knackered suspension

[Critical_Mass 10]

Right, im totally hacked off. I pay my road tax, we all do, yet we still find pot holes in our roads.

 

Driving round Leeds city centre this eve, to pick the missus up and BANG, drove right over a pot hole. It wasnt that big but bit it has done some damage to the rear N/S shock :mad:. The top of the strut has been forced up, and now protrudes out of the top in the boot (sorry for a bad explanation, see pics). Now is shocker now broken and how much is it for a new OEM shocker? though i am wanting to get some konis i really cant afford them at the mo, would a good second hand one be ok for now?

 

Cheers guys.

[Mike Edwards 0]

It looks like the top spring plate has collapsed as a result of corrosion.

 

Replace* that and provided there's no sign of damage to the shock or bodywork you should be fine.

 

*Assuming that the old one can be removed.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Well funny you should mention corrosion, it was a bit squeaky before it happened- for the last month or so. Could the pot hole just have made it finally give way?

[Mike Edwards 0]

Yup. :(

[Critical_Mass 10]

Sorry that was a bit vague, i mean the cap give way not the shocker. So the shocker could be fine?

[Twiss 0]

That looks alittle like what mine was like but no way near as bad. My top plates didn't exist luckly no other damage was done. The body round where the strut sits in is quite strong( I'm by no means saying its would not bend or buckle) but you should be able to remove and replace with not to much worry.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Twiss, when you say "That looks alittle like what mine was like but no way near as bad" do you mean mines not as bad as yours or vise versa? Yeah im hoping the cap can just be replaced, still means the shocker needs to come off.

[double-6s 0]

Go and take a pic and write to the council asking for compensation.

 

My mate went down a large pothole in his volvo S60R and it trashed one of the fancy adjustable shockers - 2 grand to replace!!! :shock:

[Critical_Mass 10]

Go and take a pic and write to the council asking for compensation.

 

My mate went down a large pothole in his volvo S60R and it trashed one of the fancy adjustable shockers - 2 grand to replace!!! :shock:

 

Yeah mate, gonna get down there tomorrow to take some pics. Unfortunately, if the alloy wheel claim is anything to go by, it'll take the council 8-9 months to send me my cheque :mad:

[Mike Edwards 0]

i meant "Yes the pothole could have caused the corroded component to collapse"

 

The squeaks probably indicate that to top cap had already collapsed and any bump would have finished it off.

 

Good luck with the claim though.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Cheers mate!

 

Thanks for replies all! :)

[Critical_Mass 10]

by the way is, do i have to take the shocker off completely, or can i take the top off and drop the whole wheel assembly, to get to the top of the shocker. AND how do you get the bolt off the top of the strut. Looks as though theres a flat bit of thread just above the bolt- cant get the bolt to budge when i tried?

 

Thanks

 

Gaz

[Twiss 0]

Yes your need to remove the shock and spring and wheel.

 

 

Your need to compress the spring with spring compressors so that you can under the top nut. then undo the bottom strut nut and then you can remove the strut and spring.

 

HTH

[Critical_Mass 10]

Will i need spring compressors if the top of the strut is aboe where it normally sits. Any alternative to spring compressors i can use, due to me not having any?

 

Thanks

[Dec 1]

you can use the weight of the car to compress the spring.

 

Jack it up and remove all the bits from the top of the shock (remembering which order they go back together again). Bolt the bottom bolt of the shock back on and put the wheel back on. Now gently lower the car on the jack and the spring will get compressed enough for you to get the nut on the top of the topplate. Once you have tightened up that bolt you can jack it back up and stick on a new set of rubber topmounts 8)

[Mike Edwards 0]

On the rear suspension, there usually isn't much compression of the spring with the spring/damper assembly off the car. I can compress the spring by leaning on it - and I don't weigh a whole lot...

 

In this case though, the top plate has collapsed - so when you jack the car up and unbolt the damper, the spring will just slide off.

 

Before you do this though, undo the nuts above and below the retaining plate on the top of the damper, and remove the upper bush and the two metal caps that fit onto the shaft either side. This will allow you to drop the damper out once the bottom bolt has been removed (best achieved with the car jacked up)

[Critical_Mass 10]

Sorry to sound thick, but how will not jacking the car up stop me from being able to undo the top nut, as the top of the damper is higher then where it usually is resting (when not knackered), a good inch and 1/2 is above where it should be and the nut is close to the top (pic)

[Mike Edwards 0]

What?

 

Just saying that you should take the various bits visible in the pic off 1st, then jack the car up...

[Critical_Mass 10]

Sorry that was more directed towards Dec.

[Dec 1]

Sorry to sound thick, but how will not jacking the car up stop me from being able to undo the top nut, as the top of the damper is higher then where it usually is resting (when not knackered), a good inch and 1/2 is above where it should be and the nut is close to the top (pic)

 

:scratch: not quite sure what you mean!

 

I wasn't suggesting a method of how to take the topmounts off....just a method of compressing the spring so you can put it back together!

 

Once you have everything apart and the shock absorber, and wheel removed from the car. The steps to putting it back together are:

 

1) Put the retaining washer, new spring plate and new lower rubber topmount on the shock.

2) Put the shock back on the car and bolt on the lower bolt (at the very bottom of the shock itself) while passing the top of the strut back through the hole in the arch.

3) Put the wheel back on and gently lower the car back down on the jack to compress the spring (or else jack up the rear beam with a 2nd jack)

4) You should now be able to see the top of the strut coming back through the hole in the arch, once you have lowered the car enough you will be able to see the thread on the top of the strut. You can now replace the lower nut and tighten it down to fully compress the spring.

5) Reassemble the rest of the top mount in the correct order.

[Critical_Mass 10]

AH right ok,

 

Thanks for that, ill give it a shot once the rain stops.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Right all, I ended up buying a set of spring compressors. Which made it easy. The word "perished" doesnt even get near to describing the top plate. So the Spring is compressed and the next part is putting the new plate on, when i get round to ordering it from VAG. But in order to get the old plate off, whats left of it, do i need to realise the springs from the compressors? Cant seem to remove the old plate or the rubber...?

 

 

Any help from you guys i will be hugely grateful.

 

Cheers

 

Gaz

[Mike Edwards 0]

like I said earlier, there's very little tension on the rear spring.

 

After you've removed both of the rubber bits at the top (and the associated 'washers'), working down there should be a nut, a 50mm spacer, the top plate (steel - corroded to buggery in your case), the upper spring seat (probably perished), the bump stop and dust shield, plus a protective cap on the damper. The spring fits under/around this little lot, and sits on the lower spring plate.

 

The remains of the top plate, spring seat ans spring are probably fused into a single lump. One you've got the spring off the damper, try applying 'percussive maintenance' to seperate them and buy new bits as appropriate.

 

It may be that you have to replace the lot...

 

HTH.