Poole, it is "Probably the worst road in the world" for potholes, needless to say this has wreaked havoc on my suspension. About a week before the car went in for a service the noise from the suspension got significantly worse and also started on the OSF! At the Service it turns out both front springs had snapped. Apparently this is surprisingly common and is barely noticeable to the driver unedr normal driving apart from the noise.

I have had a look about a few other forums and this can occur in vehicles as young as around 50k miles ( one story I read the Chaps spring forced down into the tyre ripping it from the rim ) and is not just an issue with Saab, one mechanic states BMW's are the worst affected.

I suppose this is mainly due to the type of road I drive, but the mechanic says it is made worse by cheap metal (from a large mass producing Country in the East). I may also take this up with the Council as it is such an appalling road. If you drive mainly motorway / dual carriage way then you probably don't have to worry but the moral of the long winded story is if you get a knocking / banging don't assume its the bushes/droplinks etc, it may be a bit more serious.

TTFN

Neil

 

[Yugguy]

This is common on GM cars of that era mate, happened the other week on my Siggie - front spring snapped and took out the front offisde tyre too.

Some say it is to do with them getting brittle in the cold but I'm not sure I beleive it.

 

[T9 man]

This is common on GM cars of that era mate, happened the other week on my Siggie - front spring snapped and took out the front offisde tyre too.

Some say it is to do with them getting brittle in the cold but I'm not sure I beleive it.

Yes check the springs and also the top mounts to the dampers as well.

That last part of your statement Yugguy is terrible and I have heard this before! A car and a Swedish one at that, should never have any parts that is susceptible to the cold, Sweden is hardly the tropics for goodness sake

The sooner the name GM is stricken from the minds and history of Saab the better. Going to look on eBay for one of those *Men In Black* memory zappers to git rid of GM once and for all

 

[Neilman]

Hi Guys,
well my car feels like new again, Black Beauty is now as 'Tight as a Tiger'. It is amazing the difference it has made. The mechanic has the same take as T9 Man and so do I, I wish Saab had been left alone, it is a great brand. Fortunately the mechanic I use down here only works on Saab and so has an intimate knowledge and I highly recommend him for his honesty and love of the brand, even though he isnt a big fan of the (as he would say) Devil child (he usese another word) GM ones!! As it happened he had another 93 up having all 4 springs replaced! Interesting that this is an issue with the Signums and I assume some other Brands too, I suppose it boils down to finding a provider of a certain part and then lots of brands will use them too. As we are discovering with a certain Beef / Horse situation! My mechanic says that it is generally the parts GM used that fail and the rest of the car is good, he also thinks the 95 is a more 'genuine saab', I assume you (T9Man) dont have this worry as all parts are new and upgraded

Did you see Clarkson on Top gear (a while ago) on the demise of SAAB? It made for interesting viewing as a Saab owner, like him and the rest of SAAB owners, I think we all wish they had been left alone. Be interesting to see what NEVS does with SAAB now.

Anyway I cant wait for my potholed drive home in my newly serviced and sprung, tight as a tiger, 40mpg 'Black Beauty', need to give her a wash at the weekend to unleash a few more BHP!!

N

 

[Yugguy]

It's across the board with the Vectra C/Signum, even across different suspension setups (sri/elite/design/gsi) that use different rated springs. Awful really, in 25 years of driving and owning about as many cars the last time I had a spring go was on a Morris Marina in 1989.

It was s pity about Saab, I've always liked them, as a student in the early 90s I used to lust after a gun-metal gray 900 Turbo that I couldn't afford at the time and I've always regretted I never owned one.