I am about to give the exlcusive a good going over, and at the same time fit the LPG system I ahve been threatening to do scine I got it and hopfully the full S1 interior! however while looking around it have noticed the strut top on one side is looking a little sad on the topside. However on the underside the rubber looks to be seperating from the inner face of the plate (the one that rusts) the rubber is intact but you can see there is a gap running all the way round it's outer edge.

So while I am doing the rest and not using the car for a while is it worth taking these off and sending them to be re-fubished?

While I am not trying to push my recondioning service for strut tops, I must barge in here and say that it will be such an expensive mess to cler up should the strut top fail, caution must be your watchword and if they can be removed and checked by someone with a clear understanding of what costitutes a failure potential you will be able to sleep easy knowing thst all is well.

Hi Stewart,

from EXPERIANCE the strut tops sound DIRE... My SED tops were seperated under the wheel arch, and when I came to change them I could move the sphere bracket independently of the outer when there was no weight on it... Ive got a Vid of it some where....

So it sounds like they have a short life... and as mentioned the bonnet mess is not nice though it will flatten back out with a few dents on it...

Paul

From the description given this particular type of failure is the least serious of the four identified modes of strut top failure. The outer surface of the rubber cone is described as delaminating from the underside of the metal cone. If there is little corrosion and the metal cone remains intact then the rubber cone will be retained and the strut is most unlikely to pop the bonnet. Probe the top of the metal cone with a screwdriver to look to check the extent of corrosion metal loss. Removing the top rubber aids this examination. Once the rubber has completely detached from the cone then the car will fail the MOT if it is tested on a shaker rig. In this detached state I have noticed a car front suspension will vibrate vertically over short pitch road bumps.
I bought in a car that had both strut tops failed in this manner. It remained drivable.
A check back over the previous MOT's found an advisory on strut top movement some 3 years earlier.

John

I don't think it's serious yet but it is starting, but as the car is going to be off the road for a while I was thinking of takeing them off and sending them to lithuania to KINGas, probbaly via yourself in fact to be redone in polyurethane then know they should be good for some time to come (and less prone to perishing).

Probably better with pics..
this is the Near side



underside



drivers side is much better and possible not a worry for some time



Underside



But the rubber is sperating, although not as bad as the other side

I think the NS one needs somthing done in the near future however my feeling is both should be done

Stewart,

Those are NOT too bad... they will push down underneath a bit more then that before they tear.... trust me, my SED ones were really bad, and looked a lot worse then those...

Paul

I don't belive them to be really bad! but as the car is going to spend sometime off road having a few bits sorted out (probably a month) I thought it may be wise to deal with them at the same time as from this stage they are only going to get worse and at this stage the bottom plates are still in good shape

Hi Stewart

There is one Latvian refurbished small hole strut head here.
Not sure which hand.
Paul will know because it was supposed to go up to him on the last trip.
I intended to take a pair for his 2.1 but took one large hole one by mistake.
Speak to Paul if you want to aquire it and perhaps its mate if he has not yet fitted it.
As long as we get the removed ones for refurbishing to keep our stocks up.

John

I have fitted the two tops, and just need to swap subframes and weld a hole in the rear cross member for the subframe mounts and Im on the way...

Ill have to see if Ive got an odd pair or just the larger diamiter top up here.. Im a little pissed off over on the other fourm the Black XM I had last year I put two virtually new tops on that car and the fella has sent the car to breakers because no one took interest QUICKLY enough, If I knew he was gonna do that I would of done something!!

So Im not too amused at the moment, its not just the tops, but the leather, and low milage engine that was in it!!!

Paul

I have just read about that.. I was hoping to aquire the inlet from it, (Exchange for the one currently on mine). What was the issue with waiting to sell? There was little wrong with the car but anything 'odd' normally takes a while to sell in my experiance.

Some puggeriser will no doubt nab the engine.. has he said which scrappy its at? just hope its not one of thiose that crushes odd cars instantly yet hoards fords.

My local is the oppsite, the oddities stay for years, the fords/vauhalls and VAG Sh*te don;t stay for long. Having said that I am curretly driving a Mk2 Golf till the LPG is sorted on the Exclusive, it starts, it stops, goes round corners.. and probbly take 3 minutes to sell on and if only everything in life was as relaible as an (80's) Volkswagen. Hatefull ride though

But I guess I should find out which struts I have, as it seems it could be either?

Stewart,

It doesn't matter if you get the STRUT with the top! Just swap the whole lot! I thought of you and the LPG...

Im not happy at all, its locked now so I dont hear anything else!

Im really REALLY reeling (IS it reeling, or seething) over it! A second PM to me was all that was needed.

Paul