michaelathome

OK,

I agree that I can imagine it in an accident or a serious curb strike, from the side, but what would it take as far as suspension mods and pot holes. I was reading in another forum and someone complained about severe pot holes in their area or drive and the fact that he came home from a trip with bent wheels and a bent strut tower.

"So I went to NY over the weekend, and thankfully I managed to hit every single pothole I came across. Apparently, they come in pairs, so when you dodge one, you hit another...

Conclusion: Front struts gone wild
I drove home, took a good 7 hours cause I drove slowly lol.
Today I took off my front wheels, one strut had oil, not tons but a bunch all around it. The other looked fine, but it sticks out like 2" out of the strut tower, and clunks like ****! Im trying not to drive it, but tomorrow I have no choice! "

Is this even possible?

Thinking the the coil holds the car up and the shock pushes the wheel back down. Also reading some of the 944 Variant cars ar running as much as 800lb springs is this enough with a good impact to cause this kind of damage on normal roads?

Be nice everyone as I am trying to understand it a little better.

Here is the link to the original thread: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2173528

Michael

ninefiveone

Doesn't sound like he broke the strut tower. Sounds like he broke the strut.

If you hit anything hard enough to break the bumpstops on a strut, you're moving at a good clip. A high spring rate might actually prevent that damage since the spring, in combination with the strut, resist the force compressing the suspension.

The coil holds the car up and pushes the wheel back down. The strut just manages the forces in both directions.

Geo

I've bent a strut tower. Actually, my wife did once, hitting a curb and I did once running over a forklift fork in the middle of the freeway. The bending wasn't noticable, however the top of the strut managed to dimple the hood!

Now, keep in mind, my argument with the forklift fork caused my car to jump at least a foot into the air on the driver's side and literally broke two heavy wheels. It takes a lot to bend the towers.

gmsracing

I bent my tower once at the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Hit the curb at about 60 with the right front. Sheared off my power steering pump. Shock was fine. '97 GTI VR6.

Shocks are actually designed to control the spring oscillations. Not to push the wheel back down.

michaelathome

Thanks for clearing up some misunderstanding on my part "Shocks are actually designed to control the spring oscillations. Not to push the wheel back down." I really wasn't too clear on that before.

Hugh - after reading it again it does sound as though his strut failed not the tower. It would make a bit more sence that way.

"A high spring rate might actually prevent that damage since the spring, in combination with the strut, resist the force compressing the suspension." this makes sence as well, as the heavier spring would not be as likely to allow for full compression of the strut. I can sure see the wheel and tire taking the brunt of the force in that situation. Obviously not overlooking the rest of the suspension components in the process.



Thanks again guys!!!

Michael

tifosiman

I am still trying to picture what happened here . How did that happen?!?!

Geo

Well...

I was driving at night on the freeway, coming around a corner and over the crest of a hill when the guy in front of me swerved. Thats's when I saw it.

I didn't know what it was and didn't have time to check the lanes next to me so swerving myself was out. I just hoped it would be somethihg soft. No such luck.

It was lying in the middle of the lane on its side. Had to have fallen off a forklift on the back of a delivery truck. Sucked to be me.

cjeckert

Jesh what do you tell the insurence company when somthing like that happens, sounds like ur kidnys /back were probobly a lil sore after that one.

tifosiman

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKk. That makes sense to me now. For some reason, I was picturing it still being attached to the forklift. Ouch.

Geo

More headache than anything else.

The ironic thing is this came about 2 months after my wife clouted a curb on the same side of the car. The repair was almost exactly the same.

michaelathome

I now get why you were stocking up on the towers

Michael