Has anyone ever seen this before?!?!

[1995mtxsho]

Apearantly its quite common, but i got them replaced.
Before (stockers w/1 LIVE coil broke off each side):

After (Moogs UNCUT for now):

 

[SHO92]

Its been said that the ring up top is made of lead(though I don't remember it looking or feeling like it) and is used for sound deadening.

 

[pjtoledo]

it happened to all four springs on my winter beater ****** (it turned itself into a low rider seriously the front is 3" off the ground, my jack doesn't even fit under it lol) and i just noticed the the right-rear spring on my sho is broken too. Time to put those Moogs I've had sitting in the garage to use. About that...is there any special purpose for the "insulation" around the springs? should this be copied when putting in new ones? thanks

Those sliced up hose things are a vibration dampner. They subdue the "ring" any spring makes. The big lead rings at the top do the same thing.

About getting the top nut off, couple of options.
First is an impact wrench, many short bursts should do.
Second involves a good socket set. Get a 1/2" drive big sparkplug socket, one with a hex on the top, pull the rubber insert out. Put a 10mm 3/8 drive socket on the top of the strut, place the big sparkplug socket down over the 10mm socket and onto the big nut.(Think of a socket inside of a socket. ) Then put a 3/8 extension in the 1/2 square hole, attach ratchet or breaker bar to hold the strut rod. Place a wrench on the hex surface of the big spark plug socket to turn or hold the nut.
Real easy to do.
Or you can carve away at the chunk of lead until a high-offset boxed end wrench fits on the nut.

Be sure to restrain the spring, having one fly up into your face ain't no fun.
An impovement maybe, but definitely not fun.


Perry

 

[NJatx]

Same thing happened to me. After i pulled my stock springs off my car. to install my Tokico's i looked and noticed that my drivers side spring was broken.
Ford had a recall about them breaking. and basicly all ford did was put on a metal plate to protect the tire if it did break.

Very Common.

 

[SolidState]

ford just issued a recall of a bunch of newer Taurii for this very same reason.

The fear was that the broken spring would puncture the tire...