So sorry, must have had a "senior moment"
Just for your delectation and amusement here's a link to the thread I posted all about doing Becky's struts last year:
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/475141-beckys-leaky-strut.html
The procedure proper starts about half way down the first page.
Again sincere apologies, My sciatica is giving me merry hell just now and the Doc has put me on some new meds which are making me a little light headed - Sounds like a good excuse?
Regards
Jock

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

So sorry, must have had a "senior moment"

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no worries! good read at that link - thanks

I think I will buy my new bolts from a local fastener place, 10.9 spec M10 part threaded. With nuts of course. Just need to measure the length I need.

I don't know the bolt material spec but I don't think it's "standard" 8.8? so probably 10.9 is fine?

Similar job on the horizon for me.. turns out my mj bought in Dec has a damaged road spring..

So may as well do dampers ( and wishbones maybe..)
Time to get a shopping list together..

Still half tempted to buy a used pair of complete built struts..

Can go through the bearings and rubberware
Check over springs..and build up with new dampers

Lot less time with car up in air too

mines on the to do list for now, need to get my wheel off and measure the carrier bolts so I can buy new

I sprayed some thin oil up into the top mount bearing and that has made a big difference for a quick temporary fix.

varesecrazy said:

Grande -Corsa D, mito - adam
should be interchangeable

The brands on the link are 'unknowns..'

But Ive seen QH dampers for £30..corsa d spec.

Looks like Ive got at least 3 weeks to figure it out

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Well shop4parts are basically cheapest for springs..and the dampers are all unknowns on ebay..etc

The 'topline' brand I fitted to my panda did years without issue..and similar price.. so Shop4parts will probably get an order for the lot...

Will update when Ive figured it out..

Seem to be weird 'bracket mounts' for the top of the damper.. new to me.. was just expecting the bearing..

so last night and literally yards from home there was a bang and a rubbing clonky sound from front wheel

turns out, the spring platform on the front strut has split from the strut itself at its weld.

so, thats brought forward the strut mount change, as well as new front struts

have a pic, will get more once its off the car sometime today [if the rain holds off]

strut is off, spring is off, heres what the problem is




now, the top mount bearing was free to turn, it was rough - thats why this thread was opened, but the strut is rotten from road salt, the other side is also off the car now and thats ok but I am replacing the pair with brand new - already ordered.

levemircento said:

strut is off, spring is off, heres what the problem is

View attachment 211136


now, the top mount bearing was free to turn, it was rough - thats why this thread was opened, but the strut is rotten from road salt, the other side is also off the car now and thats ok but I am replacing the pair with brand new - already ordered.

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That's amazing. I've done a few struts in my time but never seen one fail like that before!

Like Charlie I bought Suplex springs and Topline struts from S4p for Becky, our Panda. been on a year or so now and no problems.

I heard a "Boing!" earlier in the day when we pulled in the local farm shop car park, but all seemed well

but last night, it just went Bang, and there was a rubbing agaisnt the wheel inner rim and tyre [tyre wall ok, but have swapped to the back], I initially thought it was the spring failing

it is an odd place to fail, its rotted around the weld. Its the original strut from 2006 as it still has a sticker just behind where the bump stop fits.

levemircento said:

I heard a "Boing!" earlier in the day when we pulled in the local farm shop car park, but all seemed well

but last night, it just went Bang, and there was a rubbing agaisnt the wheel inner rim and tyre [tyre wall ok, but have swapped to the back], I initially thought it was the spring failing

it is an odd place to fail, its rotted around the weld. Its the original strut from 2006 as it still has a sticker just behind where the bump stop fits.

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Damage to the adjacent tyre when a spring fails is not all that unusual. Although the failure you've experienced is quite unusual (in my view) - of course it's often the spring itself which fractures - I'm a little surprised that this problem has not really been addressed by the manufacturers. Especially when you consider how serious the consequences could be!

The fact that the corrosion is so prevalently around where the weld is doesn't surprise me at all. Take a look at an older exhaust system, it's nearly always severely rusted around the welds. Something to do with the crystalline structure of the metal being disturbed by the welding?

it just seems that the suspension parts on these seem to suffer a lot of rust, on the actual underside of the body there is nothing worth noting and last year my MOT guy said it was great on the underside.

the rear shocks that I did were well rusty too, but other parts not.

Welding and rust: of course.
ANY difference in the structure (mechanically) and chemical composition, will help the corrosion process. Welding is "great" for this.

PS
Is this common in the UK, that cars are (in average) THAT rusted...and you consider this "normal look" underneath (and it will pass the MOT easily)?
Until something "pops"(?)...
Do you have a "rust proofing" companies there?

Ouch

Fortunate this failed at low speed

Look carefully at the inner edge

The bright metal is where it 'let go'
Rusty edges have been exposed a while


It doesnt appear to have been full of damp mud though... but I suppose 14 years in service is a while.


Charlie

just playing the irritating Waiting for car parts game now, got my new nuts and bolts for the strut to hub mounting, so I think it will be easy to build up when the struts arrive.

varesecrazy said:

Ouch

Fortunate this failed at low speed

Look carefully at the inner edge

The bright metal is where it 'let go'
Rusty edges have been exposed a while


It doesnt appear to have been full of damp mud though... but I suppose 14 years in service is a while.


Charlie

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Probably lack of cleaning in the wheel arch over the years leaving it coated in salt water spray from winter driving helping it along too

Wheel arch areas are quite clean, this is the side from the rusted strut

all sorted, quite an esy job getting them back on

all new and exposed nuts and bolts/threads have been given a bit of black spray paint just to coat them in case they ever need to come off again



the shockers are NEOX branded, I got them from the same seller who I got my rears from a while ago, they seem to be quite good quality and the makers company have a website so arent chinese pap, front pair were £40.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193325070700

http://neoxeurope.com/

levemircento said:

all sorted, quite an easy job getting them back on

all new

front pair were £40.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193325070700

http://neoxeurope.com/

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Link says £40 EACH @£80 a pair

When I bought my diesel ones it was a min.of £90 for a pair

So seems about right

How much trim needed removing to access the tops?

no, they were £40 the pair, discounted from £101. 60% off

image says 2x Shock Absorbers
description says "1x Front Right and Left"


the trim panel under the front windscreen needs to come off, which means you might need a small puller for each wiper arm [I already had one], the plastic panel has three screws and unclips once the rubber seal has been pulled off.