[Closed] Quick car question; rear shock boot - fixed or supposed to float?

By the looks of it the shock has burst, there shouldn't be any oil in that area, it would seem the top of the boot should cover the rod, but not sure how it has slipped over the shock body, looks like there should be a collar at the top of the body that the boot slips into.

Hope that makes sense.

Ta; will check in the morning to see if that's definitely oil - I'd driven on wet roads just before jacking up the car so it may be water. The top of the boot does fit into the mount at the top, but isn't secured.

That's oil, no doubt. If you look at the relatively clean bits you can see how it supposed to go together.
Look at how the mount were the boot should fit is cleaner on the inside than the out. The lower boot looks like it should fit inside a collar of some sort, and with the oil trying to escape from the inside of the shock it has softened the rubber & made it 'let go'.
What car is it, what mileage & age are we talking about? Looking at the condition of the rest of the bits my guess would be a relatively recent, 2005-6 type age, high mile car.

Also the amount of salt suggests you maybe north of the Watford gap 😉

Cheers.

Hyundai i30, 18months old - but close to 35k as I commute nearly 90miles/day. And, yup, way North of Watford Gap... Midlothian, Scotland.

Many thanks for your, knowledgeable, input. Will print the photo and show the garage when it goes in for servicing - sounds like I might push for new rear shocks as it's the same both sides.

It should be located into the top. The top ribbed bit of the cover (which will be the rubber bump stop) should locate up into the cup.
It's probably pulled out as a result of all the snow recently, which will most likely of built up on it causing it to pull out.

And that's water. If there was oil around the bottom of the cover, the damper itself would quite literally have to be spraying oil out, and the bottom of the damper would be soaked in oil, which it isn't.

Well at least they have a decent warranty, & I would expect them to cover that under warranty at that age, although they might claim it's 'fair wear & tear', but that would not be cricket dear boy.

Best of luck.

mc - Member
And that's water. If there was oil around the bottom of the cover, the damper itself would quite literally have to be spraying oil out, and the bottom of the damper would be soaked in oil, which it isn't.

We can't see the bottom of the damper, plus if it is water, then why is it that nothing but the damper is wet?

The plastic cover should push up into the cup inside the wheel arch its job is to protect the damper rod. I cant tell from the photo if it is oil or water on the damper though.

We can't see the bottom of the damper, plus if it is water, then why is it that nothing but the damper is wet?

The bit that's wet isn't the damper, it's the cover.
And you can see enough of the damper at the bottom of the photo (that's the bit with barcode label on it), to tell that it's not wet.

Update please!