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[terry paget]

Daughter Catherine, lives in Enfield, London, complains of a loud clonking rear nearside when going over bumps. Getting louder, sha said. She looked in the boot and saw 'a stick thing going up and down about 6"' . Sounds to me like the n/s shock abosrber nut loose of missing. I can't imagine how she saw it doing it. Any thoughts, chaps? I am inclined to drive there, have a look, probably bring the car home to Somerset. The noise frightens her, but I assume it will still drive, just bounce about a bit. Car is an Omega, V reg 2.5 petrol manual saloon.

[TheBoy]

Ask her where this stick is, and send you a photo.

If moving that much, the body must have corroded away

[Sir Tigger KC]

Daughter Catherine, lives in Enfield, London, complains of a loud clonking rear nearside when going over bumps. Getting louder, sha said. She looked in the boot and saw 'a stick thing going up and down about 6"' . Sounds to me like the n/s shock abosrber nut loose of missing. I can't imagine how she saw it doing it. Any thoughts, chaps? I am inclined to drive there, have a look, probably bring the car home to Somerset. The noise frightens her, but I assume it will still drive, just bounce about a bit. Car is an Omega, V reg 2.5 petrol manual saloon.

Before doing that I'd get her to take into somewhere like ATS/Shitfit for a free check with strict instructions not to have any work done until she's consulted you.  It might be something simple that needs tightening or it might be a big job and it's not safe to drive.    Forwarned is forarmed and all that. 

On the other hand if you just fancy seeing your daughter. 

[05omegav6]

Ask her where this stick is, and send you a photo.

If moving that much, the body must have corroded away

Topmount could have failed, in which case you need to establish why... body corrosion or rubber degradation are your two choices there

[TheBoy]

Ask her where this stick is, and send you a photo.

If moving that much, the body must have corroded away

Topmount could have failed, in which case you need to establish why... body corrosion or rubber degradation are your two choices there

If moving 6", the shock body must be protruding through? It wouldn't fit through hole in body (unlike fronts)?

[terry paget]

Daughter Catherine, lives in Enfield, London, complains of a loud clonking rear nearside when going over bumps. Getting louder, sha said. She looked in the boot and saw 'a stick thing going up and down about 6"' . Sounds to me like the n/s shock abosrber nut loose of missing. I can't imagine how she saw it doing it. Any thoughts, chaps? I am inclined to drive there, have a look, probably bring the car home to Somerset. The noise frightens her, but I assume it will still drive, just bounce about a bit. Car is an Omega, V reg 2.5 petrol manual saloon.

Before doing that I'd get her to take into somewhere like ATS/Shitfit for a free check with strict instructions not to have any work done until she's consulted you.  It might be something simple that needs tightening or it might be a big job and it's not safe to drive.    Forwarned is forarmed and all that. 

On the other hand if you just fancy seeing your daughter. 

My first thought was have her call in the RAC and look at it. She is out until tomorrow midday, but I have a spare key to it. If it is rusted through car may be a wreck, but I would like to get it home to strip for spares. I cannot see why it should be unsafe to drive at modest speeds with a shock absorber missing.

[05omegav6]

Daughter Catherine, lives in Enfield, London, complains of a loud clonking rear nearside when going over bumps. Getting louder, sha said. She looked in the boot and saw 'a stick thing going up and down about 6"' . Sounds to me like the n/s shock abosrber nut loose of missing. I can't imagine how she saw it doing it. Any thoughts, chaps? I am inclined to drive there, have a look, probably bring the car home to Somerset. The noise frightens her, but I assume it will still drive, just bounce about a bit. Car is an Omega, V reg 2.5 petrol manual saloon.

Before doing that I'd get her to take into somewhere like ATS/Shitfit for a free check with strict instructions not to have any work done until she's consulted you.  It might be something simple that needs tightening or it might be a big job and it's not safe to drive.    Forwarned is forarmed and all that. 

On the other hand if you just fancy seeing your daughter. 

My first thought was have her call in the RAC and look at it. She is out until tomorrow midday, but I have a spare key to it. If it is rusted through car may be a wreck, but I would like to get it home to strip for spares. I cannot see why it should be unsafe to drive at modest speeds with a shock absorber missing.

Then you don't understand what the shock absorber does... 

[05omegav6]

That might have been a tad condescending 

The shock absorber does two things.

Firstly it limits the travel of the trailing arm to about 80% of its range of movement. Without this limit, a decent bump will see the spring escaping, followed by lots of carnage, both for you and other road users...

Secondly it controls spring bounce, by damping the spring reactions to bumps and dips and therefore keeping the wheel in constant contact with the ground.

A failed shock will knock like a bastid, and not provide the second function, so the wheel will behave like a rubber ball, bouncing enough to leave the ground. This would probably make the car near undriveable, but importantly it would still provide the first function.

If the shock mounting has failed, then it might provide damping at the limit of the compression stroke but only when the top mounting stops moving up, whether that is at the inner wheel arch or parcel shelf. However, it won't control the down swing of the trailing arm, so potentially could allow the spring to escape or the wheel to bounce on anything but glass smooth surfaces.

