I replaced the OE strut mounts with Gabriel mounts while reconditioning the front suspension/steering. After about 200 miles, this happened (see photo), did some damage to the hood. Now, I had it aligned and it drives great...steering is tight and responsive, not so bad even with the broken strut mount for that matter.

Then, the warranty replacement unit failed in precisely the same manner as the first. The OE unit had a little bearing play, but after 130k miles and 25 years it wasn't horrible. I can't imagine what caused two failures of a part, except poor construction (aluminum rivets? You gotta be kidding me). I can smack the rivet heads off with one whack, and I'm a scrawny guy. That said, the bearing housing that came up with the top of the strut is visibly warped about 0.100"

The driver's side mount is a Gabriel as well, and does not seem to have the same problem. It is cambered in (mounted further down the slot) relative to the passenger unit, but otherwise is an identical (mirror) part.

The break occurred on one of the hundreds of little heaves in I-77 in WV that are bumps, to be certain, but we all drive over them without a second thought. There is no trauma to any other parts--I had the rim and tire checked for roundness and they are true. I can compress the strut by hand and it operates as well as ever (nearly new). The strut is stiffer than OE.

Sooooo.....any advice on what to buy? I'm going to press Autozone and Gabriel for a refund, but in the end I'll probably eat the $150, plus bodywork (DIY) and get something else, unless perhaps there is something else causing this to happen. I have a little tire squeal/hop when turning sharply at low speeds (<10mph), and I have seen other users post with the same complaint, but they don't seem to have struts punching holes in their hoods.

 

Sh!tty and Gabriel go hand in hand. I would look at any of the adjustable caster/camber plates that are out there. Hotparts, Founders, J&M, etc. I have the hotparts one and I love them.

 

photo

 

wow thats no good at all i just replaced mine about two weeks ago and i am pretty happy with them. well anything is better than a blown out strut mount i guess haha is your car lowered real low with alot of awkward pressure on them(struts and mount)??

 

there is no reason for things like this to make it out to the public- anything on the suspension is a safety item and should be overengineered for the vehicle it's going on. this is what you get when you pick the cheapest option when talking to the computer jockey behind the parts counter...

 

yeah your right they should be HD no matter what just like breaks... i just put gm stock replacment strut mounts on my firebird with gabriel struts and eibach pro kit springs and it has been good so far.. but i think my springs are to stiff for my struts

 

It was the only option from Autozone...I'm about done with them. The trouble with "here" (Nitro) is that everything that's worth anything is piped in. You wouldn't think so with all the hot rods running around here...I got some UMI replacements on the way from Summit Racing. They're on this morning's truck, which should be by about 11.

BTW: the car drives surprisingly well with this failure, except that every irregularity in the road surface makes my skin crawl as I hear the strut scrub the hood. Mind you, I just drove it home, but it tracked well. Left turns take a lot of wheel movement.

A metallurgical analysis of the rivets indicates they are aluminum (pocket magnet doesn't stick to them)

 

These are identical to the UMI-branded ones I found at summit racing--mig-welded, powdercoated and american made (get that chinese sh** off my car)

 

I can't tell if your talking about the broken mounts or our camber plates. I hope your not calling our parts cheap parts made in China. We make ours in house not in china. J&M was the first to design these camber plates many years ago so anything but J&M is a copy and not the original.

 

i think he was referring to the Gabriel mounts that broke, in no way calling your stuff Chinese.

Those aftermarket mounts, J+m/Founders, UMI, Spohn, racefract, ect, are the way to go really.