Suspension Strut Repair?

[Raymk]

Polite suggestions please: Yesterday my 1988 Hyundai Stellar suffered a suspension collapse on the O/S front. On inspection, the weld which secures the coil spring cradle to the strut had failed through corrosion and slipped down the strut. The car was doing about 50mph at the time on a backroad with some fierce undulations - no potholes. The car remained controllable but the tyre wall was damaged by the collapsed component rubbing on it. The car is not a rusty heap cast off by a minicab driver but a low mileage (<50,000) example in otherwise excellent condition. Is it permissible to have the failed component repaired and welded or is this against MOT rules? I have tried all the usual searches for a new or used replacement strut on line without success. Hyundai dealers do not support the Stellar anymore but the suspension leg is apparently available on special order from Korea. Note: Although the Stellar began life as a Cortina MKV floorpan and suspension clothed in a different body and powered by a Mitsubishi engine, the later models had MacPherson strut suspension in place of wishbones at the front and a panhard rod at the rear to beef up lateral location of the live axle. I owned the earlier type from new in 1986 - utterly reliable for well over 100,000 miles. My current Stellar is the Gold Medal addition of the later type GSL. owned for two years.

[alfaSleep]

... my guess >> NEW & make it a PAIR. The companies selling 'refill/inserts' expect the steel strut to be in good condition and, for the weld to go... probably the steel had 'gone'.... the weld is not likely to have failed... lots of rod filler in the weld, thinner [rusty] tin seat will have gone

just my 2c

alfaSleep

[jimmyybob]

Im almost sure the MOT doesn't allow a welded repair to some suspension/steering components.
Anyway welding a strut could result in a big bang if its a gas filled one.

[Raymk]

Thanks for the replies - just weighing the options but I agree that replacement is the most likely outcome. I will seek the garage's opinion on replacing just the broken strut if the other side is ok. The spring is fine on the damaged strut so, with new shocker inserts both sides and same springs I can't see that replacing both is essential (I am an engineer so this is more than just a hunch ) . There are only 24 Stellars left on the road and I must be one of the very few that actually like them.

[mr rusty]

That's what I'd do, a new strut and a pair of inserts as it's them that do the damping, and reuse the old spring. The MOT won't allow welded repairs to spring pans, although I recall that there was one exception years ago for the Mk3 Fiesta where they were a common and premature failure point on the back axle, but they had to be done in a specific way....but then again my memory may be faulty!

[Raymk]

Just spent the whole day on-line and on the 'phone trying to source a new or used front offside strut from motor factors or breakers. Monroe still list the shock absorber insert but otherwise I've drawn a complete blank. I tried a long established Hyundai dealer closer to home and he says the part is obsolete and not available even as a special order. The last hope is from another Hyundai dealer who I spoke to earlier in the week. He is checking the status of the part and will reply next week. Short of having one made (expensive) or finding something very similar which could be adapted to fit (both sides!), the future is not looking good for my Stellar. It will be very sad if I have to scrap it.

[Talking Hoarse]

I recall something about these old Stellars having some Ford bits that were compatable, maybe even that they were Cortina clones in some way. I think mini cabs around here had lives extended by using Cortina (Pinto I think) running gear. Maybe, just maybe there are Ford struts that will be good enough ?
Else I think that there will still be lots of the cars still running in Asia, eg in Malaysia & maybe also in Australia.
Dare I ask .... have you asked at a Hyundai dealer or phoned HUK customer services?

[JPB]

I was wondering much the same thing, but was the Stellar not based around MK3/4/4F Cortina bits, in which case, no struts, those were only found on Cortinas 1 & 2. In that case, then any struts found under a Hyundai Stellar must have been unique to the car or at least not Cortina-sourced.

[mr rusty]

It might be worth asking over here- http://forums.motester.co.uk/forum3/ what the pros think about attempting a welded repair, it's vprobably a no-no but worth asking!

[Raymk]

I was wondering much the same thing, but was the Stellar not based around MK3/4/4F Cortina bits, in which case, no struts, those were only found on Cortinas 1 & 2. In that case, then any struts found under a Hyundai Stellar must have been unique to the car or at least not Cortina-sourced.

Yes, as mentioned in the first post. One possibility yet to be investigated is whether the early RWD Colt Galant was the source of Hyundai's improved front suspension on later Stellars. It would have been be logical for Hyundai to raid the parts bin of Mitsubishi (=Colt) who were major investors in Hyundai back then. Not many RWD Galant bits around either though. Conversion of my car back to the Cortina MKV wishbone set-up does not appear to be possible without major work. Hyundai changed the design of the inner wing panels to accommodate the much taller McPherson struts and probably changed the subframe and mountings as well. I can see me ending up lugging a suspension leg around breakers and motor factors, looking for something which can be safely but easily adapted......a case of enthusiasm exceeding ability because I use two sticks to walk.

I'll look into possible repairs or re-fabrication again after discussing the options with the garage next week.