79 How do I know upper strut bearings are worn?
Description
This article is from the VW Technical FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Jan Vandenbrande others.
79 How do I know upper strut bearings are worn?
A: Those are the black rubber and brass metal that stick out of your shock
towers. They fail in two ways:
- Rubber gets stressed out: They'll stick more than ~1.5 cm above the shock
towers
- Metal bushing worn: Steering will feel loose, you may hear a clunking
noise at times. <NOISE> They are not that expensive (ca 25US$), and easy to
do once you get the strut out of the car.
(Mark Shaw) says something similar: If I can get the tips of my fingers
between the top plate and the housing with the vehicle standing on a level
surface, then the strut bearing has seen enough abuse. This was passed on
to me by a friend who works at the VW Proving Grounds south of Phoenix. He
also recommends that you use the ones with the "A" suffix on the part
number ([jan] note many aftermarket places sell heavy duty versions of
these, probably those with an "A")
I do not change them unless the strut cartridges are also weak. Experience
has shown me that in all cases strut bearings should be replaced when the
strut cartridges are replaced.
Note also that (Norm Heckman): A drop of 3/4" was given as a limit for auto
safety inspection rejection in N.Y. state. (drop = after you jack up the
car).
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