# Blown masontech air struts.....



## VW06GTI (Jul 5, 2006)

Anyone know where I can get this strut fixed, this is the response I got from mason tech 

"Hello Thomas, 

I apologize for the delayed response. We are no longer manufacturing air ride components and we are not operating our business at a full-time level and have not been for some time. 

I'm sorry for the issues you are having with your components. The items you mention are typically considered "wear items", meaning they wear out (sometimes faster than others due to conditions, usage, etc). Air ride places more stress on these components than a normal static suspension, so you cannot expect them to last forever. We warranty all items against workmanship defects for 30 days from date of purchase. From our website FAQ page: 

"WARRANTY 
All products sold by Mason-Tech will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. Only the original manufacturer warranties, if any, are applicable. We will warrant applicable items for the first 30 days from the customer's receipt and applicable manufacturer's warranties will be implemented beyond this time. Warranty claims will be honored only on items purchased from Mason-Tech. Warranty claims or returns will not be honored for items that have been installed improperly and/or altered from original. Warranty claims must have proper documentation including original invoices showing purchase dates and part numbers. No warranty claim will be honored for any labor, sublet or freight charges. All competition and/or high performance parts are sold without any warranty expressed or implied. These parts are sold for off-road use only. The buyer assumes all risk. All sales of these parts are final." 

Consequently, we are no longer selling any service or replacement parts. However, strut bearings are available through any sizable VW/Audi parts supplier. They are strut bearings for a 1992 Audi 90. 

Take care, 
Scott Mason 
MASON-Tech" 

So I basically have $1000.00 paperweights :banghead:


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## no vtec 4me (Aug 1, 2006)

im gonna go ahead and say wow...that sucks. On the other hand, you may be able to contact bilstein/koni (i forget who makes their struts) and see if they can help you out in any way


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## UghRice (Sep 8, 2010)

WOW :banghead::thumbdown::banghead::thumbdown::banghead::thumbdown:


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## OVRWRKD (Jul 1, 2010)

Sorry to hear about the struts Tom. The mason-tech struts are made with bilstein struts, I don't remember if they are shortened or modified in any way. You may be able to purchase a bilstein strut and hack the spring perch off and build a new strut. Is that strut actually shot or is it just the bag, plates and bearing?


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## iamraymond (Jan 22, 2004)

dang that really sucks. Now I'm scared with my masontech fronts! I've never had any issues with them, but if something does happen all mason tech owners are gonna be SOL? That's a bit unnerving


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## firebert (Feb 25, 2008)

WOW:thumbdown:


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## passat_98 (Mar 31, 2007)

That sucks balls.


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## no vtec 4me (Aug 1, 2006)

well, every mason tech, bagyard, and airlift strut is going to blow EVENTUALLY, thats what happens to struts. especially air struts that take a beating. It just sucks that mason tech is no longer around to help out the people that are having problems. :banghead:


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## SMG8vT (Oct 8, 2004)

Do the Mason-Techs use normal strut inserts that are replaceable?


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## Aronc (Jan 30, 2006)

wow this has me worried about mine, Hopefully theres a way to replace the insert. Good luck keep us posted


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## tomespo (Jul 21, 2008)

Wow that is ****TY! I was wondering why i havent received a email back EVER. So much for customer service! I love airlift but i dont see myself drilling out my strut towers so looks like if i ever have a problem i better get some bagyards.


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## BoraRJTI (May 13, 2010)

Sucks dude but I'm glad I did get some masontechs a couple months back! Looks like its time to get some stock suspension while u remedy your problem by replacing what needs replacing or getting different fronts!


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

What exactly is wrong with the strut?


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

it appears that the inner separation seal broke and the strut rod collapsed into the strut body.


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## veeko (Oct 26, 2005)

this is absolute bull****. the very least scott could do is sell replacement parts or provide sources for replacement parts. i haven't had any issues with my mt's but i'm definitely worried for when that day comes :thumbdown:


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

sad part is likely you will have no warranty on the inserts. remove the inserts and get part #'s off of them or measure them, should be easy to source replacements


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

It's a shame that Mason-Tech has become synonimous with horrible customer service, he was in the forefront of VW air ride and was poised to stay that way. If i had MT air struts i'd just prepare to buy BY or Air Lift when the time comes. Luckily for the mk4 and 5 guys, it's only the fronts you have to worry about replacing since the rears aren't macpherson style.


