david fracolli

Last night I was driving down the road and hit a good size pot hole. After hitting the pothole i noticed that the car was handleing very strange. I got out and noticed that the drivers side was sitting a good inch or 2 lower than normal.
I pulled the drivers side tire off and found that the spring is almost fully compressed and that the a-arm is at about a 15 degree angle up with no tension. Could i have blown the front strut? The thing that confuses me is that I would have thought if the strut was blown it would hang down not be stuck fully compressed.
Any helpwould be appreciated as i really don't feel like crawling under the car again to just play around as it was -31 last night.
Thanks in advance

tifosiman

Wow. It seems to me that even if the strut was simply blown, the spring would still hold it up closer to level than that. I would *guess* that the strut is broken/bent in a way that does not allow it to fully extend now, thus causing the spring to remain compressed. Did you try pushing up and down on the bumper violently to free it?

Hans

Crashed the shock (Blocked / bottomed out in the "in position")??
Be carefull, get spring compressors befor you do anything with it.
The pre-load in the spring is huge. It is very easy to lose some fingers!!
TakeCare

Dave

The strut going bad would not hold the spring in a compressed position like that or at least bad seals in it would not do it. posibilities that come to mind are a bent strut that is bound up and cannot extend or a broken/bound spring. Is the spring actually compressed or could it be broken.

Ain't this weather great! My CVs can keep on makin' noise 'til it warms up a little!

david fracolli

I checked the spring and it does not appear to be broken. I would thing that the spring pressure would be enough to pull the strut down.
I am running steel a-arms and it looks like the a-arm is jammed up against the crossmember. Was hard to tell though. I am going to wait until the weather warms up a little and then use some spring compressors to hold the spring in place then remove the a-arm and see what happens.

Lousailor

I'd try the 'jump on the bumper' routine, followed possibly by raising the front of the car to see if the strut extends. Your suspension may be binding (either the strut itself, or the A-arm) if it was compressed more than is normal. The front strut spring usually governs the ride hieght regardless of the strut insert (shock), so it's most likely something else. I'd try to get it to extend to the normal position before removing anything.

Skip

Mind Hans' advice - be very careful. Sounds like the strut rod got bent, holding the suspension down - very strange. I would try to get the strut/spring extended before removing from the car... try prying the control arm levered against the body somehow. You DO NOT want to remove that strut/spring assembly until the spring has sprung, or you are absolutely sure it will not.

Have you tried to jack it up yet? If not, that might unleash the spring/strut.

If you want a *safer* way to get a spring compressor on that strut prior to lifting the car, put a jack under the control arm and lift only enough to get the tire up for removal. The weight of the car will keep the tension until you can lock the spring down with compressors.

Good Luck!

Dave

Another thought since you have steel arms on a later car...
Is there any way that the control arm is hung up at the pivot? Maybe a lip on the arm that is caught on the crossmember at a point past the usual range of travel?

mochman

Your struts bad and is holding the spring in compression I've seen them fail and effecticely ratchet down a suspension be careful dissassembling it.

david fracolli

I jacked the car up to remove the front wheel. I then put a pry bar between one of the coils and pried on the spring,no help. I also tried prying on the a-arm, pounding on the a-arm, still cannot get it unsprung. I have also tried bouncing on the fender and there is no movement.
It really makes no sense as i cant understand how the strut would have bent. The thing is definately bound up the big question is how i can get it unbound and do it without loosing any fingers.

Skip

Even though it seems to be stuck pretty well, you absolutely must use spring compressors to hold the spring together before removing the strut from the car. Stroking a $50 ER deductible check will be harder with only two-thirds of your fingers than the $75 for spring compressors.

That strut is likely a dead soldier - RIP. FYI, new single OE insert ~$80.

Is a long shot, but did you compare struts to see if the lower perch was possibly deformed? Very, very unlikely. Also, it didn't punch through the top strut bushing, did it?

david fracolli

I"ll just drive down to the local auto zone and get a pair. I agree with you completely Skip on the ER bill. I checked the lower perch and it is not deformed. Also, it did not punch through the top strut bushing.
Well, it is suposed to warmup to 23 on Sunday so i guess i will work on it then.

Dave

Good opportunity to install some Koni yellows!

david fracolli

I would if I was not thinking seriously of either selling or parting the car. I am very seriously thinking of taking the insurance money from my accident and the money i get out of this and buying a 951.

austin944

I've seen the same thing on a Maserati Biturbo. The boot protecting the strut had disintegrated, allowing foreign material to enter the strut. The strut locked up and left the corner of the car a few inches lower than normal.