Hirsch suspension problem?

[phoenix]

Agreed, it will have a disproportionate weight on it and deflection- the suspension system has load applied to it at an effective point in  the middle of the contact patch of the tyre, not the bottom of the shock.

Anyway, it doesn't look too far different from mine (which are Eibach) if you count the uncompressed coils, pic taken on the rear offside just now.

[RussJ]

Sods Law dictated that minutes after I'd posted the picture, I found an article on the "Platanoff" site where he was installing Eibach and Bilstein rear suspension on a 9.5.
http://photo.platonoff.com/Auto/20070930a.Saab_9-5_Rear_Suspension/
He makes reference to "barrel" coils on the upper part of the spring which are normally compressed together and explains that the compliance does indeed come from the lower coils. Since Hirsch springs seem to be made by Eibach, it appears that springs ain't the issue.
Russ

[sgould]

I think those Hirsch springs are fine.

I was out doing things to the car just now, so I thought I would poke my camera through the wheel and photograph the rear springs insitu.  Car (estate) is unloaded and on level concrete.  Bottom coil of the ones at the top is a bit further away from the next one than it looks in the photo.  Not quite touching.

[RussJ]

Took the car on a trip down to Devon from Norfolk and somewhere along the way, whatever had stuck freed itself and all is now back to normal  .
My knowledgable neighbour thought that the shock(s) might have temporarily stuck as they'd suddenly been asked to work harder and in a different position than usual or possibly that a suspension bush twisted and got jammed.
Only problem now is that I need to fetch some more briquettes....
Russ

[Norfolk Jim]

Have you a tow bar Russ - if so use a trailer..........................