WTF happened to my rear shocks!? (photo included)

[DanDombrowski]

So as part of my rear end rebuild, I'm swapping out the rear shocks with some bilstein tourings. I finally got to pulling the shocks today, and found this:



WTH? I've never done a suspension before, so I'm going to take a guess and say that those are the bumpstops? Anyone ever see deterioration like that before? If its normal, oh well, I'll order some new ones.

I was hoping to put the suspension put together today, but I've gotten a little held up with other parts of the swap. Here ar e a few more shots of the install just for kicks.

[cybereclipse]

wtf happened to that thing!!!

[Dave M]

Those were bumpstops 14 years worth of pounding. Add some leaking fluid here and there, and voila, carnage.

Yes, those are pretty chewed, but I'll wager some have lost the entire things.

Suspension is pretty fun and rewarding, have a good time........

Oh, do you have new ones?

Dave

[DanDombrowski]

Yeah, I figured it was about that. So far its been, well, just plain difficult, hopefully it will be fun and rewarding when I get the thing put back together. Right now, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at how much I've taken apart and the disastrous consequences if I can't get it back together.

No, I don't have new bumpstops yet, I havent ordered them. I plan on ordering new bump stops and spring pads tomorrow along with a slew of other things that I've destroyed in taking the rear end apart.

I figure that the spring pads are still in okay shape, but since they're not very rubbery (feel mostly plastic now), I figure the ride quality has room for improvement if I put some fresh rubber in there also.

This better be worth it.....

[winfred]

yea father time takes a **** on those

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I only had the ends

[markus]

when i did my rears a month ago they werent too bad. But i just tossed the entire reat assemblies into the garbage and had new bilstein sports and eibachs alreayd assembled to go in. I really need to get pics of my car.

BTW for you guys with the bilstein sports, did you guys use a washer? I found it odd my shocks in the rear didnt have that pressed in washer thingy like on the old shocks. I took a 1/8 inch thick piece of metal 1x1 inch and drilled a hole in it and used those. Works fine. But just curious.

[Jehu]

Those were bumpstops 14 years worth of pounding. Add some leaking fluid here and there, and voila, carnage.

Yes, those are pretty chewed, but I'll wager some have lost the entire things.

Suspension is pretty fun and rewarding, have a good time........

Oh, do you have new ones?

Dave

I have no bump stops left i know with certainty on the front.Good thing spring is within sight.New shocks all around as soon as its warmer...Every now and then like today i bottom out and wonder what that would have been like with new shocks and bump stops but hell, i put another 500 miles in 9 hours on her and only scraped that once..

[632 Regal]

There should have been a top plate from the old assembly. This is a thick curved huge washer of sorts that stops the shock from pounding through the upper shock mount.

when i did my rears a month ago they werent too bad. But i just tossed the entire reat assemblies into the garbage and had new bilstein sports and eibachs alreayd assembled to go in. I really need to get pics of my car.

BTW for you guys with the bilstein sports, did you guys use a washer? I found it odd my shocks in the rear didnt have that pressed in washer thingy like on the old shocks. I took a 1/8 inch thick piece of metal 1x1 inch and drilled a hole in it and used those. Works fine. But just curious.

[markus]

i know which top washer ur talking about, but im talking about the part that mounts to the trailing arm.