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Coilover Issue

karter

By karter,
in Four Door Family & Wagoneers

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karter Enthusiast

karter

Posted
Posted

I have a 2001 ARX fitted with BC coilovers. On Saturday I hit a pot hole in a roadworks zone - only doing about 40kmph. There was a loud crashing noise and something was clearly loose in the rear. We had a look today and found that the passenger side coilover top mount had torn out. Wondering if it has happened to anyone else, and what is the best way to repair it, and who best to do it - I'm in Canberra. Grateful for any advice.

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karter Enthusiast

karter

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please excuse my ignorance - it's our first Stagea - which is the separate piece? At least one of the two bolts at the top of the shock absorber unit has sheared off and the plate that it is attached to has separated from the chassis.

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Ben C34 Grand Master

Ben C34

Posted
Posted (edited)

Wow. That looks like the bolt has pulled through the mount.

If that is the case I would be putting a decent washer and or reinforcing plate under the bolt, but that shouldn't have been able to happen in the first place.

I wonder if they were installed wrong?

Edited by superben
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Trex Grand Master

Trex

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Posted

Never seen that before :O must have been a bit of play on the bottom for it to pull out the top on one side? As Ben said, it will need to be welded and then strengthen it by welding 2 washers on top and bottom side. Do the other side to keep it simetrical.

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Daleo Grand Master

Daleo

Posted
Posted

Looks like metal fatigue around the stud has allowed it to break a section clean out of the body; there's no rust there.

I reckon the car has copped a hit in the wheel, and the shock has borne the brunt of the impact. You can see the stress cracks that have propagated around the stud. You can also see where the metal is stretched around the other stud.

I'd be looking for evidence of subframe removal, or rear arm removal; those components would have been badly damaged if it has been hit (or slid into a gutter etc).

You are going to need to get in from above; weld in a reinforcing plate with a pair of captive studs, I wouldn't just tack up the sheetmetal & put a washer in there.

That is going to be a pain, and you are going to want to find someone who is experienced with welding & engineering (like a hot rod or custom car body workshop), and you will be paying for that. I doubt a normal panel shop will even touch that repair.

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karter Enthusiast

karter

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Thanks for all the info - car was on the hoist today - it is not rusted and there is no sign of damage to the sub frame, or indications that it has been removed - no marks on the wheels and it hasn't had a hit in my ownership - except the pot hole the other day - getting at it from above will be a real challenge - the panel that needs to be removed to access it is bolted and welded. Looks like it will have to be done from underneath.

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  • 2 weeks later...
karter Enthusiast

karter

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Car is back on the road - shock mounts plated and welded by M&A Engineering in Mitchell ACT - ended up doing both sides because the other side was also cracked - they didn't think it happened because the shock units weren't installed correctly.

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Daleo Grand Master

Daleo

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Car is back on the road - shock mounts plated and welded by M&A Engineering in Mitchell ACT - ended up doing both sides because the other side was also cracked - they didn't think it happened because the shock units weren't installed correctly.

Great to hear mate!

If you don't mind my asking; what did they charge you to do the repair?

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scotty nm35 Grand Master

scotty nm35

Posted
Posted

Good you found a decent fabricator to repair it, but I have seen many Stagea's and none have ever had that issue. The shocks were installed too short, it's the only way it could pull the stud through, as the spring tension is working against it. Hopefully it doesn't happen again...

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