Well here is the deal, I hit a curb going way too fast about 4 months ago or so and my strut mount is now like this. What caused it to push up like that exactly? Did the strut just get pushed up and bend the metal? The inner wheel well doesn't look to be bent anywhere at all, at least not that I can see. Most importantly, would this be easy to straighten back out so its flat again? Thanks in advance.

Brandon

 

Pic 1

 

Pic 2

Its kinda hard to tell from the pics that its bent, but its a good 1/4 or so in the first pic. I should have put something in front so you could tell.

 

Are both your strut mounts bent like this, or just the one on the side you hit the curb with?

 

Just this one side, its the passenger side which took the first impact and took most of the hit/damage.

 

that SUCKS dude.

*note to self . . . do not hit curb.

 

Ouch... Thanks sux man. I guess the aluminum just isnt strong enough I guess I'll have to avoid curbs when I eventually get mine on, which I was hoping to do anyway.

 

Well you can remove the strut mount and put in in a press with a heavy flat plate under it, then press down on the center of the mount. This will help some, but aluminum work hardens when bent, so honestly it will be almost impossible to get it back perfectly straight like it was when it was new.

Thinking about it, you can also try putting some 1/8" or 1/4" shims under where the bolts go through so the center isn't supported, then again press on the center of the part. You will have to press it past it being flat a little. Go easy here, press a little at a time and check often or you will end up with the ears being bent up instead of down.

 

Thanks, I'll have to try what you said, I don't have access to a press right now but maybe I can try the washer thing and see if I can get anything out of it. Is leaving it like that going to harden it anymore? I know metal can form of 'memory' or sorts.

 

Well the shock got a too hard hit, maybe too old? Or your car is too " heavy "!
The topic about the 3rd gen wheelhouses was up here before (check for coil over threads) it seems that the alloy HSM gave up after the shock bottomed out!
Is this a canadian made HSM??????
Using a press to get it lower.......OUCH!
Damage a 3 piece BBS alloy wheel and take a torch and a hammer to set it back would be the same treatment!

Dial in your suspension or get a front weight reduction!

Put three adulds in a 3rd gen rear and 2 up front , hit a bump and hear those avg shocks going to heaven!

Explain that hit a bit better!Did you hear the shock?What kind of suspension mods?Car Weight????

 

Personally I would leave it alone if it is not cracked. Have the car reailgned at a shop and just make sure the 3 polts are tightened down pulling it to the fender. You may end up cracking it trying to bend it flat.

You must have hit hard because that HMS unit is designed for about 1" more suspension travel than the stock unit- the stock one would have bent as well under that force.

Sorry to see that- If it looks that bad you definately bent other things as well.

 

Well I know the shocks aren't too old, they are Tokico illumina 5-way adjustables that were about 3 months old at the very most. The springs are jamex lowering springs. Yes this is a canadian made HMS mount.

And I've done my research on coilovers so I've seen the threads about the stock thirdgen wheel housing not being that strong. And I don't think my car is that nose heavy. I removed all air equipment, a/c, cruise control, and egr since I had the car, that was all before this accident. Granted I don't have a fiberglass hood or aluminum heads, but I'm not made of money. The car hasn't been driven since this accident.

I know other things are bent as well, there is plenty more that got hurt in the accident. I was going around a corner and hit a patch of sand, ( I was in wyoming at the time and they sand the roads when it snows, they dont' salt them) and lost control, hit the curb, jumped the curb with the passenger side, hit with the drivers side and continued up onto the grass and out into a 'field' of sorts. I ended up breaking 2 rims, bending another, and puncturing my oil pan. Thats all that I KNOW of. I'm going to completely rebuild the front suspension, and probably replace the spindles and a-arms too.

So you think it would be okay if I just tightened it down good and left it as is??

 

I agree if he hit hard enough to bent the strut mount, there is probably other damage eslewhere. But to say that if he tries to bend the "ears" back flat that they will crack is pure speculation. Nowhere did I advocate taking a hammer to the part. We are talking about a part that is about 10" across, and it's bent up 1/4", that's not all that much considering the width of the part.

I work with 6061 T6 aluminum all day long, and I agree that it will never get back to perfectly flat like it was was when new, but you can safely put in in a press and SLOWLY put pressure on it to try and get the ears back close to flat considering the width of the part. If you pay close attention, you can easily tell if the material is going to crack. And if it is, then the part was scrap when you started.

 

I was going around a corner and hit a patch of sand, and lost control, hit the curb, jumped the curb with the passenger side, hit with the drivers side and continued up onto the grass and out into a 'field' of sorts. I ended up breaking 2 rims, bending another, and puncturing my oil pan. Thats all that I KNOW of.

I think you answered your own question.

Sorry to hear the bad news......................

 

I know I hit hard, I just didn't know what specifially bent the strut mount. I think german is probably right with my struts bottomed out and then the mount gave. Or maybe they didn't compress fast enough and then the mount gave. Thats what I meant.