Suspension top bit replaceable?!? (mine fell off)

[bumography]

Hi everyone!
I was just cruisin along, and kaboom, i hear something funny, *clunk clunk*
So i decided to stop and open the bonnet.
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/6850/sus5xf.jpg
Seems something from the top fell of, but i found the bolt! LoL
Is this fixable? is that part in the centre actually procurable? the suspension is a Tanabe combo (damper + spring)

If i have to replace a shock, should i use the tanabe springs with the new shocks? (they are very hard) or do these springs really only suite these shocks?

Should i fix it myself by putting a big bolt in there?

any suggestions or help plz
:)


EDIT: Just thinking bout it, i cant even remember if that top bit came with the car or is part of the suspension..

[BSRacer]

Hey Thong, I'm pretty sure it's part of the strut top. Maybe u can use the top of the stock ones. You want me to drop em over this week?

[Zdster]

Wow, I have never seen that before. I suggest you get it checked out by a professional urgently and I wouldnt want to drive it - it appears as though the top of the suspension is completely gone.

[Zdster]

Hey Thong, I'm pretty sure it's part of the strut top. Maybe u can use the top of the stock ones. You want me to drop em over this week?

Yeah, but what is the top of the suspension riding on?

[bumography]

it doesnt make the car any lower, just give a little more negative camber!
Hey Norm, i still got the springs waiting for ya!
i'll check my shed for my stock front shocks tonight
:O

[Zdster]

it doesnt make the car any lower, just give a little more negative camber!
Hey Norm, i still got the springs waiting for ya!
i'll check my shed for my stock front shocks tonight
:O

Id be very careful taking that shock out as well. I mean think about it, what is holding the spring compressed at the moment? Just the cars weight as the top of the suspension is no longer there - get what I mean?

[bennjamin]

wtf lol - fix it ASAP

u need 2 x bushes on either side of the cup and 1 or 2 nuts to hold that top to teh suspension...

[vti-2]

Who installed the springs? Or maybe i shouldn't ask! :eek:

Do what ben suggested. Is the thread stripped or anything? How do those bolts just come off on their own?? lol

[Zdster]

Who installed the springs? Or maybe i shouldn't ask! :eek:

Do what ben suggested. Is the thread stripped or anything? How do those bolts just come off on their own?? lol

Yeah, I have never seen anything like this before - simply amazing.

[type one]

i have seen that before - but the two bolts at the top were loose as well :)

the shock seems to be in place which means the centre bolt will still be tight but the two side bolts have either snapped/rusted etc right off... awesome... shouldn't be dangerous to remove as the shock is still compressed IMO.

dun think that is rwc though but i could be wrong.

[Zdster]

the shock seems to be in place which means the centre bolt will still be tight but the two side bolts have either snapped/rusted etc right off... awesome... shouldn't be dangerous to remove as the shock is still compressed IMO.


Can you explain what you mean by "the shock seems to be in place which means the centre bolt will still be tight". Isnt the shock simply still in place due to the weight of the car forcing it in place? The bottom of the strut is connected to the lca and the top is held in place by the two side bolts. Using this logic, if you remove the side bolts, what is holding the shock/strut together?

[bumography]

I installed the things myself, but that top bit wouldnt be my fault, cos i never touched it, because i never needed to take these springs off the shocks.
unless i forgot, but its been like a few yaers since i installed them anyway

The bolt didnt rust or anything because i found it on teh road when i stopped.
It all happened in one go, so i'm assuming the top bolt was loose and the bushing fell off :(

[type one]

Can you explain what you mean by "the shock seems to be in place which means the centre bolt will still be tight". Isnt the shock simply still in place due to the weight of the car forcing it in place? The bottom of the strut is connected to the lca and the top is held in place by the two side bolts. Using this logic, if you remove the side bolts, what is holding the shock/strut together?

it doesn't look like the weight of the car is holding anything down otherwise it would look like normal until driven over a speed hump unlodging the shock tower itself.

from the angle of the pic this is all i can determine.

[bennjamin]

it doesn't look like the weight of the car is holding anything down otherwise it would look like normal until driven over a speed hump unlodging the shock tower itself.

from the angle of the pic this is all i can determine.

If the 2 bushes are gone ( and they are judging by the pic) the suspension will bottom out and compress the spring and shock further than normal - with the corner weight of the car. Any bump will run the risk of the shock bouncing out on rebound and then popping out of the guide and gosh knows what damage will be done !
This is a dangerous situation and I do hope Bum-man has rectified it asap !

[Zdster]

it doesn't look like the weight of the car is holding anything down otherwise it would look like normal until driven over a speed hump unlodging the shock tower itself.

from the angle of the pic this is all i can determine.

Oh, ok - I see where you are coming from now.


If the 2 bushes are gone ( and they are judging by the pic) the suspension will bottom out and compress the spring and shock further than normal - with the corner weight of the car. Any bump will run the risk of the shock bouncing out on rebound and then popping out of the guide and gosh knows what damage will be done !
This is a dangerous situation and I do hope Bum-man has rectified it asap !

I know what you mean - I wouldnt want to be driving that. If the shock were to come loose, what the spring instantly de-compress?

[bennjamin]

Oh, ok - I see where you are coming from now.



I know what you mean - I wouldnt want to be driving that. If the shock were to come loose, what the spring instantly de-compress?

the only thing holding that spring inplace now is the weight of the car - so any movement ( in any direction involved with driving the car ) will run the risk of the spring popping out and so on :(

[Zdster]

the only thing holding that spring inplace now is the weight of the car - so any movement ( in any direction involved with driving the car ) will run the risk of the spring popping out and so on :(

So how would you actually go about removing the spring/shock? Just curious as to what you would do?

[bennjamin]

So how would you actually go about removing the spring/shock? Just curious as to what you would do?

Easy . Jack up the corner that is "loose" - ( use jackstands) - then simply take out the shock as you would normally. Re-assemble the shock with proper upper bushes + nut/s , make sure its firm + wont budge and reinstall as you normally do.

[Zdster]

Easy . Jack up the corner that is "loose" - ( use jackstands) - then simply take out the shock as you would normally. Re-assemble the shock with proper upper bushes + nut/s , make sure its firm + wont budge and reinstall as you normally do.

But if the only thing that is holding the spring in place now is the weight of the car, as soon as you start to jack it up wont the spring come flying off?

[type one]

the centre bolt should still be holding the shock tower in place from what i can see.

[bennjamin]

But if the only thing that is holding the spring in place now is the weight of the car, as soon as you start to jack it up wont the spring come flying off?

No , as the car is slowly jacked up the spring will uncompress slowly too. Once the car is fully jacked and resting on jackstands the spring will be loose and easy to move around. Unbolt lower + upper fork bolts + brake line , remove shock and spring - reassemble with proper bits and then instal in reverse order :)

[Zdster]

Oh, I see now. So it will uncoil as you raise the car - makes sense.

[bumography]

from my understanding the springs are currently holding the car in place now,
i've just discovered the top bit is exactly the same as my rears,
so i'll be using my rear stock as spare parts to fix this up

i'll do it tonight see how everything is
:D

K done it,
The problem was that the both bushes top and bottom was missing. there is also a metal pipe that goes into the bushes that was gone.
:O
replaced it with the bushes from my rear shock top.
:D