ICQ>

Tony ---

One thing to keep in mind is that a pre-'86 240 has the non-galvanized spring cups. If you live in an area that has bad winters with salt on the roads is that these cups eventually rust through and you'll have to replace the entire strut assembly or the cup. I have replaced these on 3 of my cars (an '81, '82, and '83).

Generally, the signs of a problem are visible long before physical failure. Inspect the cups (they support the bottom of the spring) for holes rusting through. Note, however, there already is a drain hole there -- don't confuse it with a rust hole. The next time you have a front tire off, poke at the underside of the cup with a large screwdriver or pry bar -- see if it punctures weak, rusty metal.

If one of these cups fails, the spring will expand down and rub on the top of the tire. You'll hear it, see the smoke, and smell burning rubber for 1-2 miles.