My Coilovers Arrived! - Damaged

[noone]

Well, I've been waiting a few weeks for my Coilovers (AP Suspension) and now they're here.

One of the shocks has the strut (don't know what its really called) bent.

Pretty frustrated as you can imagine...







I have a metal worker who can likely bend it stright, but the question is, should I try this as its possible its been damaged further than what i can see.

Feed back please (and sympathy)...

[Tim]

first thing to do would be to contact the supplier/freight company. Hopefully you can claim on some sort of insurance somewhere along the line

[gareth_oau]

don't take my word for it, but straightening something thats been bent is possibly likely to weaken it?

[bfeboi]

Bad Luck buddy

i was looking forward to see what your car was like once they were fitted

[Cam]

We had a package delivered this week that was bent also.
It had been placed underneath something heavy and it buckled the metal. Very frustrating.

I'd contact the supplier/seller and see what they say. If you had postage insurance (surely with something as expensive as those you would have?) hopefully you'll be able to claim.

[Blitzen]

If you havn't already, ring up the company who you bought them off and tell them what has happened? Did you get freight insurance? If so, you will more than likely be entitled to a claim. I would not be getting the strut straightened. This may lead to a shorter componant life, and if it fails, it could end badly, and you will possibly void your componant warranty.
Good luck mate, but I would be onto the supplier and shipping company about this. Also, did you get a shipping tracking number for the item??

[seangti]

As has been said, be very weary of the internal damage. The internals are designed to handle vertical force, not horizontal (or to that effect to have caused that damage) so could very likely have damaged the internal seals.

Disappointing to see that. No reflection on the component, though is souring of the experience.

[Steve88]

you may have to get a new shaft made up, very hard to bend back straight. i used to recondition hydraulic rams and if the shafts were even a little bit damage used to make new ones up.

[noone]

I've emailed the UK distributor, hoping for good news...

I'm thinking that if it can be straightened, it should be fine, but it would have taken quite a bit of force to bend it out of shape in the 1st place.

I'm going to have to slow down and take my time with this, was hoping to have it all slammed next week, but I think I'm best of waiting and doing this properly...

If I wasn't so exhausted from stress at work, I'd be punching holes in the walls at the frustration...

[Water Boy]

No way would I just bend it back. The shock would run like sh*t...

[noone]

Thanks for the sympathy...

If I'm not getting any help from the distributor / transport company, can the strut be replaced easily?

[Stuwey]

In a word, no. That shaft is the most important part of the damper. That shaft is what seals all the oil in. If it's bent, it'll completely damage the rest of the strut assembly on the first downward stroke, rendering the whole show useless.

Throw it away.

If the dampers are a decent brand, you may be able to buy the shaft as a spare part, ala Koni or Bilstein. Any other brand and she's a bin job i would suggest.

Not a snowflake's chance in hell i would fit that to my car.

[noone]

Not a snowflake's chance in hell i would fit that to my car.

Nicely put.

You're all telling me what I dont want to hear. Does not change that its the right advice tho...

Just rang the guy who will be fitting it, "Throw it in the bin". Again, not what I want to hear.

Well, back to practising patience...hopefully I won't be waiting another few weeks to get this 1 part replaced (or pay for it if I have to), I'm over researching and waiting, want it low NOW!

[Spec83]

The shock housing itself would be fine, it is the strut link I would be worried about...

That link has suffered plastic deformation, where the metal has been deflected past its yield point and has become permanently deformed. While you can straighten it, the internal 'structure' of the metal itself has been changed from the original composition when cast. This has most likely work hardened the metal making it tougher, but more brittle and liable to sudden catastrophic failure (which is something you don’t want in a suspension component).

You will also never get it 100% strait again, which may affect wheel alignment and tyre wear moving forward.

[noone]

Thanks Spec, thats a good technical (but too technical) image for me.

Thanks for everyone's input, its all foreign to me...

Time for some diplomatic politics...