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1984 Stanza strut

My sister has a half-mile dirt driveway with humps to divert rainwater. For at least a year I've been getting a nasty thud from the right front if I cross a hump a little too fast and top out the suspension.

Now it thuds all along the driveway but not on pavement. There is oily dirt sticking to the bottom of the right front strut and the surfaces below. (The dirt looks oily but doesn't feel greasy.)

If I depress either front fender, it comes back up with no bounce. I would have predicted bouncing from a defective strut.

I guess I need to replace the strut. I'd like to know why the fender doesn't bounce and if the condition is dangerous.

Reply to
E Z Peaces
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These little light weight cars don't bounce the way old Detroit iron did. The best way to check is to grab hold of it at the front wheel well & start moving it up and down until you get a good oscillation going, then let go and see if it stops immediately or goes on for a bounce or two.

Also watch the nut in the middle of the strut tower while you bounce it & see if it moves within the cavity. Any movement indicates a blown upper strut mount. If you've been bottoming out the strut, this is a more likely failure than the strut itself, though the struts probably aren't in very good shape either & the rubber stops at the top are probably long ago crumbled & gone as well.

Reply to
E. Meyer

Thank you.

When I jack up the vehicle, the spring extends the strut against the stop. I would not be able to move the wheel up and down.

There is no seepage at the top of the strut. I think the seepage on the bottom must be brake fluid.

It sounds as if I need what the manual calls a bound rubber bumper. Where could I get one?

E. Meyer wrote:

Reply to
E Z Peaces

You bounce it when the car is on the ground, not jacked up.

If it clacks & clatters when driving, you need more than just the bumper.

Reply to
E. Meyer

I can't build oscillations. It always rises to its resting height and stops dead.

If I stick my finger into the strut insulator as I move the fender up and down, I can feel the end of the piston rod move slightly. Both struts do it. I think the top would have to move slightly as the transverse link swings.

My first suspicion was that something in the exhaust system was bouncing against the floor. Since I last drove it, I had removed and replaced the heat shield on the front pipe.

Reply to
E Z Peaces

If the mount or upper strut bearing have gone bad, you will see fairly pronounced movement.

If its a heat shield, you should be able to make it rattle by varying the rpm in neutral until you find the point that gets it going. Are all the exhaust hangers in place?

I think your path to quickest resolution is to take it to an alignment shop and have them go over the front end. An experienced tech should spot the problem almost immediately if it's suspension related.

Reply to
E. Meyer

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