[s-cars] Odd suspension behaviour

[yo-cello at comcast.net]

Okay.  Now I'm really nervous!

I definitely don't plan on driving the car until after I've taken the strut apart this weekend to find out what's going on.  

I've received some great advice and a healthy list of things to look at.  I'll certainly update the list on what I find.

Paul

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: K Hayes <abiglizard at mac.com> 

> So I had a really unusual failure with my bilsteins on my 97S6. They 
> were stock, not the sports, but I had clunking that I could not 
> trace. The front end seemed tight and normal. Then on a nice warm 
> day in November just before I was planning to take a long turkey day 
> trip I hit a normal bump in the road that lightened up the front end 
> a bit and the front strut broke. The top bolt that comes up through 
> the front strut tower sheered off leaving the nut and some of that 
> bolt under the dust cap. It was my front left that was the problem 
> and when it let go it pulled me violently into oncoming traffic on a 
> two lane road. I managed to get the car right by turning the 
> steering wheel 90 degrees to the right. Thankfully, no one was hurt, 
> but I am leery of clunking and bilsteins now. What I don't know is 
> if the shaft had already sheered off and the bump moved the strut 
> enough for the rest to happen. 
> 
> I know this is an unusual failure, but it's possible. 
> 
> Kenny Hayes 
> Fort Collins, CO 
> 
> 
> On Mar 12, 2008, at 10:10 AM, yo-cello at comcast.net wrote: 
> 
> > Well, the pot holes are exceptionally bad this year in northern 
> > VT. As a result I'm experiencing some pretty jarring behaviour 
> > with my front suspension. 
> > 
> > The victim, a 95.5 S6 avant, does have Bilstein Sports and H&R 
> > springs. Stiff enough to begin with. 
> > 
> > What I'm experiencing is a clunk in the LF suspension. It can be 
> > heard, but also felt through the dead pedal. Not only going over 
> > rough spots on the road, but also when turning. Pulled the car 
> > into the garage and everything appears to be in good shape, and 
> > tight. Control arm bushings and ball joints look good. The last 
> > time I experienced this, it was the the strut cap that attaches 
> > strut insert to the strut itself had come loose (the one that's 
> > supplied with the bilsteins). Not the case here, it's good and 
> > tight. Next thought was the snapped spring issue I've been reading 
> > about with the H&R's. They're fine too. 
> > 
> > Now here's the weird thing. It was around 40 degrees when I first 
> > experienced this. Monday and yesterday it was significantly colder 
> > (between 0-20 degrees), and the car rides fine! Now again this 
> > morning at 30 degrees it's back. WTF? Any ideas - could this be a 
> > bad shock and would the failure be temperature sensitive? 
> > 
> > Any insight would be appreciated! 
> > 
> > Paul 
> > 95.5 S6A 
> > 99 A6A 
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