OK... so I got new struts

OK... so I got new struts

Tokicos, same brand as last time. In case you weren't here for the last saga, my front struts blew and I've been riding around w. completely gone struts since May. Anyway... I'm getting this weird noise, like metal hitting metal whenever I make a mildly hard right turn. It's coming from the front driver side wheel well area. I also don't seem to have much travel out of that corner.

When the shop (Mainstream Performance in ATL) installed my struts this time he said he didn't see any reason why my old struts should have blown so quickly. They also said the front driver's side (same side that's making the mysterious noise) doesn't have a bump stop. Could that be causing the problem I'm having?

Someone help please! I can't afford to blow another set of struts.

That metal to metal sound is due to the struts compressing metal to metal because the bumpstop is not there. If these set blow on you, you should get the gr2 KYB cause I know a couple of people with them and the last longer then the tokico blues and not as stiff.

If the strut is hitting the bumpstop that means it's bottoming out right? Why would it be bottoming out on a regular basis?

You have lowering springs installed right? If so, bottoming out should be a common occurence. I have apex springs with kyb struts, and it would hit the bumpstop on a daily basis and the springs don't drop as low as the tein s-tech do.
You mentioned that you don't have the bumpstop installed right? If that is so, that means you lack the rubber boot that is attached to it and run the risk of dirt and sand entering the side of the piston rod. On top of that, without the bumpstop, the strut would compress too far down past the normal operating range so that would be the main reason you're blowing the struts. Get some bumpstops yo.

Gotcha. Thanks for the tips. If I still have probs I'll let you know.

ya if you don't have a bumpstop [ the rubber thing that keeps metal to metal from hitting] thats causing your problems. If your lowered make sure to trim the bumpstops so you still have good travel.

That's the problem then. I was trying to explain that to the guy who installed my stuff the first time and I don't think he had any idea what I was talking about. If you're in ATL, NEVER go to Extreme Auto on Buford Hwy.