Have you ever seen strut hats "tear"

BBYE V8 · 09-24-2004, 10:30 PM

I just installed these KYB strut hats in November of 2003. I noticed last week that there was a bunch of rubber shreds around the top of the drivers side strut. I poked around and found the rubber ring inside the strut hat is disintegrating. If I pull/push on the top of the drivers side tire, I can watch the top of the strut wiggle back and forth. The passenger side is just starting to tear. I've got some pictures and would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to look; the first three shown are of the passenger side (going bad) the next three are of the drivers side (which is disintegrating):

thumnails

I've never heard of this happening, so I can only assume it is something I did. It's my '93 SE-R. I have never raced or AutoXed with this car, it's got the AGX struts, Hyperco springs, eBay front strut bar, stock wheels and ES bushings. Obviously I've got to replace these, but would like to hear what you all think is going on so I can avoid it from happening again.

Bjorn · 09-25-2004, 12:39 PM

it looks kind of greasy - have you ever gotten any oil, ps fluid or WD40 on them? Most petroleum products like to disintegrate rubber

nismo91 · 09-25-2004, 02:12 PM

Yep! I broke my top hat this year.

I replaced it with Shigspeed's pillow mount.

BBYE V8 · 09-25-2004, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bjorn

it looks kind of greasy - have you ever gotten any oil, ps fluid or WD40 on them? Most petroleum products like to disintegrate rubber

Nope, no oil on them whatsoever. Not even any cleaners or degreasers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nismo91

Yep! I broke my top hat this year.

Did it do this funky disintegrating thing? Was it a KYB strut hat?

nismo91 · 09-28-2004, 01:41 AM

Don't know if mine when through the stage you are experiencing. I made one hell of a corner afterward all we heard was clunk, clunk, clunk for each bump on the road.

No I have a Shocktek suspension.

Edit:
Come to think of it, I am sure it went through this stage or similar to it where the collar has weaken and eventually breaking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBYE V8

Did it do this funky disintegrating thing? Was it a KYB strut hat?

BBYE V8 · 09-28-2004, 01:56 AM

Thanks. At least now I know I'm not the only one, for whatever that's worth. I've searched this forum up and down, there is no mention of this happening to any other KYBs. I think I'll be putting the old stock ones back on. They lasted 11 years and still look fine. The KYB strut mounts didn't even make it one year.

Rittmeister · 09-28-2004, 08:26 AM

My KYB strut tops came apart (the fronts, at least). I had to replace them with OEM. It's strange that KYB makes such excellent struts, but their mounts are basically crap.

manuelgaMex · 10-03-2004, 10:14 PM

Ufffffff, I'm about to order KYB front mounts for assemble with Hypercoils, AGX, Motiv Rear Shocks & other stuff, I guess OEM will be my choice.

This thread saves me a big

sr20sentra91 · 10-04-2004, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nismo91

Don't know if mine when through the stage you are experiencing. I made one hell of a corner afterward all we heard was clunk, clunk, clunk for each bump on the road.

I have the same problem with my agx's...i keep having these clunking sounds.

but for the tear, ive never seen that before. mine might be like that too but i just havent taken a close look

JimR · 10-04-2004, 12:31 AM

I bought some KYB mounts last winter, and they looked so low-quality that I shipped them back for a refund:

http://www.sr20forum.com/classic-se-r/63245-kyb-strut-mount-pics.html

BBYE V8 · 10-05-2004, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimR

I bought some KYB mounts last winter, and they looked so low-quality that I shipped them back for a refund

Wish I had done the same. It's not the money that bothers me the most, it's the time involved in getting these off to go back to stock.