Interesting strut issue

So as I was checking out my engine bay on a Saturday afternoon (for no reason), I noticed the top of struts on both sides had separated from the base of the mount.

Far out view


Passenger side


Driver side


Both sides are similar, they appear to have a 0.5" gap. Probably happened sometime over the past two weeks. Just regular driving, nothing out of the ordinary.

Is this common? or an omen of something bad to come in the future?

Your car came like that from the factory.

--Andy

Your car came like that from the factory.

--Andy

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My screen name is whitedog and I approve this statement.

Your car came like that from the factory.

--Andy

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My screen name is whitedog and I approve this statement.

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you crack me up, thats all i have to say. thank you

Dave

PGHPATDI........HAS that heli got a feniston tail, i take it you know of a mr young blood then ?

wow, i must be in the twilight zone...honestly i looked at them yesterday and they just appeared wrong.

thanks for the answers guys

I upgraded my front struts and springs and noticed the gap after install and thought I had botched the job. I then spent 15 minutes online looking at underhood picks to verify the existence of gap at the mounts.

I find it interesting our strut mounts are not connected to the body. I changed the mounts on an '88 cabby and they had mounting bolts. I also installed H&R springs on my wife's A5, which has three bolts for the strut mounts.

PGHPATDI........HAS that heli got a feniston tail, i take it you know of a mr young blood then

?

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It is a Fenestron tail on an EC135. Much quieter than a regular tail rotor. Who is mr young blood?

Dave

It is a Fenestron tail on an EC135. Much quieter than a regular tail rotor. Dave

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Aren't they sweet? I rode around in one for couple of years doing air medical. Best helicopter I ever rode in, IMHO.

Not sure if this is different, but for the A2 chassis Jettas, as the strut bearings/mounts wore, the gap between the top of the strut tower (viewed from under the hood) to the top retaining plate on the strut bearing would increase. It may be from the rubber part from wearing/compressing over time. On the old Jettas, some folks would judge when to replace the strut bearings/mounts by the size of the gap.

--Nate