Front Road Spring Confusion

[aerobubble]

Hi Folks,

Hope you can help with a strange situation I find myself in. I have been suspisious that the front suspension on my 2003 93ss Aero has been a 'bit soft' for a number of years and had been expecting the front shocks to expire any time soon, but at some considerable mileage later they still soldier on. Then recently it occured to me that the front ride height seemed at bit high visually compared to other Aeros in the neighbourhood. I started to dig around and found some interesting and confusing facts....

Over the past 5 years I had two front road springs break and replaced at my now bankrupt local Saab dealer. These were replaced with red/white (code 2 & later code 41) springs, which EPC reckon are NOT for the Aero/sport chassis. Might this explain the softer ride/larger ride height?

So how did the dealer apparently fit the wrong springs? Time to check the VIN plate!  For suspension codings this reads left to right "2 -3 -2 -2 -1 -3". So if I understand this correctly, front springs are Code 2 red/white non-sport chassis springs as fitted by the dealer. Interestingly, front shocks are Code 1 also non-sport chassis, but the front anti-roll bar is Code 2 (25mm) which is for sport chassis. All rear suspension is sport chassis Now I am throughly confused. 

Has anybody come across this before? Is it possible for the VIN to be wrong or am I reading it incorrectly? What is the correct suspension set up for a late 2003 93ss Aero? I was going to order some yellow/orange sport springs to rectify the situation but want to be sure first.

Any help greatfully received...

[Audax]

It looks like you're reading it right so erm, weird! I'd not worry too much about them being the "right" springs precisely as many sets of spring supersede to the same number later on so just fit some sport springs and you should be OK.

[sgould]

Not all the items on the sports chassis are labelled "sport" in the EPC.
I have assumed over the years that you have "sports suspension" as long as one item of original equipment that is labelled so on the EPC.  Whether springs, dampers or anti roll bars.

Our Vector has the sports chassis.  It says so on the original factory spec.  The code is  7-3- - -8-3- - .  The front items are not listed as "sports chassis", but the rear items are.  And the antiroll bar code is blank.

So our set up came out of the factory with the same descriptions for the front and rear suspension.  Not sure about the ARB though.

[sgould]

Forgot to say....

Our car is also 2003.  After a couple of years we got the Hirsch springs fitted to the car.  The original springs went onto an Aero and I heard no complaints and the guy I gave them to is pretty knowledgeable and keen.

The ride height I checked very roughly before and after.

With the sport springs fitted, I could get four fingers between the top of the tyre and the underside of the wheel arch.

With the Hirsch springs fitted, this has reduced to two fingers.

A couple of before and after pictures...


   

[aerobubble]

Thanks guys for the replies and info.

Tried the fingers test and I can get four in there with room to spare, probably five if I had them, but I have got rather thin boney fingers!  Gap measures around 6 inches with a ruler.

Found a photo of my car back in 2005 before the first spring broke and the clearance round the front wheel arch looks pretty much the same as your's sgould when it had the Saab sport springs. Unfortunately my car is currently blocked inside the garage so I cannot get a good side-on view to compare and contrast it right now.

I did however do a bit more poking around - I stuck my camera round the back of the wheels and snapped the part numbers off the suspension. Rear road springs are Code 3 sport springs which match the VIN plate info. Front and rear shocks (original from new) are both Code 8 which are not a match to the VIN plate! At least EPC has Code 8 rear shocks down as sport variety, but not the front.

What is the difference between the various shocks and springs intended for sport chassis, e.g yellow/orange vs. white/red springs? I know some items are marked for the diesel and V6 engine varients, but what about the rest? How do you know which ones are correct when VIN plate info appears to be hit and miss and EPC does not always list items as "sport"? It's a minefield! 

[sgould]

I would just go with the part/code numbers.

I think the naming in the EPC may be variable because (and I'm guessing!) it's possible that a set of springs and dampers that are "sport" on a Vector could be standard on a diesel.  So not labelled as anything special.