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## VW06GTI (Jul 5, 2006)

reynolds9000 said:


> It's a shame that Mason-Tech has become synonimous with horrible customer service, he was in the forefront of VW air ride and was poised to stay that way. If i had MT air struts i'd just prepare to buy BY or Air Lift when the time comes. Luckily for the mk4 and 5 guys, it's only the fronts you have to worry about replacing since the rears aren't macpherson style.


 Back story if anyone cares for reference if this happens to you with your masontechs 

"For a few weeks the clunk noise was getting more intense. I've always had the clunk noise on my MKV with the masontechs because the strut would move around due to the wrong strut mounts masontech used. I only drive my car on the weekends lately, went out to breakfast with the car two weeks ago, aired out, ate breakfast, came back out and tried to air up the car and I heard a loud pop though I blew the bag. I couldn't get my driverside front to go up / adjust no matter how much air I put into it. I noticed it was holding air so I though maybe my air pressure sensor was messed up. So I tried to drive home and I had to hold the wheel at 11 o-clock to keep the car straight. I just didn't fell right at all. The next day we took off the struts and that's when I discovered one of the struts blew. " 

It is a shame, I have tried to contact Scott about this more and I get the usual masontech response - NONE! I've purchased a new set of struts from another manufacture ( NO MORE CLUNK!) and I guess i'm going to sell this one good one for when someone else has a problem since no parts or service is going to be offered from masontech. :thumbdown:


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## OHmyniceGLi (Feb 23, 2002)

this is the current state of my mason-tech luckily my car is taken off the road in the winter. But still, i need to fix it ASAP. i contacted MASON-TECH with no response, and it doesn't look like it is going to matter once they do respond


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## Vdubed13 (Jun 6, 2008)

damn im scared about mine now....This sucks big time i cant believe Mason Tech is doing this:thumbdown:


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Vdubed13 said:


> damn im scared about mine now....This sucks big time i cant believe Mason Tech is doing this:thumbdown:


 Time to sell and buy AL XLs


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## veeko (Oct 26, 2005)

for those that already have issues with their MTs and are off the car, would any of you be willing to completely disassemble the air strut to see if it's possible to start searching and start a list of replacement part numbers? might be worth a shot. i figure there may be part numbers on the strut and the bag, not sure about anything else.


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## TurboREX (Aug 7, 2006)

OHmyniceGLi said:


> this is the current state of my mason-tech luckily my car is taken off the road in the winter. But still, i need to fix it ASAP. i contacted MASON-TECH with no response, and it doesn't look like it is going to matter once they do respond


 that looks like it was rubbing really bad on something, and was inflated off the car or on a lift


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## firebert (Feb 25, 2008)

I'm sure you can find someone to rebuil bilsteins since they're a pretty reputable brand. I have a local shop over here that does overhaul and rebuild of koni shocks. 

And you could probably get the bags re-sleeved by UAS since they look to be built on the AirHouse.


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## OHmyniceGLi (Feb 23, 2002)

Nope, it was not rubbing on anything. The wear is normal from turning. I was standing next to the car when the bag blew. I had just pulled it into the garage and the car was aired up, after about 10 min like that i heard a loud POP! and that was all she wrote.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

Damn, that's pretty scary! What if you had been driving.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

TurboREX said:


> that looks like it was rubbing really bad on something, and was inflated off the car or on a lift


 You can put you car on a lift with air in the bags.


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## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

For the last set of pics you can just send them to UAS and have new bags clamped on. :thumbup: 



rabriolet said:


> You can put you car on a lift with air in the bags.


