Afternoon folks,

Hopefully someone can help. My wife's 2010 panda has cocked it's back leg, unfortunately I'm at work and won't be able to have a proper look in daylight today, but perhaps the collective wisdom on the forum can offer some clues?

Pictures attached.

Long time lurker, finally taken the plunge and joined.

Thanks,

Any pictures of the other side?

The third picture down is the nearside. I think there's one of the underneath. Hang on...

Nearside underneath.

Hard to tell first guess would be a broken spring
That being said it looks like the car need new springs and shocks
And the rear axle need serious TLC or else you will end up with a snapped spring pan very soon with that rust

Hi thanks for the reply. Why would a broken spring send one side up?

In all honesty I think the old girl is reaching the end of the road.

Senior moment. Do you mean the spring on the nearside has broken, sending the offside up?

Nearside front spring, maybe.
Rear springs and shocks do look a bit ropey though.
Beam also looks pretty rough, but doesn't look wrecked yet (from the photos), but hard to tell without being there.

By focussing on the offside rear, which has risen, you are probably lookng at the effect, not the cause.
Most likely causes are nearside front broken spring, or nearside rear spring or spring pan collapse.

Stand down folks. She had parked in a dip ?.

Thanks for all the input - it's reinforced that I need to go under and sort the back end out.

????

That back end needs some serious TLC but even if the axle fails its not a car killer but it will mean some work.

The spring pans corrode on the upturned sides about 20mm from where they are welded to the axle swing arms. I think its an area of peak stress. They can be reinforced on the outside with steel strips. There's no need to go all the way around but do go well past that peak stress area.

To do it properly, the axle would have to come off the car. I had mine grit blasted and zinc metal sprayed because for the cost (£80) it really was not worth the mess and risk (metal in eyes) of doing it myself with a grinder and wire brush.

If you decide the axle has to come off DO NOT bother trying to undo the brake pipe connectors at the body shell end. The flare nuts seize and will twist the metal pipes to death. Just cut the hose and spin it off the nut. You can then unseize the nut from the pipe with heat from a gas lighter. Coat the cleaned end with a good stiff copper grease.