[Mickyw]

Just bite the bullet make the car what it should have been I did and do not regret it for one minute, I was worried about the springs busting as all my miles are fast motorway, so I read everything that I could and decided, it was time to go with all the experienced opinions. I bought the Eibach road springs fitted all round price £165 delivered got my local garage to fit them when car was serviced.
Well what a difference all the crashing and banging now gone car goes around corners like on rails , ride is much better, totally transformed the car now back in love with driving again !!!!!!! Ride height dropped by about 20 mm car also looks sportier all I can say is WOW just do it forget all the Saab confusion these are straight swap YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
Regards Mike

[chris aka zaphod]

If/when the springs go on our 9-3SS Aero, that's the route I'll go, too.

[sgould]

The Hirsch springs are made by Eibach.  They are said to be the same items, but even if they're not, they are very close.  And they transform the car.

[philmots]

Eibachs are certainly a good choice. Specially with the new price for the Hirsch springs!

[aerobubble]

I have long lusted after the Hirsch springs and vowed to take a serious look at them next time I break a spring. The only thing that puts me off right now is what they might do to my insurance premium and my front spoiler lip!

The lip bears the scars of having done enough ploughing and scrapping already without being dropped signficantly lower to the road. First thing I did when I got the car years ago was park it outside the in-laws on a grass bank and managed to gouge and huge divot out of the ground. But maybe, just maybe one day .......

Have the Hirsch springs gone up significantly? Have only seen them listed on Parts for Saab and recall the them being ~£350.

[sgould]

The springs went down to £250.  Which was very good.  They had been £300 for a long time.

But a month ago they suddenly went up to £478.  Almost double   

[Saabman]

I think I paid about £190 for my Eibachs, I fitted them about two weeks after Saab fitted a brand new pair of standard springs to replace a broken one. I cant say I felt a massive difference but there was an improvement that seemed to get better after they had settled for a couple of weeks 

[BornFromJets]

Hi Folks,

Hope you can help with a strange situation I find myself in. I have been suspisious that the front suspension on my 2003 93ss Aero has been a 'bit soft' for a number of years and had been expecting the front shocks to expire any time soon, but at some considerable mileage later they still soldier on. Then recently it occured to me that the front ride height seemed at bit high visually compared to other Aeros in the neighbourhood. I started to dig around and found some interesting and confusing facts....

Over the past 5 years I had two front road springs break and replaced at my now bankrupt local Saab dealer. These were replaced with red/white (code 2 & later code 41) springs, which EPC reckon are NOT for the Aero/sport chassis. Might this explain the softer ride/larger ride height?

So how did the dealer apparently fit the wrong springs? Time to check the VIN plate!  For suspension codings this reads left to right "2 -3 -2 -2 -1 -3". So if I understand this correctly, front springs are Code 2 red/white non-sport chassis springs as fitted by the dealer. Interestingly, front shocks are Code 1 also non-sport chassis, but the front anti-roll bar is Code 2 (25mm) which is for sport chassis. All rear suspension is sport chassis Now I am throughly confused. 

Has anybody come across this before? Is it possible for the VIN to be wrong or am I reading it incorrectly? What is the correct suspension set up for a late 2003 93ss Aero? I was going to order some yellow/orange sport springs to rectify the situation but want to be sure first.

Any help greatfully received...

How do you decipher what kind of suspension you have from the VIN plate? Mine reads:

2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -  -  -

I do hav this figure identifying the positions:



But where do I find a key that tells me what front suspension "2" is and what rear suspension "1" is? Thanks.

[BornFromJets]

I solved my own problem. I've been trying to determine whether I have sport chassis/suspension or not.

If you got to the https://saabparts.com/us/mysaabcar-online/saab-original-vin-decoder/ and enter your VIN, then scroll down to CHASSI DESIGN/PERFORMANCE it would say whether you have standard (comfort) or sport. mine says standard (comfort)