[repmobile]

Pardon if this is obvious to many, and the search didnt provide any threads that provided quite what I was looking for....


My Laguna-2 1.9dci Dynamique is going to have its shocks and springs changed to get around the problem of it leaning to one side. I am certain that the Dynamique has a more 'sporty looking' set up to the rest of the range. Do I need to order parts specific to the Dynamique or am I looking at an optical illusion!?

Kind Regards
Jim

 

[madnoel10]

There is a broad range of suspension springs for the Lag II. From memory I believe there about seven vatiations.
Assuming you still have Renault sporings fitted and they ain't too rusty you should find three dabs of paint. So when ordering from Renault the colour code should match.
If you contact a Renault dealer they ought to be able to tell you what colour codes are suitable for each model.

See attached photo for example of a front spring from my Lag II when I owned it. Also notice the spring has a plastic insulator to cover the bottom few coils.

 

[Smokingman]

Hi Repmobile
I have been looking to do the same-However one of my front springs broke. Anyway one of the well known sport suspension manufacture web site lists all Lag II’s with part numbers for their range. To cut a long story short- all shock absorbers are the same, all springs are different. New spring on drivers side it still sits about 0.5” lower than passenger side.
Regards
John.

 

[repmobile]

Thank you both for the replies!

Looks like a main dealer job then, to get the correct ones. I checked the paint as you said, i have: GREEN/GREEN/YELLOW.

Looking at spring prices (new, oem equiv.) it seems more financialy viable to buy a lowering kit for little extra cash and do the rears too, but avoid the common problem of Laguna springs.....snapping.

Regards,
Jim

 

[madnoel10]

My Lag II was the Expression model and the spring colour code was the same as yours so in fact there may be little difference between models.

In my experince fitting firmer and lower springs to the rear of the Lag II reduces the life-span of the rear sub-frame bushes.

 

[mord]

you could go for uprated springs (MAD) do rear axle ones for Towing applications, but they do also work well as sporty harder springs. no mods, just straight swap out. might be good idea to replace the rubber bushes they fit into and try getting the lower spring plastic sleeves to be swapped over so they dont creak when going over speed ramps.
there are other makes that you can use for both front and back, obviously if you stick uprated springs on, the ride height will most probably be higher(better clearance for speed bumps:d)

 

[coggsy]

hi,any know why my lag 2 is lower on one side than the other ,it has 2 non renault coil springs on it now but the problem is still there,going to wales next week with wife 3 kids and cases and worried weather it is up to the job....cheers

 

[Azurael]

hi,any know why my lag 2 is lower on one side than the other ,it has 2 non renault coil springs on it now but the problem is still there,going to wales next week with wife 3 kids and cases and worried weather it is up to the job....cheers

Does it have non-matching springs side-to-side? If so, that's probably all your issue is. I fitted a single after-market spring to my 1st Lag 1, needing to do a quick, low-budget repair for the MOT but had to swap the other side as soon as I could afford to as it put one side of the car quite noticeably higher than the other.

 

[coggsy]

it has 2 after market but one has been on over 12 months ,this was the side leaning ,it has now been put on the higher side and a new after market is on the leaning side and its still leaning ....confused

 

[madnoel10]

Have the rear sub-frame bushes been checked and the rear spring upper insulators been fitted correctly.
On the Lag II the rear springs have to be orientated - they just can't sit in any position.
Also it may be worth comparing the spacing between each coil or ring on each side.

 

[Tolak]

... obviously if you stick uprated springs on, the ride height will most probably be higher(better clearance for speed bumps:d)

Normally, uprated springs are chosen to be stiffer (less variation in geometry at the expense of comfort) and so can be set lower without exceeding rated travel.

Only if you are uprating for higher loads would you not lower the car; in this case, the nominal height would be the aim for the majority of driving (as for a van kitted out with shelving or with a large tool-box) so that the working range is correctly biased at 1/3 of suspension travel.

Economy to change the springs, but not the shocks; the load and geometry define the spring and damping, and these should be matched. If you change one, you should have to change the other. So in this situation with the same shocks, the lighter springs (hatch?) will be better damped and so have a more controlled ride than the heavier springs (touring?), even before the loads start being increased.
What a pity they don't pass on the economy to us...

 

[Tolak]

On the Lag II the rear springs have to be orientated - they just can't sit in any position.

Orientation of the springs?
I noted that the top rubber is not symmetrical, but that there appears to be no mechanism to identify a preferred alignment.
Does this also mean that the springs are handed, and so should only be fitted to the correct side of the car?

I have just (this w/e) had to change a spring (broken pig-tail on lower end) and shock (fitted was 18", compared with standard of 22"), which I found when I was changing the bushes (last w/e), and the car feels smoother and quieter as a result of each of those changes.
When sourcing bits at the scrappie, I took out a pair of springs, and compared lengths and spiral, and feel both were the same. The marginal design of the springs would make me sensitive to the possibility of the springs ageing and taking a set (shortening)

But, MadNoel, can you please clarify the orientation for the rear springs?

 

[Grasscutter]

Can I bump this thread and see if anyone can help with the orientation of the rear springs on a Lag II? I've recently bought a 2003 hatchback, it's had new rear springs in the last 12 months, but I'm not convinced they're on right. I was lucky enough to have a near identical car new some 11 years ago and I don't remember the springs taking up quite such a 'curve' with the weight on or off them.

I've had some years in the motor trade on the spanners, never seen springs aligned quite like these before, but what I see now may explain why they're prone to breaking.

Had a look at photos of springs on the back of Lags for sale on eBay and from what I can see there, they're not aligned the same as each other, so I really don't know what's right and what's wrong.

Any help identifying the correct orientation for near side and off side greatly appreciated to ensure the car is as safe as it can be.

Thanks and kind regards, Mike

 

[Tolak]

Good bump.
And, reading across from other cars, does anyone know about the anti-roll bar on the rear suspension?
Can a hatch RARB be changed to a stiffer (thicker) one from (say) an estate? This would normally make the back drive flatter, and hence allow the front to concentrate on power and steering.
Anon

 

[Paul_Taylor]

Having changed a few laguna springs on my own, and on friends cars, I can confirm there are different springs for different models.

The DCI's have different springs due to the heavy diesel lump.

I also know that on the V6's that we own for instance, there are again different springs between the Dynamique and Initial models.
The Dynamique is definitely more "firm", where as my Initial is rather floaty...

 

[Grasscutter]

Absolutely agree with Paul on that. I've just changed the front springs on my recently acquired 1.9 DCi. Slightly odd handling and more specifically not being able to get my jack under the driver's side front jacking point led me to investigate. No broken springs, but the driver's side spring was replaced in 2011 by a Renault dealer, so made the situation even more odd. With the old springs off the car, the reason was very apparent - the Renault dealer had fitted an after-market spring made by Anschler, smaller diameter metal, obviously weaker and not suitable for the DCi. The replacement springs were labelled for a 1.9 DCi and match the outgoing original spring in wire size and length. Ride height is now level again. I've got the bill for fitting the 'wrong' spring where the previous owner was conned out of £194.40 for the job, £82 + VAT of which was for the spring itself. If anyone wants the Anschler spring, you're welcome to it. It has only covered about 8000 miles.

Just as an aside here, referring back in this thread, can anyone help me out with a photo of the orientation of each Lag II rear spring, assuming yours are as per factory. We're told the orientation of the spring is important and I'd love to be sure those fitted to my Lag are right. They've been messed with by the same dealer, so you'll understand my concern.