broken strut mount?

[Nick Bain]

I just picked up a prot today and the rear struts are loose at the top. Just wondering if anyone has had this problem before and knows what parts I need to get? The strut towers in the body are not rusted out the problem only appears to be in the strut/shock. thanks!

[slavrenz]

How do you know they're loose? Are you just getting a clunking noise in the back? If so, check your rear endlinks and possibly swaybar bushings.

What model/year is your car?

[Nick Bain]

I pushed down on the back of the car and I can see the struts are loose where they connect at the top by looking in the trunk and seeing them move around in the strut tower. 1993

[bgibb68]

have you tried to tighten the nuts down on the top of the strut mount??


got a friend with air tools?? find one that has an impact wrench, take off the strut mounts. not the main bolts but the assembly as a whole and hit that nut that holds the top of the strut with the impact and reattach to car

[91Protege]

The big nut could be lose as he says, i know my rear towers are a bit rusty, do you see the mount move its self? there should be 2 or 3, 13-14mm nuts that hold the strut plate onto the strut tower. If you are going to take em out, u might as well put new mounts and struts in. Its they are OG there prob bad, u should have seen my frint srtuts and mounts at 206K, there was no strut action, clunked like no other.

[Nick Bain]

yeah it has like 200k I'll get time to inspect tommorrow to get a 100% confirmation on the problem, thanks so far guys

[91Protege]

I just changed all my struts, mounts, and put lowering springs in. No noises and rides so much better even tho its lowered.

[Nick Bain]

none of the nuts are loose, I can move the top of the strut around by hand by pushing on the top center nut. thats all I can tell without removing it. Also I can rock the wheel sideways and get a lot of play.

[91Protege]

You got some probs if you can rock the wheel back and forth. Bushings, rear tie rods. Ur strut mount bushings are prob shot. If You donno what you are doing id bring it to a shop.