My Rear Strut Tower is Broken.. Structural Advice!

[qbcsvt]

Well Going to do my Rear Koni Suspension Install, I decided to start off with the rears for now and dedicate the front for the weekend!
Well regardless....

My Rear Strut Tower that also has the rear Strut Mount Mountshrug welded onto it is ripped. I am currently uploading pictures so I can get on it and you can understand what is going on!....................
Comparison for a further view of the trunk showing both side/strut towers. Obviously the passenger has a problem!

You can see the Spring/strut through the strut tower....

Comparison of the drivers side the way it is supposed to be!

A whole bunch of pictures showing the damage and what is going on with the strut tower

I would like some advice on what to do, what I can do, where to go and if this happened to another person what did they do in order to repair it, and maybe how much it cost for the repair! I understand a new strut tower is going to have to be placed/welding in there. I just want to know what is the best and most appropriate way to repair and fix this issue! Looks like I May not be purchasing my rims!

- amyn

*EDIT*
PARTS CAME IN after finding out they were obsolete but still available!

 

[95pgt-t]

damn..thats not good. if a inspector actually did his job and found that it would fail.:blackeye:

 

[mrecoolgar]

Wow...
A major fix is required.
But we wonder how it occured.
Was it hit at one time?

 

[SVT Loki]

Wow.... Amyn I'm speechless :nonono:

Can it be repaired? Yes it can, but will it be the same :shrug:

I'd find out what Ford would have to say about such structural failure, before any repairs are attempted.

 

[qbcsvt]

Well I see there is a large part that is far but all the way around the strut tower looks like it can be cut out and a new piece can be rewelded into there. I'm going to go to ford and see what they can do due to their structural warranties. Then ima go to a collision shop not to far from there.

 

[qbcsvt]

Will Ford Warranty such damage??? This is part of their structure and, IT was never altered in any form or fashion. When the car was purchased it did have the B.A.T kit on the car but it never hit that hard back there... except the Sway Bar had an issue which has been fixed w/ a B.A.T. Reinforced subframe and Stazi Aussie Endlinks....

Im not sure what I should go into the Ford Dealership asking or demanding or doing in a whole! Please help!

- amyn

 

[muntus]

That is scary stuff. I'm not sure that could be adequately repaired. That tower looks twisted like crazy. I might keep eyes peeled for another car and transfer all your good stuff over.

 

[qbcsvt]

I was actually thinking of doing that. Maybe even do a Pre 98. But I took a good better look at it a second time after being VERY aggravated.

This is a repair that has to be done from the outside/inside of the Wheel Well and of the Trunk.

It is really a large *Special* metal peice that was welded in there from the factory.

I will def inquire about it first and then decide what I will do. Kinda Sucks Especially after spending a Sh*load of money on decals and such. But I may just have to do what you said! Then again I will have a car to part out....(Still a big aggravation tho)

- amyn

 

[95pgt-t]

was this car silver at one time?
atleast you found this while you were working on it,rather than pushing it through a hard corner and having the tower give out:shocked:

 

[blu_fuz]

A cold day, big bump, weak metal, and ground controlls = recipe for disaster! There is nothing missing from the pics, the strut/springs pushed and cracked that section up. I would say transplant your stuff to another car, try to make the repair, and put you new cars old parts on that. Disclose what work was done when selling and get what you can :shrug:.

P.S. Does your trunk smell? I saw the tree

 

[ctmystique]

Wow, That's really bad. It looks like the top of the tower just ripped off. Was there ant rust up inside the tower on the outside of the car? As for repairs it looks as if the best way to repair it would be to cut the top of the tower clean off an weld in a new tower from a donor car. It doesn't look like a fun place to get in there to weld either.

 

[qbcsvt]

A cold day, big bump, weak metal, and ground controlls = recipe for disaster! There is nothing missing from the pics, the strut/springs pushed and cracked that section up. I would say transplant your stuff to another car, try to make the repair, and put you new cars old parts on that. Disclose what work was done when selling and get what you can :shrug:.

P.S. Does your trunk smell? I saw the tree

I had the BAT Euro Kit on the car since I purchased it. I think the car may have had this a couple months after driving it. It was originally a New York City vehicle, I have been driving this car like this for a year now!:help::shocked::blackeye:

My Trunk Really never had a bad odor! I did realize the smell some moisture and left the tree in there for some relief. But When I saw this:shocked::shocked::shocked:!

I will have to speak to Ford then a body shop, but I have been thinking to do a swap as everyone has told me and selling the car.

 

[zorrex]

HOLY ****. It looks like the strut tower just TORE AWAY from the rest of the body

 

[Lord Stanley]

That is nasty man! It is giving me an urge to take a peek behind my trunk liner onder:

 

[zorrex]

That is nasty man! It is giving me an urge to take a peek behind my trunk liner onder:

Don't do it! You could burn your eyes out!

Amyn, did you purchase this car from a dealership? If so, I'd start hounding them about this. It is possible this could have happened even before you got the car :shocked:. Was your strut tower brace properly placed? It might be possible that it could have punched a hole, or at the least, weakened the metal due to and overload of stress.

 

[qbcsvt]

Don't do it! You could burn your eyes out!

Amyn, did you purchase this car from a dealership? If so, I'd start hounding them about this. It is possible this could have happened even before you got the car :shocked:. Was your strut tower brace properly placed? It might be possible that it could have punched a hole, or at the least, weakened the metal due to and overload of stress.

I never had a rear strut tower brace! so I never had an extra load on the strut towers themselves.

This was purchase privately and I believe I purchased this like this myself so it was a self mistake that I have obviously learned from myself.

- amyn

 

[zorrex]

Crap I'm sorry to hear about all this . However, I must say that I would NEVER think the strut tower could just pull away like that. That is completely mind-boggling! Personally, I would have a few words with the previous owner if that is possible...

 

[muntus]

Was your strut tower brace properly placed? It might be possible that it could have punched a hole, or at the least, weakened the metal due to and overload of stress.

My first instinct is that a strut tower brace might have helped(maybe even prevented the damage) if it was installed. I think I would trade the extra stress for less flexing. But if one was installed, then removed, and then rode hard, it could have done some damage(but not that much damage). Looking at the pictures, it looks like there had been some rusting going on before everything sheared.

 

[Desiato]

It kind of looks like your trunk or rear window has been leaking water for a while and rust in between your trunk liner and the rear of the strut tower weakened its structure. You can see what appears to be a trail of corrosion and where it looks like water may have rested.

 

[SaturnLvr]

I would totally agree that it looks as though there is a rust issue that weakened the strut tower, this was really common on older escorts...at least in Vermont. In my opinion it would probably be cheaper to find a rust free Contour rather than try and fix the strut tower.