Question: Does the piston rod ever come free when a strut fails? Can I expect the coil spring to be captured if I remove the nuts in in the engine compartment to remove the spindle and strut assembly to repair it? BACKGROUND While overhauling my front brakes I noticed the left side suspension was hanging lower from the chasis. A short drive revealed that the strut failed during the time the vehicle was off the ground. A distinct rattle coming from the left front. Upper half of tire very loose in wheel well. When the car is jacked up again, the strut fully extends and I am not sure if the suspension is hanging on the sway bar or the remains of the strut. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of problem...I am having trouble getting spring compressors into the towers to restrain the spring just in case!

I've never seen a strut rod separate, though I have seen gland nuts (the big one at the top end of the strut tube) loosen to the point of stripping the threads & coming apart. Sounds like your strut mount bearing may have separated though - is there any binding in the steering or grinding sound coming from the vicinity while turning the wheel? It'll be easy to tell once the car's jacked up, but for safety's sake do try to hook spring compressors on before completely unloading that wheel. I'm just not sure you'll have enough room to get them in between the strut tower & spring. Did you try taking a look at the top nut (in the engine compartment, not the 2 securing the strut mount but the big one in the middleof the mount) as you lift the car ( carefully - and from the passenger side - and without spectators - in the unlikely event that the spring liberates itself). If the strut mount bearing has separated, you'll see the nut & top of strut rod dropping through from the engine compartment side of the strut tower when the wheel leaves the ground. If that's the case, removing the strut should not be a life-threatening experience, the spring will still be retained.
Chris M, Dartmouth NS
90 780 Coupe, 84 244 Turbo, 83 245DL, 71 Mercedes 280SE

I think the strut mount bearing is OK...you're right about having enough room to get spring compressors installed due to interferences in the shock tower. I can get them on but not sure how effective...only two/three coils engaged...it is very troubling, when you're not sure which components are taking the spring load...it could be the sway bar...or it could be the remains of the strut ie.piston rod bound in piston housing and bound in the strut tube. As the suspension lowers, the face of the rotor leans out at the end of travel. Its just a few degrees but noticable. Not sure if this is normal non linear motion in the suspension at the extent of travel or displacement in the strut as described above. My plan is to put a jack under the ball joint. Connect the spring compressors as best I can. Disconnect the sway bar. Loosen the mounting bolts in the engine compartment. Slowly lower the jack under the ball joint to see if the spring is contained. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the input. '88 740GL

possible. I guess the nut could rust/fail and the piston come out or somesuch.

Hint...use a jackstand and the car's weight to compress the springs!!

take off the wheel, put a jackstand under the strut at the ball joint and let the weight of the car compress the spring. THEN put on TWO spring compressors as near 180 apart as you can. Tighten them enough to hold and lift up the car a little.

I'd loosen the jesus nut before I took out the strut assembly (held on by the other two nuts on the strut tower) or jacked up the car (take off the link to the sway bar and strut may drop enough to swing the strut out of the wheel well and you can remove the spring. )

Your real problem will be getting the gland nut off...every one I've ever done, including those I've done before (and greased up with antiseize) I've had to remove with a pipe wrench and a couple of three foot cheater pipes. One of these days I'm probably going to have to replace a strut, either because the base has rusted off or I've chewed through the strut.