This part fell off today as I went over a speed bump

[sshanky]

Hi,

I have had some issues with the suspension since I got the car. slight pull to the side when braking, and some unusual noises coming from the front, especially the right side.

Today, I heard a slightly louder noise, and then the sound of metal on pavement. Luckily, I was going slowly in a park and could stop and go back for the part:



Afterward, I didn't notice a difference and was able to drive home without incident. However, in my driveway, I did find that by sitting on the front right fender I can compress the suspension easily until it bottoms out. This is not the same on the driver's side. I suspect I have reduced travel on the passenger side as well, as it only seems to move about 6 inches or so before it hits.

I am sure I have a lot to do to get the suspension up to speed, but for now I would like to at least know what I'm up against and what the part that fell of is.

Thanks!

[toyfiats]

Based on your description, that looks like one of the upper washers securing the shocks to the body. These don't just come off, so you need to do a little investigating. A shock that is loose at the top shouldn't change the suspension travel too much if at all.

[vandor]

It may also be a washer from one of the front control arm nuts, upper or lower. I'd check right away! The upper has one nut toward the rear, the lowers have two, one on the front of the arm, and one on the rear.

[RRoller123]

Before you drive it another inch, make sure that it is not one of these various washers, as Csaba (Vandor) has warned!!! That would be an extremely dangerous situation.

Pete

[bobplyler]

Or it could be a part that was dropped while doing some earlier work, and finally found it's way out of the car. It happens.

[sshanky]

Thanks, everyone. It was the top of the passenger strut. I looked in there and found a black rubber piece that i just pulled out, and then as I bounced the car I saw the top of the strut pop into view for a minute. I should get the whole suspension looked at.

Thanks a lot for all your input...any other suggestions are appreciated!

[sshanky]

So, if I want to attack this and fix the front end, is it something someone with beginning experience can manage? I have adjusted valves, worked on old benzes to a large extent, and have some tools, but have not worked on suspension before. What would you recommend I do to remediate the situation in my front end?

Thanks

[johndemar]

If the car pulls to one side while braking it is probably a caliper that is sticking.

Rebuilding the entire front end is really pretty simple if you want to go that route.

[RRoller123]

There are very detailed threads here about rebuilding the front suspension, a search will bring them right up! It is not too hard to do, just requires a little patience and care.

[aj81spider]

Pulling to one side while braking may be a sticking caliper, but I had a problem where when I braked hard it pulled hard (not too noticeable when I braked softly). Replacing the tie rod solved the problem.

[baltobernie]

If the car pulls to the Right upon braking, you may have suspension damage as evidenced by the thrown washer on that side. Sometimes, a shock absorber seizes, as opposed to the usual failure method of simply losing dampening action. A frozen shock places terrific forces on the mounting points; sometimes tearing off the top of a shock tower. As you stated, a thorough examination is in order.

[DieselSpider]

If its pulling to one side when braking you could also have rubber brake hoses that are plugged or collapsing on one side. When I bought mine the right side front and rear were totally plugged so I replaced them all. Mind you that some of the older hose materials will not fair well if you use synthetic brake fluid with them so be aware.

[sshanky]

Found a cool, experienced Fiat guy here in Phoenix. I drove there (carefully) and he fixed it for me. He thought the nut that had fallen off the top of the shock was the wrong one because he felt the threads on the shock were worn strangely. He found two nuts and used one as a lock. I think this thing has been off for ages because now the car doesn't pull to the side while braking. And the travel seems to be the same as the driver side now -- i.e. it's hard to bottom out the suspension like I could before.

He wants to get the car back to fix the other issues sometime in the next week or two. I think I will do it.

Thanks for all the great replies.

[DieselSpider]

Time to play it safe and check that all maintenance has been zeroed out. When was the last time it had a coolant flush and a brake fluid flush? If you can't answer be mindful that both need to be done every two years minimum with annually preferred to ensure long life of your cooling system and brakes.