Strut Towers Are Gone
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: April 7th, 2009, 2:28 pm
Strut Towers Are Gone
Looks like I have a large amount of rust on my rear strut towers, at least around the one that is still there. I heard a loud metal bumping noise last night after driving on "the moon," otherwise known as Northern Kentucky and Ohio roadways.
What I thought was a blown strut turns out to be a jagged hole in the top of the strut tower mount with the top of the strut tucked underneath a bottom ledge. Of course, the top dampner under the seat belt mount is gone as well.
Anyone have work done on the strut towers? Considering the age of these cars I'd imagine this isn't exactly a rare thing.
What I thought was a blown strut turns out to be a jagged hole in the top of the strut tower mount with the top of the strut tucked underneath a bottom ledge. Of course, the top dampner under the seat belt mount is gone as well.
Anyone have work done on the strut towers? Considering the age of these cars I'd imagine this isn't exactly a rare thing.
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 164
- Joined: October 6th, 2009, 9:40 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Richmond, Virginia
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Is the metal really ripped, or did the spotwelds all fail?
If the latter, I repaired my first MX-3 with exactly that problem. I removed the strut, and the interior and hammered the top part back into place. I then drilled each spotweld out through both layers to clear a large pop rivet. Then working from the inside of the tower, place pop rivets in each hole, so they are flush inside the tower. Use the largest tool and rivets you can fit. Swivel head on the riveter. Good caulk and some undercoat spray, then reassemble! Held without any problem in my car.
Jim
If the latter, I repaired my first MX-3 with exactly that problem. I removed the strut, and the interior and hammered the top part back into place. I then drilled each spotweld out through both layers to clear a large pop rivet. Then working from the inside of the tower, place pop rivets in each hole, so they are flush inside the tower. Use the largest tool and rivets you can fit. Swivel head on the riveter. Good caulk and some undercoat spray, then reassemble! Held without any problem in my car.
Jim
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: April 7th, 2009, 2:28 pm
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Well, the towers themselves don't look bad at all.
It's just the caps. They are rusty and the metal looks pretty thin to begin with. I guess the metal just ripped out since the remaining ledges are jagged. I figured the caps could be removed and re-welded since the tower metal seems solid.
It's just the caps. They are rusty and the metal looks pretty thin to begin with. I guess the metal just ripped out since the remaining ledges are jagged. I figured the caps could be removed and re-welded since the tower metal seems solid.
- Dali
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 1621
- Joined: January 28th, 2003, 2:01 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Williams lake, BC
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
it sounds like the strut cups on the top rusted out, no big deal. you can buy new ones for about 30.00 a side. replace both, it is recommended to replace them when you replace the struts.
1993 White gs klze.
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 164
- Joined: October 6th, 2009, 9:40 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Richmond, Virginia
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Can you post a picture? Doesn't sound a thing like my repaired area!
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: April 7th, 2009, 2:28 pm
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
![Image](http://www.theaterofterror.com/console-002.jpg)
The left strut still in place on a rusted bottom support.
![Image](http://www.theaterofterror.com/console-009.jpg)
The right strut is through the rusted bottom support and rattling around the ledge!
No sign of the top support piece, perhaps I left it in a crater in Cincinnati.
Are these replaceable rear strut mounts? I thought the metal seemed really thin for a major part of a structure.
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
I believe they have to be cut out, I may be wrong.
![Image](http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu316/93vtecklr/ClintsSig2.jpg)
1993 Blaze Red SE, 17" blackie's, b+m sts, 45 deg 3" exh pipe/intake tube, K8ZE, aftmkt probe headers, magnaflow hi-cat, all 2.5" piping, magnaflow muffler.
1976 Datsun 620 p/u, full airride, Firestone 2600`s, 16ga fuel cell, Optima yellow top, AZ compressor, custom tubular frame with 9in step notch, 18" 100 spokes
1955 Willys Overland 4x4 P/U, '78 LT1 350 cu.in, fully restored.
- Inodoro Pereyra
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2067
- Joined: March 11th, 2009, 3:44 pm
- Location: Back in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Mx3forever: I may be wrong, but I think your towers are in perfect shape. Both of them.
Take the struts out completely Take out the double nuts on the bolts at each side of your pictures. If I'm right (no guarantees I am), you will be left with a perfectly round hole on every tower. I'm pretty sure what's busted is your strut mounts.
Take the struts out completely Take out the double nuts on the bolts at each side of your pictures. If I'm right (no guarantees I am), you will be left with a perfectly round hole on every tower. I'm pretty sure what's busted is your strut mounts.
