Rear coil springs

Just discovered a broken coil spring on the car. I'm fitting new Meyle rear shock absorbers but wondered if the surface corrosion on the springs is contributory? Even if the springs were shot blasted and powder coated, I assume the stress on them depending on load weight and possible sagging has already taken its toll.

No doubt these things are top dollar at Audi. I'll replace in pairs to keep set up level. Rubber bump stops are in good condition.

Rusting can cause surface pitting which in turn provides an initiation point for stress cracking.
Shot peening (not shot blasting) is the best surface treatment for springs as the smooth ball bearing type 'shot' puts the surface metal in compression and increases fatigue life several fold.
For replacement springs which are cheaper but better quality than Audi parts, check out the threads on Spidan springs.

Cheers Spike

Thanks Spike. Audi springs were already on order... £150 or so all in!

I have pair of genuine Audi rear springs which each has 2 orange: 1 green and 2 blue dot markings on each spring. They are in excellent condition ...... not sure which model they are off ?
Possibly they should be advertised on Marketplace but what model? They were not off my 2001 A2 SE 75 TDi OSS.

New parts fitted. Beautiful day for tinkering with cars. Even managed to discover the rattle, which was the heat shield on the exhaust.