Excessive Corrosion On Gaz Coilovers

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Hi guys,

 

I bought a set of Gaz coilovers in a group buy about 16 - 18 months ago, they were on the car for one year including last winter, they have coverd about 8000 miles, and they are realy badly coroded,

 

has any body else had this problem? as when i was talking amongst some friends none of tem seem to have had the same problems witht here gaz and other branded coilovers

 

Does anyone know what there warranty is like also?

 

Cheers

Paul.

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

I greased mine before I fitted them, I thought this was accepted common practise with coilover threads to stop them corroding up so you cannot adjust?

[MerlinGTI 3]

Mine are from the first group buy, and are looking a bit mankey. I wouldnt say 'excessive' though.

 

When I get them re-built (next year?) Im going to get the bodies chrome plated rather than zinc'ed.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Mine are from the first group buy, and are looking a bit mankey. I wouldnt say 'excessive' though.

 

When I get them re-built (next year?) Im going to get the bodies chrome plated rather than zinc'ed.

 

 

looking back mine are from the first group buy also,

 

Like you say the look mankey and i orrigionaly didnt think they looked to bad, but after looking at the condition of some other peoples coil overs (which are still like new!) im starting to think they are...

[boombang 2]

Is it just the plating or the bodies themselves?

 

Almost every one I have seen the plating has come off and body gone fuzzy, but a quick clean and they are ok underneath the crud.

[Cameron 16]

Gaz just use a very poor quality coating I'm afraid, which you could expect when buying the cheap ones, but I was pretty miffed when my £800 worth of Golds corroded after just one year on the road. I think I'm going to do the same as Merlin and get the bodies chrome plated when I get them rebuilt.

[M_R_205 5 1 Cars]

Gaz just use a very poor quality coating I'm afraid, which you could expect when buying the cheap ones, but I was pretty miffed when my £800 worth of Golds corroded after just one year on the road. I think I'm going to do the same as Merlin and get the bodies chrome plated when I get them rebuilt.

 

 

Well mine were the GHA ones so not top spec, and id say its a little beyond " a bit fuzzy" more like, "rather blooming rusty" lol,

 

Il give gaz a ring tomorrow see what they say, worst case senario, il just strip them and respray them myself.

[Baz 421]

Yep, they all seem to do it unfortunately. Even the set i had that were on the car for a few months and only did about 1k had started to go.

 

The 3-4yr old set that were on a car from Scotland were pretty damn awful, massive let down IMO.

[boombang 2]

This is my dilemma at the moment!

 

I had issues with clearance on the Golds with the tyre walls (309 arms, eccentric top mounts, AO48s on standard 14" rims). Was considering the GHAs this time around in an attempt to gain more clearance, but am worried about the corrosion and bushes.

 

But at that sort of price level, there isn't anything out there to compete it would seem.

 

Drove a 306 xsi on AVOs around the ring and was seriously impressed, but think these work out a fair bit more and read a fair bit about leakage.

[welshpug 1,645]

how much are golds now?

 

 

I think the type of plating used on these dampers is the reason why they do this, its a very similar surface treatment to the one used on most of the original fasteners and brackets on these cars, the zinc coating is sacrificial almost I believe.

[Cameron 16]

Well mine were the GHA ones so not top spec, and id say its a little beyond " a bit fuzzy" more like, "rather blooming rusty" lol,

 

Yeah mine are pretty bloody rusty, not too happy about it! Let us know what Gaz say about it.

[Rippthrough 98]

Yeah, it's a single layer of sacrifical zinc over a primer layer, clean and wax 'em occasionally and they're fine, or give them a coat of clear where you get them, of course you can go have them electroless nickel plated, but it's not cheap.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Rippthrough

[Cameron 16]

How much is not cheap?

[Stevo309 0]

I don't understand why at these prices they can't be well plated or even painted. IMO it's not unreasonable to expect something that is under the car in the firing line of water, dirt and salt etc to be well protected and last a few years. These are after all aftermarket high performance products.

 

I have a set of KW coilovers on my 306 (Innox stainless steel type) and 2 years later they literally look like the day they went on the car.

[Rippthrough 98]

Which are more money and fade earlier 'cause the stainless steel keeps the heat in the damper...

[Stevo309 0]

Which are more money and fade earlier 'cause the stainless steel keeps the heat in the damper...

 

Not something I have noticed at all but the car is used only very occasionally on track and 99% on the road. I can't comment on performance differences as i haven't tried Gaz.

 

The thread is about corrosion so i'm just saying a stainless steel coating works very well in my experience. I had Avo's on my 309 and they too lasted very well under the car for several years but i'm not sure what the plating was.

 

By the time you've paid to have the Gaz coilovers chrome plated as others are suggesting you'll have spent more money and presumably the chrome will help to keep the heat in?

 

As normal with these things i would imagine how you use the car is an important factor in which product suits best.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Stevo309

[Rippthrough 98]

The chrome layer is so thin it doesn't make much difference, yep, they could do with a bit better plating on 'em, but then you end up spending more money to buy 'em in the first place...

[mickie 3]

the plating on mine fell off before i even fitted them but i couldnt be chewed to send them back