well it looks as if an oil bomb has gone off under the wing. The top seal on the strut has failed big time and shocker oil has been sprayed all over the place - inner wing, running down the shock itself, bottomsuspension arm, driveshaft (which has merrily flung it off all over the place). It's a right old mess, I've never seen one fail quite so dramatically or quickly - It must have pumped itself dry in less than 20 miles of driving!
Had things to do this morning so it wasn't until around 14.30 hours before I was home. Grabbed a bite to eat and decided, as the sun was still shining, to assess what's going to be needed to get Becky back on top form. It's the N/S (left side in "Fiat speak") shocker which has blown out so I took a look at the O/S first. Shocker not leaking but heavily - and "crustily" - corroded with a pretty rusty road spring too. The pinch bolts at the bottom of the strut are corroded to the extent that you can't really see any threads on the exposed parts of thread and the top mount is sitting somewhat "up" and back in it's mounting hole in the inner wing when compared to the N/S. - top mounts? - Looks like I'd better just renew the lot! I also notice that the car sits just very slightly lower on the N/S/F when on a level surface.
Put the wheel back on and moved round to the N/S. Jack up and remove wheel to be greeted again by the sight of all that oil, again surprising how much mess it's made? Suddenly hit by a "bolt from the blue" There are a lot of speed bumps up the little back lane which is a good way of getting out of our estate without getting stuck in traffic. Mrs J tends to go over them a little on the rapid side. So, damaged top seal and rapid compression induced by the bumps = oil sprayed enthusiastically around under that wing! I can see an awkward conversation looming in the near future.
Anyway, the wheel's now off and I'm looking at an obviously "goosed" shocker which is just as heavily corroded as it's pal on the other side. In fact this oil leak has probably done me a favour as both shocks were obviously well past their best even before this one blew it's seal. (Mid 60,000 miles, probably not actually working as well as they should even if not leaking). There's also some more rusty pinch bolts but the spring itself is nothing like so rusty. For a moment I consider not renewing it but then remember this is the wheel which has the low ride height - Oh well, better just do both springs. Should I do the bump stops and gators? seems a shame not to when I'm doing everything else, but it's all adding to the cost, We'll have to see.
So I'm sitting with my head under the wheel arch (yes I did have an axle stand suitably positioned) looking up at the underneath of the top mount to try to see if there is anything going on up there which was causing this side to sit lower on the ride height, when I felt something strange going on on my back (just wearing a "T" shirt - trousers too of course! ho, ho) I realize it's enormous, freezing cold, single rain drops! felt really weird! Then, almost before I could stand up, the heavens opened and it absolutely bucketed down. Worried about the rain getting into/onto the ram and other working parts of my trolley jack, I grabbed the wheel and slammed it back onto the hub locating and tightening up the wheel bolts as quickly as I could. By now I'm absolutely soaked - it's even running down inside the back waistband of my jogging bottoms and suddenly I realize my left ear's hearing aid has gone quiet because it's so wet - oh dear is that it ruined? Anyway took the jack into the garage took the battery out of the hearing aid in the hope I can save it and dried it and the jack off. Put the hearing aid on top of the airing cupboard hot water tank and went and stood in the shower for a good ten minutes - Ah, that's better. Hearing aid? thank goodness it's working fine. I'm so knackered now though that I think I'll wait 'till tomorrow to get onto the S4p website for my parts.