Personally I suggest the following... get the RAC out. If the shock is secure but failed, you could consider driving it to yours, but would be illadvised to do so, knowing it is defective.

If the shock is unsecure, get it recovered to you. No ifs or buts. If it's just failed mounting rubbers, the mounting kit is available from VX for reasonable money, then renew the shocks and mountings both sides. If it's the metalwork that is the issue then strip the wheel arch in and out to properly asses the damage and go from there

[zirk]

Im just down the road from Enfield, if you wont me to have a look and try and see whats going on.

[terry paget]

Gentlemen, thanks for all advice. Thanks for the generious offer Zirk. I tried to ring the girl, she is currently out walking with the Metropolitan Walkers and not answering her phone. I will be in touch when she rings me.

[chrisgixer]

Rear shock tower is not known for rust/collapsing.

But 6 inches might mean it's banging on the parcel shelf . Can't be right surely?

[terry paget]

Got car home. Top of tower has come away. Looks mortal to me. I assume the rest of the car is similarly rusty.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1d0bhk5uivq12f4/shocker50%25.jpg?dl=0
What do you think?

[Nick W]

That's pretty bad, and if the rest of the car is that grotty then it won't be worth fixing.


Although I bet that shock has been utterly ineffective for a very long time which will have contributed to the damage.

[05omegav6]

To me that looks like the result of cracking rather than rot

Was it an ex plod car? Any evidence of similar on tother side?

[chrisgixer]

Has the shock seized?

[VXL V6]

Got car home. Top of tower has come away. Looks mortal to me. I assume the rest of the car is similarly rusty.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1d0bhk5uivq12f4/shocker50%25.jpg?dl=0
What do you think?

Blimey!!!

[terry paget]

I agree it looks more like cracking than rust. It's not ex-plod, and it's badged as an Opel. It's a 2.5 petrol manual. The shock absorber is not seized, it works normally and is not leaking. The other side looks fine, without removing the trim.

[Andy H]

How anyone can claim that speed humps improve road safety is beyond me.

I have to drive over a dozen of the things to get in and out of work.

(I'm guessing that they are everywhere in Enfield and were a contributory factor in the failure.)

[terry paget]

For what it is worth, I cannot undo the nut on the top of the strut, even holding the square head of the strut in a vice. Yet it is not rusty.

[Andy H]

It is not unusual for the nut to be immovable.

I have had to use a hacksaw to cut the nut off a few times (but it is a pain if you wan't to re-use the shock absorber)

[terry paget]

I cannot see how you could remove the nut with a hacksaw, Andy. I presume you sawed the end of the shock absorber off. I cannot see how to get off just the nut using a saw. I shall try a nut splitter on it tomorrow.

[Andy H]

I cannot see how you could remove the nut with a hacksaw, Andy. I presume you sawed the end of the shock absorber off. I cannot see how to get off just the nut using a saw. I shall try a nut splitter on it tomorrow.

Carefully cut down through the nut beside the threaded portion of the damper - do that both sides and you will have two flat surfaces that you can use an adjustable spanner on. Either the nut will lose its grip and unscrew freely or (more likely) the nut will come off in two halves as soon as you start to turn it

[gstylebaby]

Could always try drilling small holes around it trying not to all the way through and see if it release some of the pressure.

[ffcgary1]

Removing the top nut is not the most important thing in this issue, a lack of suspension turret is though.

[terry paget]

Thanks Andy H. That worked. There is some metal around, bit surprised that it broke off. I suppose there is twisting as the suspension moves, normally acommodated by the rubbers. Pictures follow. Please advise best course of action.
]https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sr7o15mgy4e7pz/opelSTRUTplate.jpg?dl=0[url]
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mi7iuqu3wpvdweo/opelBITtop.jpg?dl=0[/url]
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wbpo3wdxw87mwcf/opelholeOUTER.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cmuktdl1ovd0adj/opelSTRUThole1.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1d0bhk5uivq12f4/shocker50%25.jpg?dl=0

[sjc]

Pics not working mate

[Steve B]

                                                   

[05omegav6]

Fine here...

Could be repairable, but arguably you need an inner wing panel, outer wing and inner wheel arch off, fit new panel and refit old wing.

I have a repair manual for the Omega, so can give you a repair time for it, but not until the weekend...

Inner wing panel might include the full wheel arch tub, but expect it to cost...

Best bet might be to scrap it but I wouldn't reuse those shocks... A seized or partially seized shock is probably what did that in the first place

[tunnie]

Never seen this before 

What brand of shocks where they, how old/miles?

[chrisgixer]

Can't be welded back in, no?

[terry paget]

Shocks are labelled
 SACHS
 BOCE
GM
down left hand side.
 Numbered centrally at bottom
90 675 401
with a large WJ over a yellow square.
Both rear shocks have lost the covers over their piston rods, which makes them look unusual.
Thanks for advice, Al. I agree scrapping it seems best course. Daughter is now driving around in my oldest Omega, an R reg. 2.0 estate I have owned for ten years and is still going well.