Strut tower repair

[Escortfan]

Hello,

I have a 1994 Escort wagon in good running condition. I recently discovered that one of the rear struts (shock absorber) has become disconnected from the upper spring mount. This happened because the mount rusted out in the center where the strut is connected. The rest of the mount which holds the top of the spring in the strut tower is still intact. However there is some rust above the strut mount in the top of the tower. I have the new upper strut mount but I'm wondering if there is some way to reinforce the top of the strut tower before I install the new mount, to prevent the strut from eventually breaking through the tower. I understand there are kits for this type of repair on certain car models but I can't find anything for the Escort. I'd appreciate some advice on how I might do this?

Thanks

[dark1]

Um how handy are you with a welder? you could either try replacing the complete rusted out tower yourself with one from a wrecker or get a panelbeater to weld extra bracing in properly so you dont have any drama come w.o.f time

[Escortfan]

It's almost impossible to find a good Escort strut tower in my area. The wreckers don't even have Escorts on the lot anymore. I have a friend who's a professional welder but he's not an expert on car bodys. I was thinking of fabricating a steel plate which would fit over the top of the tower. He could weld it to the tower around the edge of the plate. Does this sound like a good repair method?

Thanks for the reply.