I was taking my front coilovers off the car today to cut 1/2 a coil off of my SLP eibachs. I have bilstien springs. I removed the spring/shock assemblies easily, and put them on the edge of my lawn, facing straight up (leaning against a tire). I sprayed some PB blaster on the top nuts so they would be easier to get off. Went inside the house to get my spring compressor and some other various tools (no more than 5 mins). I get outside and notice that one of my springs is already loose. Uhh, where's the upper spring mount? Further examination shows the center of the rubber spring mount is still there, but the rest is gone. I find it 50ft away in the middle of my lawn. God knows how far that thing flew in the air.

Here's some pics to illustrate better:
<img src="http://www.fear.net/~dope/camaro/broke/springmount2.jpg" alt=" - " />
<img src="http://www.fear.net/~dope/camaro/broke/springmount1.jpg" alt=" - " />

The lil piece is what was still attached to the shock's shaft, the rest is what went flying. Other side looks fine, btw.

The scary part is that I was standing looking directly down at this part when I was spraying the pb blaster on. That would have hurt.

So, anyone else seen this before? Car has 28k miles on it, and 10k or so on this spring/shock set. Stock mounts and perches and so forth.

Was it incorrectly installed previously you think? I had a shop compress the springs and reassemble the springs/shocks when I put these on originally. If the nut was too tight, do you think it would have torn that portion? I don't understand why it waited till now to break though. Really boggling.

Even if you don't know what happened, please take note, BE FREAKIN CAREFUL OUT THERE GUYS!

Dope

 

I feel that I can laugh at this because it helps hide the pain! LOL <img border="0" alt="[jester]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" />

This is something that would happen to me except I would still be looking at it or I would come out to find my windshield mysteriously busted.

My imagination gets the best of me sometimes but I can just imagine you coming out to find your neighbor's dog in a "deep sleep" peacefully beside your tire. <img border="0" alt="[boring]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_zzz.gif" />

I really can't imagine what would have caused it other than trapped water but even that doesn't seem likely.

Ever notice how this stuff usually happens on Saturdays when you can't find replacement parts?

 

Yeah, I bet those studs would have made some nice holes in my head <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Damn right about the Saturday thing. I called every dealer in a 50 mile radius, none of their parts depts were open. Only one of them picked up, and was nice enough to tell me that the part was not stocked and the closest place that had it was Tennessee (yay). Looks like I'll be getting it overnighted on Monday and hopefully get it back together on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tarnation.

Dope

 

Check the PB Blaster chemical to see if it's not corrosive or attack rubber/urthane. That may have been the cause otherwise an defective part.

 

I had the metal piece get rusted to the stock shock and come off when I took it apart. If ya wash your engine bay alot water gets in there and starts to rust things. I paided 75 buck for another one of those. Wasnt to bad.

 

that sucks!

I changed my springs/shocks 2 months ago, and I had a hell of a time getting that damn nut off, I used penetrating oil, which didnt seem to help. Now that i see this, i am worried that the oil may have done something to it after the install.

the ONLY way i could get both of those nuts off, was to cut them off with a dremel, everything else i tried didnt work. I also had all the pressure taken off the isolator when i was doing it, I compressed the spring till there was 3/4" of play, so i didnt have any pressure on the isolator.

I hope mine never comes apart when it isnt supposed to....

 

WOW! Frightening. I packed that area after I did my spring install with marince grade bearing grease. Although it does look like the plastic/rubber thingy was dissolved! Thank GOD no one was hurt!

 

i was planning on changing shocks this saturday, after see'n that i might wear a helment <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> it's a good thing nothing (and more importantly nobody) got hurt

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Dope:
<strong>but next time I change my springs I AM wearing a helmet.....I don't care how dumb I look.....and several times I had it pointing right at my face a few inches away.....I could have easily have been killed. EASILY.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeeaah, you could like wear the helmet backwards. You know, like to protect your face or something. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Oh yeah, you don't happen to look anything like Mary's brother Warren, from "There's Something About Mary", do you? The helmet would be perfect! <img border="0" alt="[jester]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" /> Maaan, I'd love to be your neighbor. I think I could make some mod money from one of those funniest video shows. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

 

I know it's funny to think about wearing a helmet when working on the car, but next time I change my springs I AM wearing a helmet. I don't care how dumb I look. After unbolted the spring/shock assembly from my car, on both sides, I had to finangle it to guide it out of the wheelwell, and several times I had it pointing right at my face a few inches away. Definitely would have been bad. I could have easily have been killed. EASILY.

Dope

 

You are still missing a piece . There is a nother piece that fits inside of the upper perch . This is a solid piece of metal thaat is insulated in ruber . the shock shaft goes throught the upper perch and then thru the the other piece, then the lock nut is tightened down. From the pieces you are showing , that one is missing , which means they were improperly installed.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by WEASEL:
<strong>Oh yeah, you don't happen to look anything like Mary's brother Warren, from "There's Something About Mary", do you? The helmet would be perfect! <img border="0" alt="[jester]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_jest.gif" /> Maaan, I'd love to be your neighbor. I think I could make some mod money from one of those funniest video shows. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Luckily the helmet is a full face helmet, silly man <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Dope