Macpherson strut movement at upper attachment

[zeronine]

Hi, I'm getting a '91 rev1 NA back on the road before tracking it and have just had an MOT failure...no big surprise TBH but what it failed on was...one of which is:

"offside front Macpherson strut has excessive movement at upper attachment"

I presume the part they're refering to is 48068 in this pic:


I've seen this has come up before on other owners MOT failures but how is it repaired - is it just a worn bush issue?

thanks!

[jasongtr]

is that techno speak for a top mount

[3S Service Centre]

it means the top mount movement or the piston itself moves lateral within the shock sleave.

[HighwayStar]

Wrong bit! You want the top of the large strut coming down from the top of that image. Attached to the chassis of the car by 'top mounts' appropriately enough. You'll see them on raising the bonnet. Or it's the piston moving laterally in the strut....

R.

[zeronine]

aha so you mean this diagram then:


I would have thought this was the strut and the "macpherson strut" was the lower arm... does [2.5.A.1c] mean anything? It's on the MOT failure sheet following the statement in my original post - perhaps that someone knows what that specifically means.

I checked the top-mount bolts & main strut bolt and they're secure. How can I remedy this if I can't replicate the problem myself and I certainly couldn't feel anything like "excessive movement" in the suspension when I drove the car...

Any suggestions?

[asdrewq]

If you jack the car up, stick your arm over the wheel, grab the shiny telescopic bit of the shock absorber that should be protected by the no-doubt crumbled rubber boot, and give it a pull/push with a bit of welly. It should be clear that there is slight movement/knocking from the top of the strut if the top mount bearing has failed.

When mine failed, it was referred to in exactly the same way as yours has been on the MOT sheet.

It is part 48680 in the diagram you posted. About £70 from Toyota. Be sure to specify chassis number when ordering as I believe there are slight variations between rev1/2/3 and you dont want differing suspension geometry across the car.

[zeronine]

thanks I'll do just that this morning.

[zeronine]

ok definitely the top-mount - thanks guys.

I raised both sides and tested them to compare, the OSF is mos-def worn - it took a few "jiggles" and it loosened up enough to make it obvious. Thankfully the rest of the suspension up front all seems A-OK.

now to shop around for the best price for a top-mount...

[HighwayStar]

You want an original item from Mr T... or poss TRD (from Fensport if they can still get the front rev1 item you need... poss not). Try both Mr T or TCB and ask Trevor....

[John145]

A Machphearson strut is a generic term for a damper and coil spring in one unit as a strut where the strut also mates directly to the upright as though it was a wishbone.

[HighwayStar]

It was also a question on last nights Eggheads.....