U28sIG5vdyB5b3UgYWxzbyBrbm93IGJhc2UgNjQuLi5odWg/DQpTSE9XIE9GRiEhIQ==
"The more I know man, the more I love my dog."
Diogenes of Sinope.
"The more I know man, the more I love my dog."
Diogenes of Sinope.
- Dali
- Supporting Member
- Posts: 1621
- Joined: January 28th, 2003, 2:01 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Williams lake, BC
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
yes those are the strut mounts. undo the nuts on top and the black rusty plate will just fall out. you can pick the new ones up cheap, undo the nut on top of the strut and replace, you will need a spring compressor to do this. should only take about a hour to swap both out. ive had about eight or so of these break that i had to replace on my car as well as friends.
1993 White gs klze.
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 6451
- Joined: June 19th, 2004, 2:01 am
- Location: El Paso Tx U.S
- Contact:
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
x2 on the mounts
-hec
MX-3 w/ curved neck millenia klde, boosted @ 5 psi. /bov and wastegate are good!/ nitto drag radial/ gutted interior/ millenia red top injectors, vortech fmu/aem wideband/ all bolts ons/ Car put together 100% by me. Mechanic? who needs a mechanic? ew.. real men work on their own cars!
MX-3 w/ curved neck millenia klde, boosted @ 5 psi. /bov and wastegate are good!/ nitto drag radial/ gutted interior/ millenia red top injectors, vortech fmu/aem wideband/ all bolts ons/ Car put together 100% by me. Mechanic? who needs a mechanic? ew.. real men work on their own cars!
- Ryan
- Senior Member
- Posts: 7198
- Joined: April 7th, 2008, 1:06 pm
- antispam: ~SPAM*SUX~
- Location: Manitoba
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
All true and good advice, but you don't need a compressor for the rears.
Now with Moderator power!
Black '93 BP RS - wrecked, parted, scrapped.
Green GS - Sold.
Black GS - Summer DD/Race car - Fancy KLZE
Red GS - K8-ATX -> MTX-KLDE - Frakencar. Scrapped
White GS - Rusty. Parts. Scrapped
1997 BMW M3 - my summer baby
2002 BMW 325Xi - sold
2003 Forester Xti - EJ20K swapped.
Feedback
Black '93 BP RS - wrecked, parted, scrapped.
Green GS - Sold.
Black GS - Summer DD/Race car - Fancy KLZE
Red GS - K8-ATX -> MTX-KLDE - Frakencar. Scrapped
White GS - Rusty. Parts. Scrapped
1997 BMW M3 - my summer baby
2002 BMW 325Xi - sold
2003 Forester Xti - EJ20K swapped.
Feedback
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: August 25th, 2004, 2:01 am
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Rockauto.com currently has a sale on KYB struts and strut mounts. Good investment.
94' RS/GS/MS/CF Monster Turbo...coming soon.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: April 7th, 2009, 2:28 pm
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
Yeah,
Already have an order into RockAuto for strut mounts and struts
all the way around the car. From the look of those mounts, I'd
say the struts are probably shot as well.
Thanks
Already have an order into RockAuto for strut mounts and struts
all the way around the car. From the look of those mounts, I'd
say the struts are probably shot as well.
Thanks
- lowflyinmx3
- Regular Member
- Posts: 344
- Joined: February 22nd, 2006, 6:48 am
- Location: ohio
- Contact:
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=71420" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I just had the same thing happen to me a little over a month ago. You should be able to just replace the top strut mounts and be done with it. Thats what I did. The funny thing is mine broke right past the AA highway on 275. lol. Where are you located?
I just had the same thing happen to me a little over a month ago. You should be able to just replace the top strut mounts and be done with it. Thats what I did. The funny thing is mine broke right past the AA highway on 275. lol. Where are you located?
Mazda.... What happens in the parking lot, stays in the parking lot
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 5554
- Joined: August 25th, 2004, 2:01 am
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Re: Strut Towers Are Gone
The force is strong with this one.Mx3forever wrote:Yeah,
Already have an order into RockAuto for strut mounts and struts
all the way around the car. From the look of those mounts, I'd
say the struts are probably shot as well.
Thanks
94' RS/GS/MS/CF Monster Turbo...coming soon.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
93' GS SE, the Black Beast, the former love of my life...soon to be gutted and crushed.
94' GS, black on black, now in several small pieces...and one large crushed piece.
2007 Mazda3 GT Sport --- super fun
2004 Honda RC51 --- Lost forever to some theavin' bastard
My Worklog
My feedback thread
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.