What's the procedure for testing these? I have a feeling mine are bad. When driving over small potholes (they're not always avoidable), I notice a definite "clunk". I'm sure other suspension components are up to snuff. I have Bilstein struts and the stut mount is fastened with a 22 mm nut that gets threaded onto the top of the strut assembly, which also has a 6 mm hex-head mortice. Could it be that the 22 mm nut is not torqued enough - and, just what is the value these get torqued to?
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The torque is 55lbft. Unless it's loose, as you suspect it might be, you'll need a heck of a lot more torque than that to loosen it.
I know you know what you're doing, but for the benefit of others reading this, I'll add that you must not loosen the nut more than a single turn if checking the torque or retorquing, as it holds against spring tension. To undo the nut any more than this, it is essential to compress the spring using a spring compressor (or compressors).
To actually torque it up might be a bit complcated. When replacing the struts, I find it best to get the upper spring seat in a vice and when it all starts to clamp tight, it's then quite easy to do it with a socket and torque wrench. While on the car, I tackle it with a spark plug socket that has flats on it and a 7mm (I thought, instead of 6mm) Allen wrench. To torque it up using the same method would require a torque wrench fitted with a "crow's foot" wrench.
As far as a way of testing them is concerned, I haven't found a way. I knew that play had developed in the cheapo Euro Car Parts bearings I fitted when I fitted the Abbott suspension. I knew this because I took the struts apart again shortly afterwards. I suspected that this was causing the knocks you describe, and when I eventually got around to replacing them with a new pair of genuine Saab parts, the knocking disappeared. I couldn't make the play show itself with the bearings fitted, though.
Replacing the original bearings as a precaution while I had the struts apart seemed like a sensible thing to do. I just wish I hadn't bothered, as I probably threw away a pair of perfectly good (and expensive) strut bearings.
I know you know what you're doing, but for the benefit of others reading this, I'll add that you must not loosen the nut more than a single turn if checking the torque or retorquing, as it holds against spring tension. To undo the nut any more than this, it is essential to compress the spring using a spring compressor (or compressors).
To actually torque it up might be a bit complcated. When replacing the struts, I find it best to get the upper spring seat in a vice and when it all starts to clamp tight, it's then quite easy to do it with a socket and torque wrench. While on the car, I tackle it with a spark plug socket that has flats on it and a 7mm (I thought, instead of 6mm) Allen wrench. To torque it up using the same method would require a torque wrench fitted with a "crow's foot" wrench.
As far as a way of testing them is concerned, I haven't found a way. I knew that play had developed in the cheapo Euro Car Parts bearings I fitted when I fitted the Abbott suspension. I knew this because I took the struts apart again shortly afterwards. I suspected that this was causing the knocks you describe, and when I eventually got around to replacing them with a new pair of genuine Saab parts, the knocking disappeared. I couldn't make the play show itself with the bearings fitted, though.
Replacing the original bearings as a precaution while I had the struts apart seemed like a sensible thing to do. I just wish I hadn't bothered, as I probably threw away a pair of perfectly good (and expensive) strut bearings.
Thanks Bill, I think I'll end up buying new strut mounts - IIRC, the ones in question have a quite a bit of mileage on them. The struts are relatively new, but I think I used a pair of mounts that were originally on my 'old' '92. I think a combination of age and the stiffer struts probably did them in.
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