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Struts coming through in rear end in my Chevy Impala 2013

The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
Would you drive it? I have a friend who has a 2009 Impala that rusted worse in that same area and his is still holding strong

Do you think it could get me through another year?

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PureX

PureX

Veteran Member
I'm an idiot, so you shouldn't listen to me, but I'd jack the car up to take the weight off that wheel, then jam a block of wood up in there between the top of the strut and the frame, then put the weight back down on the wheel to push the top of that strut up into the wood to keep it in place, and then drive around avoiding any big pot holes.

These cars would last longer if they had more wood in 'em. ;)
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
The Sum of Awe said:
Would you drive it? I have a friend who has a 2009 Impala that rusted worse in that same area and his is still holding strong

Do you think it could get me through another year?

View attachment 96638View attachment 96639
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No. The rust monsters won. It's so bad it wiggled a bolt lose. Amd rust doesn't stop. It will have to be cut out and a replacement welded in.
 
The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
SalixIncendium said:
No.

Also no.

The car is not safe to drive. You would need someone to cut out the rusted structure and weld in a new plate to attach the strut mount to.
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That's unfortunate. The car only has 150k miles and everything else is fine on it. It's such a shame that one little thing can destroy an otherwise good car.

Thank you for your answer!
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
The Sum of Awe said:
That's unfortunate. The car only has 150k miles and everything else is fine on it. It's such a shame that one little thing can destroy an otherwise good car.

Thank you for your answer!
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It's not destroyed. It's one issue. I don't know how much it will cost to get fixed but the car is not destroyed. Get the rust hacked out, new plates welded in and it'll be good to go.
 
The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
Shadow Wolf said:
It's not destroyed. It's one issue. I don't know how much it will cost to get fixed but the car is not destroyed. Get the rust hacked out, new plates welded in and it'll be good to go.
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Hmm. I could ask around. It sounds like it could be very expensive though, like the price of a used car expensive. I would need someone efficient in welding. I'm wondering if it would be worth it.

But I'll consider that. Thanks.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
The Sum of Awe said:
Hmm. I could ask around. It sounds like it could be very expensive though, like the price of a used car expensive. I would need someone efficient in welding. I'm wondering if it would be worth it.

But I'll consider that. Thanks.
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It really depends. Of course individual budgets ultimately determine such things, all cars have problems. Yours is approximately 100,000 miles from things like worn engine gaskets. A few of those you don't have to remove the engine to fix them yourself. But you also have to have a place were you can.
My.view has always been even if I'm having to constantly throw money at it's still cheaper than a payment, which is typically hundreds every month for a few years. A lot of times the parts are less than $100.
And then there's the pickle you're in. Most home mechanics like me won't have all the equipment (I don't have a torch or high enough lift) so you'll most likely have to go to a mechanic and it will probably be expensive and at most they'll have a few people on staff who can do it.
I'd start with an estimate. They'll have to see it first and you'll need to arrange a tow with your insurance.
From there it will be an issue.of cost and balancing it against that and any possible car payments, along with weighing you're mileage against normal problems for high mileage cars (above 200,000). And also consider you may not be able to afford a car with significantly less mileage. It's back to the personal budget and what it allows for.
But regardless I recommend learning how to work on them and finding a placr where you can if you can't where you currently live. Most things are actually really easy and cheap to do and don't take much time at all.
 
Subduction Zone

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
How important is steering for your car? If the answer is "not very" then go ahead. Seriously nothing too bad could really happen. As long as the car is fully insured, has very well functioning seatbelts, air bags, and other safety precautions you should always survive the crash that is going to occur rather soon.
 
SalixIncendium

SalixIncendium

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि
Staff member
Premium Member
The Sum of Awe said:
That's unfortunate. The car only has 150k miles and everything else is fine on it. It's such a shame that one little thing can destroy an otherwise good car.

Thank you for your answer!
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I just needs repaired, just like other things on a car from that era with over 100k miles on it. It's not destroyed. It's a product of its life in the rust belt. It's not a difficult repair. It's just a matter of undoing the strut mounts, cutting out the rusted area, welding new plates in place, and replacing the strut mount.

Here in PA, it wouldn't even be a consideration. Any structural rust, including rust holes on any panels associated with the unibody, would not pass state inspection, and you would not be able to register it until repaired.
 
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The Sum of Awe

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
SalixIncendium said:
I had no idea we had so many auto experts on the forum! :oops:

@The Sum of Awe, @Shadow Wolf gave you some good advice here.
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Indeed. Thank you all again. I will ask around mechanics to see what they would charge for such an operation and if I think the cars remaining life expectancy is worth that much I will decide whether or not to go through with it.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
SalixIncendium said:
I had no idea we had so many auto experts on the forum! :oops:

@The Sum of Awe, @Shadow Wolf gave you some good advice here.
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Funny thing is, I rebelled against where I'm from so much (rural Indiana) and because it's a guy thing (my best friend wanted to be a mechanic but she's a girl and wasn't given that chance), I always denied I'm a bit of a car person, even with a car I made into a tuner to save on gas. It wasn't until watching Top Gear a couple years ago I realized it and accepted it.
But my brother (who did work as a mechanic) got me started when I got tired of my dad breaking stuff when he'd do repairs, combined with rarely having the money for a mechanic and now when I saw I can do almost anything I can do almost anything (AC, tires and transmissions being the main things I'm not really equipped for yet).
 
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