Are these broken?

I just want to confirm the these top mounts are trashed before I ring GSF and get very angry.

I paid for Febi top mounts because I've had Chinese rubbish ones before and they never last. I ordered these from GSF and then due to being away and covid etc I didn't fit them until now because the MOT is coming up and they sat in the boot for 9 months.

When I opened the box I saw that the top mounts were not in Febi boxes and in fact were in two different boxes but I thought stuff it, I'll fit them anyway because the MOT is due.  After fitting them and now the car back down and they look like this; these are trash aren't they?

They look worse than the old ones which were an advisory on the MOT but genuine Febi.  Thoughts?

look the same as mine mate

Are yours very new? I was under the impression that the metal should be against the rubber and as they get older and more compressed over time the metal pulls away from the rubber which is how you know they are done. Mine looks like this straight out the box.

There are ways to Beef them up.

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9278079-Another-way-to-reinforce-Mk1-strut-mounts&highlight=strut+mount

Weld your studs.
Beefing up your Strut Mounts. | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7133629-I-hate-my-strut-bearings!-Ideas-for-HD-replacement/page2&highlight=strut+mounts+urethane



The use of the opel o-ring is easier and a tad cheaper than filling with window weld, but if you do use the window weld, do it a week or 2 before putting them in.

Thank you for the tips, but I don't have a welder. The question is should they look like this from brand new? The Febi ones that I took off the car that had been on there 8-years had a smaller gap than these ones brand new out the box.

So is this normal for brand new mounts?

Briano1234 said

There are ways to Beef them up.

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?9278079-Another-way-to-reinforce-Mk1-strut-mounts&highlight=strut+mount

Weld your studs.
Beefing up your Strut Mounts. | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7133629-I-hate-my-strut-bearings!-Ideas-for-HD-replacement/page2&highlight=strut+mounts+urethane



The use of the opel o-ring is easier and a tad cheaper than filling with window weld, but if you do use the window weld, do it a week or 2 before putting them in.

If I could be ar5sed to take mine off, I'd do that mod with the exhaust hanger. Next time….

I think for brand new mounts they look pretty poor...