What is up with my rear struts?

[coolpizzadude]

So today I removed the side interior carpet in my trunk to replace it. When I removed it I noticed someone was messing with the rear strut tower. It looks like they cut the top of the strut tower off and welded a new peice of metal in place. I also noticed the trunk carpet had holes in it so you can acsess the nut on top of the strut tower. Why would someone want to do this? The car also has Blisten struts lowering springs. Do those suspenson parts require you to mess with the strut tower? Any Ideahs?

Edit: FYI the car is a 1995 M3
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g406/coolpizzadude/SAM_1231.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g406/coolpizzadude/SAM_1232.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g406/coolpizzadude/SAM_1233.jpg

[Moron95M3]

the shock towers tear out on E36's quite often. Yours have been fixed...somewhat ghetto...but fixed. (looks like they replaced the top of the tower with plate rather than the actual replacement part).



The reason the carpet is torn is so they can keep an eye on them and also, if they ever had adjustable dampers, they could turn the knobs.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, be happy that you didn't have blown towers.

BTW, they're shocks (or dampers) back there, struts are load bearing and tie into the suspension geometry (i.e. with a spring and support load) like what's up front ;)

oh, read

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1429052&highlight=shock+tower+fix




BTW...did you buy this car?!?!

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1817838&highlight=shock+tower+fix


Looks like you might need to do this to run coilovers in the rear (true coilovers). Maybe your car had them and they needed to beef up the rear shock tower to handle the actual load of the car (from the spring)

Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it. I would just clean up the rust and paint them. BTW when did you get the M3?

[ChuckDizzle]

yea, looks like the shock towers were torn or damaged once and the previous owner went ghetto fabulous on the repairs.

[JDStrickland]

POINT OF ORDER
Those rear struts are really shocks, not struts.

[scooper]

you'll need to get the shock tower area fixed. Look at VAC and Turner for the shock sheetmetal plates. You'll need to cut the rusty area and weld in new plates. This is also one reason not to run true coilovers in the rear. Stock set-up is best.

[coolpizzadude]

the shock towers tear out on E36's quite often. Yours have been fixed...somewhat ghetto...but fixed. (looks like they replaced the top of the tower with plate rather than the actual replacement part).



The reason the carpet is torn is so they can keep an eye on them and also, if they ever had adjustable dampers, they could turn the knobs.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, be happy that you didn't have blown towers.

BTW, they're shocks (or dampers) back there, struts are load bearing and tie into the suspension geometry (i.e. with a spring and support load) like what's up front ;)

oh, read

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1429052&highlight=shock+tower+fix




BTW...did you buy this car?!?!

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1817838&highlight=shock+tower+fix


Looks like you might need to do this to run coilovers in the rear (true coilovers). Maybe your car had them and they needed to beef up the rear shock tower to handle the actual load of the car (from the spring)

Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it. I would just clean up the rust and paint them. BTW when did you get the M3?
Thanks for all your help guys. I thing I'll leave it the way it is for now. No I don't think the M3 in that thread is mine. I't looks kinda like it though. I had gotten the car about 3 or so months ago. When I picked it up it was a wreck. Needed paint, interor and motor work. I'm slowly bringing the car back to health. I will probobly post a thread about the car and all the funny experiances with it in the next moth or so. Stay tuned ;).

[Moron95M3]

you'll need to get the shock tower area fixed. Look at VAC and Turner for the shock sheetmetal plates. You'll need to cut the rusty area and weld in new plates. This is also one reason not to run true coilovers in the rear. Stock set-up is best.


why does he need to do that? Explain how what is there is structurally less strong?

It's just fine if it's thicker plate...is it 'right' from a purist standpoint, no, but is it weak? no.

the rust is all surface rust, clean it up and paint it. Be happy with how it is.

[jeffkniseley]

why does he need to do that? Explain how what is there is structurally less strong?

It's just fine if it's thicker plate...is it 'right' from a purist standpoint, no, but is it weak? no.

the rust is all surface rust, clean it up and paint it. Be happy with how it is.

I'm with this guy. ^. But clean the metal inside and out side of shock tower rust treat it prime paint that will take care of it for the future

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I you want to make it look more smooth and not so hacked bondo it so it's smooth

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[scooper]

why does he need to do that? Explain how what is there is structurally less strong?

It's just fine if it's thicker plate...is it 'right' from a purist standpoint, no, but is it weak? no.

the rust is all surface rust, clean it up and paint it. Be happy with how it is.

the hole seems out of round letting water in and there is extensive rust there that will keep eating away at the sheet metal. The reason it seems thicker there is because the rust has gotten underneath already or it's a ridiculously poor welding job. But hey, that's just my opinion and it's not my car. If it were my car I would remove that area and re-weld.

Not to be contentious, but how would you go about "cleaning it up?" I bet if he starts scraping away, he'll uncover more and more rust underneath.

OP, do what you want. You can probably run your car as is for a little while, but don't be surprised to hear one or two big thunks one day. :rolleyes

[Moron95M3]

to me it looks like 1/8 or thicker plate. The out of round hole is an issue...He should at least put some reinforcement plates in there to help that issue. (although the RSM covers the hole there...not sure how water could get up there)

cleaning up = angle grinder + wire brush...super quick (drop the shock first, and do both sides - also can tell how thick the metal is when shock is dropped). If that is just thin sheet metal though, then yes, I totally agree with you.

[JCooper]

the hole seems out of round letting water in and there is extensive rust there that will keep eating away at the sheet metal. The reason it seems thicker there is because the rust has gotten underneath already or it's a ridiculously poor welding job. But hey, that's just my opinion and it's not my car. If it were my car I would remove that area and re-weld.

Not to be contentious, but how would you go about "cleaning it up?" I bet if he starts scraping away, he'll uncover more and more rust underneath.

OP, do what you want. You can probably run your car as is for a little while, but don't be surprised to hear one or two big thunks one day. :rolleyes
+1

[jeffkniseley]

Well after wire wheeling it or grinding it if he sees outside or can poke a hole in the metal then it gets fixed not hard must not know much about body work?

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[z25is]

My passenger side rear shock tower was torn though when I first got my car, I had a welder take care of it, it looks very similar to how yours looks now, except mine was painted to eliminate any risks of rust, both top and bottom. Been driving with it for almost 3 years now, I inspected it recently, looks as good as it did the day it was welded up. My welder took a steel plate then modified it to fit the tower and mounting of the shock mount.

It might not be a bad idea though to take a wire brush to that and clean some of the rust off, then run some black paint over it, it'll look cleaner and no more rust worries :)

[coolpizzadude]

Thank for all the imput guys. I will wire brush it then spray some rust converter/primer and I think that's all the further I'll go.

[paniolo]

That is some ugly welding.