When my car was MOT’d last month, one of the advisory notes was that one of the macpherson strut (bolts?) was loose. I know its a suspension thing, and the front suspension makes a squeaky / creaky noise when it bounces. Anyone know what’s required / how crucial it is / how expensive it might be / what will happen if I don’t have it done? Will the world end?

I’m sure the world won’t end – if it was an imminent danger they wouldn’t have passed it. BUT if you had a knackered shock bush on your bike, or your forks were knocking badly, you’d fix them. If you had a loose bolt on your bike’s shock, you’d tighten it 🙂

I’d be tempted to sort it out asap.

Even if it’s safe, the longer you leave a problem, the more expensive it has the chance to become.

Loose macpherson strut

sounds like a new kind of dance…

should have failed!!

Go back and ask for a detailed explanation and quote for repair.

The strut is the main suspension component that the wheel hangs off and the spring sits on. It may be that the top bearing is knackered and showing a bit of play/wear. (any knocking on rough roads/speed bumps?)

If it`s a “fast fit” type of garage go elswhere for another quote/inspection.

Get the nuts properly torqued back up – as trekster says this should have been a fail.

Ford escorts were famous for this (assuming its not an Escort of course!) Some people even opted for a tie rod running across from the top of one strut to the other, this was a favourite on rally cars!

Get it seen to like yesterday!

Thought you were on about the Aussie supermodel!

Did it actually say loose ‘bolts’ on the note? sounds more like a worn top mount to me. If it is then it’s usually a strut off job to change it but not that big a deal to fix.

The onlyother bolts on a strut are the ones that fix the strut to the wheelhub. they would have tightened those or replaced them rather than leaving them loose.

they would have tightened those or replaced them rather than leaving them loose.

I dont know, my MOT place is inspection-only, the only thing they’ll replace/fix is light bulbs, regardless of danger. They don’t even have the kit to tighten a hub-carrier -> shock pinchbolt 🙂

tankslapper – are you sure of that with the escorts? Usually the tie bar of which you speak is a simple strut tower stiffener, almost every rally car has one welded in anyway – was this something different?

I’d get it sorted. Im no mechanic but you leave it and it’ll get worse and worse.