 You can, but you chance pulling the bag out of the clamp or blowing the seal....as shown in the pic. Not saying that's what happened, but you are supposed to air out when on a lift to avoid damaging seals and bag clamps.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

I've also been told not to lift a car off the ground with no air in the bags because you can damage the bag when all the weight is pulling down on it. I'd rather leave some air in it than to drain it completely so the bag can stretch and possibly do what happened in the pic


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## Retromini (Nov 7, 2004)

rabriolet said:


> I've also been told not to lift a car off the ground with no air in the bags because you can damage the bag when all the weight is pulling down on it. I'd rather leave some air in it than to drain it completely so the bag can stretch and possibly do what happened in the pic


That's for sealed bags. Air struts like this and the bagyards require the car's weight to keep the upper perch sealed. The air will escape once the weight is lifted off that upper perch which chances blowing the seals.


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## firebert (Feb 25, 2008)

a couple minutes of research and I found there a place named Elephant Racing that claims they are capable of rebuilding Bilsteins.. 
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/469594-bilstein-rebuild.html


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## Bork (Mar 25, 2008)

dam that really sucks, i was jus on masontech's website too, and they have nothing bout air


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## Vdubed13 (Jun 6, 2008)

Bork said:


> dam that really sucks, i was jus on masontech's website too, and they have nothing bout air


i know its crazy im pretty sure i was just on there like a month ago and it was still on there...:screwy:


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## GnarPassatWagon (Mar 7, 2009)

Get Airlift XL's if anything. Airlift has got there **** together and has spectacular customer service. I've talked with jesse numerous times. Hes a great guy. And if your worried about drilling 3 holes in your strut tower then I'm surprised you have air in the first place cause that requires notch's ect... Plus if something happens to your bagyards, you'll be waiting for them to ship you something from austria. where as Airlift wil over night you something no problem.


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## crazymoforz (Jan 19, 2006)

OHmyniceGLi said:


> this is the current state of my mason-tech luckily my car is taken off the road in the winter. But still, i need to fix it ASAP. i contacted MASON-TECH with no response, and it doesn't look like it is going to matter once they do respond


contact uvair and have them re-strap them for you with new bags. ship them out and they could do it in one day. two of my friends had the same issue once fixed from uvair they have had no issues.


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## Afazz (Feb 10, 2002)

Performance Shock rebuilds Bilsteins. I've talked to them on the phone and they seem to know their stuff, I have no personal experience with their service. I would expect in the neighborhood of $200 each to rebuild a strut that has some broken parts. I think that style of Mason-Tech uses a bilstein inverted monotube insert, if you can get it apart you can probably buy direct from Bilstein by taking some pictures and measurements. I also think the bottom of those are welded, you might need to cut off the bottom to disassemble. Is there a nut on the bottom of the shock or is it solid? If you remove the paint you should be able to find the seam or where a seam was ground smooth. 

Either way it's not an easy or cheap job to fix, but it can be done.

http://performanceshock.com/service-repairs-rebuilds/koni-drag-race-shock-repairs-and-rebuilds


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## [email protected] (Aug 22, 2006)

pretty sure the bottom is solid (no nut). :thumbup:


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## thepirate (Jun 6, 2008)

I've had good expirences with Scott. Both my rear bags popped out of the coupler ring and he had them fixed and sent back to me. It took over 3 weeks but I got it done for free (cost of shipping to him wasn't). This was just last month.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

bilstein inserts can be bought for $75-200 each no sense in rebuilding


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## Vdubed13 (Jun 6, 2008)

i want to re powder by lower section on my Mason techs can i just unbolt it from the bottom and powder it and bolt it back the bottom of the bag? Thanks in advance


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## arethirdytwo (Apr 4, 2007)

You wore your **** out... am I missing something here? Also DO NOT buy something from a supplier and expect them to warranty a worn out item when their policy was that they provide a 30 day warranty against manufacturing defects. did you check this out or ask them before you bought? They don't even manufacture the part that blew... 

Just take it apart and fix it as others have said.


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## LO-vw (Sep 24, 2001)

correct me if im wrong but i think there is more to the story here then a blown bag. 
You mention that its from turning.... That would me the bearing install on either the strut assembly or on the car has failed thus made the bag twist and blow out like you have shown. 
Replacing the bag will create that to happen all over again if you do not fix it. 

Like others have stated just contact who made the bag iself and they can reclamp it or buy a new rubber bag and re clap. 
For my air over coil bags they are around 70 bux for new rubber bag part if you blew or rubbed a hole in it.


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