[gilly]

All,

I've managed to crack the top out of one of my front shock mounts on the coily.
Anyone had any experience with fixing / replacing it (the shock mount not the car before i get the smart arse comments!!)?

Suspension places don't want to know about it, apparently its more a panel beaters job - but so far they haven't really wanted to know about it either.

I'm thinking if i make up a washer and weld it into the top it might fix it but i'd think there would be a hell of a lot of stress on the weld up there.

Interested to hear your thoughts.
Cheers!

[Reubs]

In one of my 2 coilies, I have large washers (the same ones as used by the body mounts) either side of the top of the towers (1 is cracked but not much).

In the other coily, the towers were welded by a suspension shop before I bought it off a family member. I'm pretty sure it was Pedders LOL. The welds have held alright - the car has been jumped a few times and the diff housing is bent giving a noticeable negative camber but the welds have held.

[oozuk]

pretty common on SJ80's the strut towers are as weak as piss, one of the joys of owning a coily sierra

[Reubs]

oozuk wrote:

pretty common on SJ80's the strut towers are as weak as piss, one of the joys of owning a coily sierra

Same goes for SE416 Vitaras...

But hey, once fixed properly they won't break again.

[mongrelzook]

I'm waiting for this to happen to me. I check the mounts closely straight after washing when I get back from wheeling.

[Fatzook]

mongrelzook wrote:

I'm waiting for this to happen to me. I check the mounts closely straight after washing when I get back from wheeling.

Bad idea. Weld the washer on BEFORE it breaks. Its ALOT easier...

[gilly]

mongrelzook wrote:

I'm waiting for this to happen to me. I check the mounts closely straight after washing when I get back from wheeling.

and the trouble is it'll probably go clunk through the whole lot... while you are out, then it becomes a real pain in the arse. i'm just glad mine didn't happen while i was up cape york early in the year!

[gilly]

wow its been 3 weeks... finally finished it tonight. don't really have any good photos of the repair. but the gist is.

cut the top of the broken tower out with the plasma cutter from the top. turned a washer to fit up the inside, welded that in from the top, then cut another washer and welded that from the outside. a couple of other washers to spread the load both sides. hopefully its strong fix. (bloody confusing explaination i know!)

the problem seems to be that the movment wears at the top of the tower, elongating the hole and then creating the weakness.

cheers all for your thoughts!

[PikuNiku]

Hi, Im new here but can anyone point me in the direction where i can find some photos of how people have repaired their busted shock mounts?

some of the shutterstock photos from other threads are missing.

[Gwagensteve]

I don't have a photo but really it's just welding a very thick washer* on the top of the shock tower.

*or the slug left over from a holesaw.