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Cold Weather - Rear Struts Losing Support?

S

Scorpion8

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
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Location
Juneau, AK
The weather turned real cold here, down to 0 to 8F and has been hovering around there. Two days ago I noticed my ride became like one of those spring mounted horses in the old school yard: hit a bump and it was bounce-bounce-bounce for awhile. Plus I just noticed the right rear wheel-well is down over the top of the tire. Don't think that's really right, offhand, 'cause the left ain't.

So I'm thinking the cold contracted the seals enough to allow the gas to escape and now I have weak/no rear strut(s). If I push down on the front, I get it to compress, spring back and stop. If I press down on the rear trunk lid, I get nada.

Anybody got any experience along the same lines? Is a bad strut the initial diagnosis?

Oh yea: GL: 130,000; struts were replaced awhile back according to the old owners records.
 
yep used too see this alot on older tauras sedans when very cold if the srtuts are bad and have moisture in them they will freeze then on the first bump or if there is a lot of heavy snow the will stay down (compressed)
 
I would think it'd return as it warms up while you drive. No? or has the gas all gone on vacation to help global warming?
 
if you can get them thawed out the may return to the proper ride height but only because the spring pushed it there strut pressure does not hold up the car I would geuss you should check into new struts this is also not good for the springs
 
Ultimate diagnosis: new struts, or wait for spring? The car is parked outside all year so climbing under it right now isn't an enjoyable option.
 
So why would it freeze "down" and why doesn't driving it a couple of miles break it free or warm it up enough for the spring to return it to normal ride height?
 
royalblue said:
see post # 2 in this thread:shrug:
Click to expand...

Post # 2 doesn't answer the question. If the strut freezes in a compressed condition, then the strut spring will be compressed also. If the gas seals shrink due to the cold and allow the gas out, then there's no support from the gas strut, only the strut spring. So, frozen in the "compressed" condition... after you drive a few miles and hit a few potholes, it should warm up enough from motion friction to allow the strut spring to overcome and return the car to ride height. After all, as stated, the strut spring maintains the car at ride height, not the gas strut.

At some point it should break free and the compressed spring be able to overcome the frozen strut.
 
OP said "wheel-well is down over the top of the tire" so sounds like a broken spring. Strut cannot hold ride height as Scorpion8 said, only rebound dampening. Should be making some noise now also.

Can check it by jacking car and lifting that wheel off the ground. Then lift up on wheel. If spring is broken you will have a inch or so of movement before spring starts to compress.
 
i actually had this same problem last winter. both rear struts did it and i was riding on the bump stops for the trip home. when i removed them they had zero pressure left and moved freely. however, the rear springs did not have enough strength to support the rear of the car.
 
I don't think it's the strut coil spring because it's actually not making any noise, even compared to the "Thump from the Rear" thread I posted this summer. I just jacked up the right rear side, and the tire stayed up inside the wheel well, it didn't hang down and gently lower as the body frame rose up. So methinks the strut is frozen in a compressed condition. The car is still on the jack, and I was hoping the tire weight may eventually pull the whole assembly down, but since it's below zero here (and I'm working outside) I think that's a forlorn hope.

So, bottom line: are the struts kaput, and need to be replaced? The front struts haven't done this, and the left rear appears to be less affected (or not at all).
 
Scorpion8 said:
I don't think it's the strut coil spring because it's actually not making any noise, even compared to the "Thump from the Rear" thread I posted this summer. I just jacked up the right rear side, and the tire stayed up inside the wheel well, it didn't hang down and gently lower as the body frame rose up. So methinks the strut is frozen in a compressed condition. The car is still on the jack, and I was hoping the tire weight may eventually pull the whole assembly down, but since it's below zero here (and I'm working outside) I think that's a forlorn hope.

So, bottom line: are the struts kaput, and need to be replaced? The front struts haven't done this, and the left rear appears to be less affected (or not at all).
Click to expand...
bottom line : yes
 
I just had the same thing happen to me. Sub zero weather, one rear strut compressed all the way down and stayed that way. The fender was completely over the tire. I heard some clunking from back there and figured the worst. Shop had it and said after keeping it inside overnight that the strut came back to normal height. So now I'm just deciding which struts I want to put in.
 
Did you ever decide? The shop still has my car so they can replace the oil pan gasket (my exhaust is completely fused together with rust so I'm letting them have the fun of taking it apart). I'm thinking I'll order the BAT struts based on what I've read around here since this is my DD and I don't need anything super-great, just better than Motorcraft or KYB.
 
I've settled on the KYB GR2 struts. But it's been snowing here ~ 6-8" a day lately, precluding me from beginning to work. I have correlated mine to 22degF: above 22F they rise up and the car is driveable, albeit rougher. Below 22F and the rear struts collapse again and she drives like a $5 bucking bronco. Not fun at all.
 
Well, I don't have an SVT, I have a GL and the KYBs are almost identical to stock. Plus I'm also going with new coil springs. Besides the KYB, Monroe and AC Delco struts listed on Rock Auto are all within pennies of each other, but I know KYBs reputation from previous vehicles. They also list Sachs Struts for really cheap, but I'm not interested in those.
 
The sachs "struts" on rockauto are really just the strut mounts. I noticed that too and thought it was too good to be true and indeed it was untrue.
 
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