[nandanrp]

As the title says, I (with boondocksaint's help) installed JDM Pinks with RCE Lowering camber plates, along with Prodrive shortened bumpstops all around. Took it for a test drive this morning, and thankfully all 4 wheels are still attached

Some questions:

1. Is it normal to hear some noises while the springs settle? At low speed, turning the wheel, I hear some squeaks from the driver's side front wheel. At any normal speeds, I don't hear anything, so I think it's just my springs and/or sways "adjusting" right now... If any of you can give me some piece of mind, I'd appreciate it EDIT: I found out that my camber adjuster nuts weren't torqued down enough (the driver's side front wheel had shifted camber). I tightened those down, should be good now.

2. Is it normal for a strut to compress with minimal effort? We put prodrive stops on all 4 struts, and of the 4, only the passenger side rear compressed REALLY easily when we were pushing the new stop on. It seemed odd, but I didn't think anything of it at the time.

The reason I ask about the strut is, during my test drive, the passenger rear was making a clunk noise the whole damn time I can say with strong certainty that the lower strut bolts were torqued to spec (145 ft-lbs), that the top mount was impacted on to the strut, and the 3 nuts for the top-mount to the body were also tight (tighter than the 15 ft-lbs spec, I'm fairly certain).

Only the passenger rear clunked during the test drive. Does this sound like I might have a faulty strut, and I just didn't hear it before because I wasn't on the lowering springs?

Or is there something else I might be missing? Car drives fine, I had it up to about 80 and I'm still alive (no vibration at speed, either, which is something I would expect if anything was loose...).

What worries me is I didn't hear this clunk before... but maybe I just wasn't paying attention before It's pretty loud now. I got home and jumped up and down standing in the trunk, and it won't make the noise at all.

Thanks for the help suspension gurus

(EDIT: I dug deeper and found that the top mount nut was not impacted on tight enough. Tightened it down with some GearRatchets and a hex key, and the noise is gone! Rear struts might still be blown though, but they don't make noise anymore...).

[Rootus]

No, and no. At least in my limited experience with my own (very similar to yours) setup. Noise from the front has always been endlinks for me (first couple of times just a tiny bit loose, then most recently the spherical joints failed). And an easy to compress strut sounds blown to me.

[mEnTaL]

Well your first problem is having boondock help you.

But seriously, sounds like your rear strut is shot. I think mine made the same clunking but I haven't heard it lately. Maybe the warmer temperatures?

[nandanrp]

I was just down looking under the hood - I figured out the front end noise - the camber plate adjustment nuts weren't torqued down enough - doh! One had moved from the setting I had put it at yesterday, so I'm pretty sure that's what I was hearing at low speed in my driveway.

Only one rear strut compressed easily... Which is what is leading me to believe it's blown. Damn it though, if it is my strut, I wish I had found it before I installed my springs!

Also, I added grease to all the struts when I swapped in the new bumpstops.

[nandanrp]

Originally Posted by mEnTaL

Well your first problem is having boondock help you.

But seriously, sounds like your rear strut is shot. I think mine made the same clunking but I haven't heard it lately. Maybe the warmer temperatures?

I made a 300 mile drive from Chicago to Detroit on Friday... I would have heard it then if it was just the temperatures, I think?

I thought I had clunks a few months ago, but it went away, and I just thought maybe it was ice in the I/C tank because it was cold out (coincedentally that's the location of my suspect strut/spring combo).

[flatthump]

Originally Posted by nandanrp

At low speed, turning the wheel, I hear some squeaks from the driver's side front wheel. At any normal speeds, I don't hear anything,

Check to see if your top spring retainer is in contact with the inner dish of the Camber plate.

[boondocksaint]

I didn't even touch the rear struts. You and Ian were futzing with them while I was compressing springs. If it was that easy to compress, it might well be blown (from what I've read). If it is, and if they won't warranty it, take-offs are relatively easy to find. Buy one (or two ) and I'll be there to help you pull the assembly apart and put it back together again.

Originally Posted by some asshat

Well your first problem is having boondock help you.

Get ****ed, Scott!

[nandanrp]

Originally Posted by flatthump

Check to see if your top spring retainer is in contact with the inner dish of the Camber plate.

Yes, both sides are - I found the issue though, the camber adjuster nuts weren't torqued down enough.

The rear strut is my main concern now.

[flatthump]

Originally Posted by nandanrp

Yes, both sides are

The retainers are hitting the plate?

You dont want that Mr Nan.

[nandanrp]

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

I didn't even touch the rear struts. You and Ian were futzing with them while I was compressing springs. If it was that easy to compress, it might well be blown (from what I've read). If it is, and if they won't warranty it, take-offs are relatively easy to find. Buy one (or two ) and I'll be there to help you pull the assembly apart and put it back together again.


Get ****ed, Scott!

Yeah Chris, if you remember the fronts, you can probably recall that the strut didn't compress AT ALL when I pushed the stops on. The first rear (driver's side) didn't compress either.

The last one (passenger side) was like pushing a stick into silly putty. It didn't seem right, but it didn't occur to me that it wasn't like the others.

I just can't imagine that we didn't torque everything down right. I jacked the side of the car up, and I heard some faint noises from the passenger rear as the wheel started to lift. Is that another sign of a bad strut?

[nandanrp]

Originally Posted by flatthump

The retainers are hitting the plate?

You dont want that Mr Nan.

I can take a picture a little later if you want, but there's a big washer immediately beneath the plate, above the spring retainer. I can't see if it's touching, but it's certainly close.

Found this pic in another thread, this is exactly how mine look:



There wasn't any noise from the front while driving though, I think it's good... tell me if I'm wrong!

(Oh, there was ONE noise - scraping my v-limited as I pulled out of the driveway )

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by nandanrp

Yeah Chris, if you remember the fronts, you can probably recall that the strut didn't compress AT ALL when I pushed the stops on. The first rear (driver's side) didn't compress either.

The last one (passenger side) was like pushing a stick into silly putty. It didn't seem right, but it didn't occur to me that it wasn't like the others.

I just can't imagine that we didn't torque everything down right. I jacked the side of the car up, and I heard some faint noises from the passenger rear as the wheel started to lift. Is that another sign of a bad strut?

I know we got the bolts on right, that was never a worry in my mind.

You has a blown strut. And you didn't blow it by futzing with it yesterday. It was prolly toast already. Warranty time. If not, take-off replacement time. Either way it's a relatively easy fix.

NOTE that if you get it fixed under warranty, you'll be riding on 3 Prodrive bumpstops and one stocker.

[nandanrp]

Good thing I didn't throw out the stock bumpstops

[flatthump]

Originally Posted by nandanrp

I can take a picture a little later if you want, but there's a big washer immediately beneath the plate, above the spring retainer. I can't see if it's touching, but it's certainly close.

Werd.....

personally, I cant run more than 16.2 degrees of SAI before the inner plate and the top spring retainer touch. And when they touch, they only make noise during low speed driving...especially if your turning..

It can cause memory steer also.

[boondocksaint]

Originally Posted by nandanrp

Good thing I didn't throw out the stock bumpstops

You wanna tear it down today? Should only take an hour or so. Let me know.