Oh no Disaster PART II

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:17 pm

Think something has happened to the front suspension on mine:

Coming home today notice there was a loud grinding noise from drivers side front wheel when turning left.

Thought that is a bit too loud and sudden to be wheel bearing:

Without accepting any liability what are the chances of me driving it 10 miles to my garage?

Reckon it will make it, provided I drive sensibly of course?

Looks like the strut has/is about to collapsed!

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:07 pm

Ouch!

There is NO way I would drive that.

Mike Sad

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:27 pm

Frieghteningly I was only just doing some speed down a dual carriage way Shocked

Do you know what has happened what has broken?

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:35 pm

No, sorry - clearly a major failure - but if it's graunching then the chances are it will cause more damage every time that wheel turns - what happens if a break hose rips?

I would definitely get it towed - or at a long second, get someone to look at it who knows what he's talking about and have the risk correctly assessed.

Do you have breakdown cover on your insurance, or are you an AA member or anything?

Mike Question

Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

DO NOT DRIVE IT.

If you look in the top photo, you can see a jagged rusty edge, directly below the black bellows. This is where the lower spring pan should be attached onto the strut, but it has clearly rusted off. Without that attached u'll have the spring pan resting on the tyre (polishing from rubbing on tyre is visible in pic 2) and no spring keeping that corner up.

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:51 pm

Lucky I looked when I parked up!

Is it going to be expensive to sort out do you think? or is it autotrader time (again Rolling Eyes

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Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

Its not too bad to sort it out, find a new strut, swap the damper into it, job done.Hardest part is seperating the strut from the bottom balljoint..I've never managed to get mine apart!

Drop Bladerunner a PM, hes got lots of spares, alternatively I could supply you one but I'd have to charge for my time to remove it from the scrap car so it'd prob cost a little more.

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:43 pm

Don't panic is only a strut spring pan, I had similar happen to me over Xmas with a Peugeot 604.. as I couldn't get any parts and needed the car I jacked the car on the spring pan so it went back roughly in place and welded it back in place also welding in a few stays.. worked fine for 8 months untill the clutch went and i scrapped it Laughing

I've got a strut on the quattro btw, i'll look tomorrow to see if it's any good

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:50 pm

Thanks for the help guys, car is sat on the drive, I am probably going to have to get it recovered to a garage. Smile

Thanks for the offer of help Mr Bladerunner, shame I am so far away!

This isnt a job I could attempt unfortunately and I dare say the other side probably isnt much better so it will be needing both sides done!

Anyone know how much new bits would cost?

A bit worrying that you mention a French car with this problem! Shocked

Losing the faith a bit with this car especially if rust is starting to cause a problem! Crying or Very sad

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:03 pm

It's a pretty easy fix to be honest, all it needs is a good used strut fitted, ideally from a quattro so you won't have to dissemble it to swap sping and damper.

either way you should do the gaiters as they are torn or it will ultimately lead to damper seal failure.

Also remember these are 13 years old now, ungalvanised parts will corrode especailly if used in harsher areas, yours is near the coast, has it been most of it's life? if yes the salt in the air wont help, cars that live near the sea never live as long.. the chassis on yours looked solid from memory..

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:19 pm

That is true, I think the previous owner did some sort of sea sports and I think it has been sea dipped a few times nose and tail hence the ABS Sensors corroding and now these, mind you it is a bit like triggers broom at the mo, as each one pops up its another thing that wont have to be revisited for another 12 years or so!

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:28 am

Update on this and some help if possible!

The car is on my driveway sitting idle it had been driven home before I noticed the impending doom,

I have phoned three garages one of whom is an Audi specialists and two have not got back to me at all and the third said:

If its 'the top bit' its £40 a side plus labour and if its 'the bottom bit' it is £450 per side plus labour. (Quoting)

Obviously quite a difference and I don't want to truck the car somewhere and find out that is a grand job minimum.

Anyone able to confirm if these prices mean anything in relation to my problem?

Also if I tackle it myself armed with a Haynes manual and very limited mechanical experience on a driveway have I got any chance of repairing it myself? I might be able to borrow a spring compressor but this sounds scary for the likes of me!

Read the Haynes manual and it looked a bit tricky!

If I buy a new suspension kit, will this solve the problem? (Provided it is fitted of course! Wink

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I have walked over 15 miles this week and cycled 15 miles also and lost 3kgs in weight so its not all bad!

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 6:58 pm

It's the bottom bit, but that's hardly a technical way to descibe it so I'd give that garage a wide berth Laughing

It's such an easy fix to swap a strut complete, out both sides would be done in 2 hours easy (not withstanding rusty bolts etc).

if you take it on I can guide you through it, why not do just the one to get it going again and assess the other once it's fixed and running..

I haven't yet but will check the struts out on the one I'm breaking tomorrow.

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:19 pm

Update on this, thanks to Bladerunner I have swapped a complete strut from his scrap car and the car is back on the road!

It is going up to him soon to get checked again!

BTW I found a neat trick to remove the bottom balljoint:

I used the car jack, the screw windy one supplied with the car and put it between the lower anti roll bar and the strut steering arm (that links to the steering arm ball joint) and wound it up and it separated very easily provided you get the jack in the right place and wedged nicely!

Bear in mind you need a big bar to wedge between the subframe and the lower anti roll bar to lower it back to reattach Wink

Camped on the site Joined: Sep 06, 2008 Posts: 368

Put a ratchet strap between the arb and the chassis leg Smile

Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:20 am

Backyard mechanics - I love it!!

Maybe you should consider reinforcement of the lower spring support on the strut, and give it a good thick paint job to stave off future corrosion... Sounds like Bladerunner should be good for the welding!