Technical rear coil springs 2wd

[pooroldcodger]

Evening all,

this is a question for those of you with 2wd Panda experience.
I have got the axle off my Panda Colour and have taken the coil springs off to check them over.
They look fine but I have noticed something that looks odd.
One side has a metal "seat" as well as top and bottom rubber rings.
But the other side doesn't seem to have this same metal "seat".
I can't imagine why it would be missing but then again I have not owned the car from new so anything is possible I guess.
Can anyone advise me if this is definitely something missing?
Many thanks.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sorry my post was tosh... My experience is with the newer types.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Further update on this. It seems that the part in question is called a spring plate.
They have to be ordered in pairs apparently. Still not sure why one would be missing on mine but life is a mystery sometimes.

 

[chris3234]

Is the spring watrped in some sort of rubber cover in the left picture? Because It Allmost looks like part of it is broken off inside

 

[pooroldcodger]

They are both wrapped in some sort of plastic insulation but one of them also sits in a metal plate. I have taken two new pics of each spring.

 

[andyjw0114]

Am sure there should be two of the metal plates...from memory the plate protects the rubber from being damaged by the spring. Might the missing plate just have rusted through & been discarded? One of mine was disintegrating. My old springs were also covered at one end by a plastic sleeve. Think I had a bit of a job getting the new rubber bits and that was pre Brexit.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Yes I think your explanation might be right. One has just rotted through and either been discarded or is now a pile of rust that descended when the springs came off!
I have got a pair on order from Italy now.
Ricambio had the upper rubber rings in stock which was a result!

 

[Yolanda]

It could be stuck in the bottom of the spring pan.