Suspension strut bottom spring cup

[chrisdb]

Hi, I replaced the front passenger coil spring today - started off well - top nut came loose, drop link nut came loose, went a bit down hill from there: pinch bolt was hard work and I struggled getting the leg out of the clamp but managed eventually. Hub fell off the block it was on, drive shaft came out of gearbox - oil everywhere!

Had trouble compressing new spring enough with my cheap compressors but managed eventually but the spring wouldn't line up - I realised that the bottom cup had moved round on the strut. It's not loose and I managed to tap it round to where it should be. Are they supposed to move? Should they be welded on? Can't see any signs of cracked welding. It's all back together but I am worried!

It's a 2004 berlingo and the strut assembly seems bog standard compared to others I've worked on.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[GreenV8S]

chrisdb said:

I realised that the bottom cup had moved round on the strut ... Are they supposed to move?

The bottom of the strut would normally be clamped to the upright, which turns with the steering. As long as the steering was straight when you reclamped the strut into the upright, you should be fine.

[chrisdb]

Thanks, the leg is in the clamp fine, it has a lug so the pinch bolt won't go in if it's not. It's the cup/perch that the spring sits on that concerns me. It's moveable round the leg - should it not be fixed/welded? Its oval shaped and if it rotates round it's going to hit the brake pipe clipped to the inner wing behind it.

[M_A_S]

It shouldn't move, no. I'm intrigued as to why you thought it had though? Whilst the bottom cup usually will only seat the spring in one position the top mount normally, I can't remember the last Berlingo I did so I might be wrong, can go in any position.

[chrisdb]

Hi, it's the original 14 year old strut and though not particularly corroded I can only assume that some welding has failed and I can't see it. I know it's moving because it was in the wrong position when I refitted it to the car, until I gripped it with the mole grips and tapped it round to the right place. Top mount is a normal bearing type that does move round. I have ordered a new strut now, I was just surprised not to be able to find anything on the web about this type of failure - I would have expected it to be more common given the stresses this part of the suspension is under. Thanks for the reassurance - I did find it hard to believe that it should move but just couldn't see any obvious sign of failure.