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[VXL V6]

Got car home. Top of tower has come away. Looks mortal to me. I assume the rest of the car is similarly rusty.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1d0bhk5uivq12f4/shocker50%25.jpg?dl=0
What do you think?

Blimey!!!

[terry paget]

I agree it looks more like cracking than rust. It's not ex-plod, and it's badged as an Opel. It's a 2.5 petrol manual. The shock absorber is not seized, it works normally and is not leaking. The other side looks fine, without removing the trim.

[Andy H]

How anyone can claim that speed humps improve road safety is beyond me.

I have to drive over a dozen of the things to get in and out of work.

(I'm guessing that they are everywhere in Enfield and were a contributory factor in the failure.)

[terry paget]

For what it is worth, I cannot undo the nut on the top of the strut, even holding the square head of the strut in a vice. Yet it is not rusty.

[Andy H]

It is not unusual for the nut to be immovable.

I have had to use a hacksaw to cut the nut off a few times (but it is a pain if you wan't to re-use the shock absorber)

[terry paget]

I cannot see how you could remove the nut with a hacksaw, Andy. I presume you sawed the end of the shock absorber off. I cannot see how to get off just the nut using a saw. I shall try a nut splitter on it tomorrow.

[Andy H]

I cannot see how you could remove the nut with a hacksaw, Andy. I presume you sawed the end of the shock absorber off. I cannot see how to get off just the nut using a saw. I shall try a nut splitter on it tomorrow.

Carefully cut down through the nut beside the threaded portion of the damper - do that both sides and you will have two flat surfaces that you can use an adjustable spanner on. Either the nut will lose its grip and unscrew freely or (more likely) the nut will come off in two halves as soon as you start to turn it

[gstylebaby]

Could always try drilling small holes around it trying not to all the way through and see if it release some of the pressure.

[ffcgary1]

Removing the top nut is not the most important thing in this issue, a lack of suspension turret is though.

[terry paget]

Thanks Andy H. That worked. There is some metal around, bit surprised that it broke off. I suppose there is twisting as the suspension moves, normally acommodated by the rubbers. Pictures follow. Please advise best course of action.
]https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sr7o15mgy4e7pz/opelSTRUTplate.jpg?dl=0[url]
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mi7iuqu3wpvdweo/opelBITtop.jpg?dl=0[/url]
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wbpo3wdxw87mwcf/opelholeOUTER.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cmuktdl1ovd0adj/opelSTRUThole1.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1d0bhk5uivq12f4/shocker50%25.jpg?dl=0

[sjc]

Pics not working mate

[Steve B]

                                                   

[05omegav6]

Fine here...

Could be repairable, but arguably you need an inner wing panel, outer wing and inner wheel arch off, fit new panel and refit old wing.

I have a repair manual for the Omega, so can give you a repair time for it, but not until the weekend...

Inner wing panel might include the full wheel arch tub, but expect it to cost...

Best bet might be to scrap it but I wouldn't reuse those shocks... A seized or partially seized shock is probably what did that in the first place

[tunnie]

Never seen this before 

What brand of shocks where they, how old/miles?

[chrisgixer]

Can't be welded back in, no?