ok so i had a little issue with my coilovers that im trying to take care of. it seems as though my front passenger side coilover keeps getting loose. ive also found out that its the large bolt that you see from inside the engine bay. it was making loud clunking noises that were scaring me. its gotten loose now twice for reasons unknown but hasnt ever done this before. when i first had this happen a couple days ago i jacked the car up to also find that my spring wasnt as tightly preset as it was loose too. so i got everything all tight and went for a spin. i thought the issue was solved. otherthan my allignment being kinda off at about 60mph. the next day i was driving home from work when i first noticed that my allignment was back to normal but then i was also starting to hear the clunking again. so today i got the wheel off again to take a look. the spring wasnt too loose this time but the top nut in the engine bay was loose again. NMDAYTIME came over to lend a hand and we thought we got it pretty tight. i even made sure my spring wasnt going to come loose again by presetting the lock pretty tight. took her out for a spin to find a new noise when i turn left and start to straighten out the steering wheel i can hear the spring kind've poping. it seems to only do it after a left turn and a full turn. have i preset the spring too tight? or is it something else? the issue is really aggrovating and im run out of ideas.... please help thanks
What brand coilovers do you have? I had the same problem with my BC racing coils in regards to the spring coming loose. I loosened the preload completely and reset it again. I've never had the loosening problem or clunking since.
i have buddyclub racing spec coilovers. they usually around 2 grand but andysautosport offers them for way less than everyone els... i never really herd much about them as far as being bad or anything. well my issue right now is the spring rotating but its having a hard time doing it. like its trying to but its too tight and then when i turn the wheel back straight it pops. and makes a kinda "twang" or "bong" noise. only on left turns. are the springs supposed to rotate?.... am i presetting them too tight?
I usually put a little oil around where the spring sits on and tops of. That usually help my suspension noise. Especially non-coilover suspensions with that rubber ring on top and or bottom of the springs. I had that issue once where the big(center) strut bolt came loose and making clunking noise but tighten it and it was fixed since then.
its preloaded right now. not really easy to spin. but ive herd you can preload the springs too much and make things break. if im supposed to put oil of grease on my perchs wouldnt that be to allow the spring to rotate while driving? right now the spring is making a twanging noise when i turn the wheel back straight after a left turn. it sounds like im twisting the spring and then all at once the force makes the spring rotate making it go "twang"...
Preloading the spring too far isn't going to hurt anything, provided that you aren't getting into a coilbind situation. The springs will rotate a little when you turn your wheel. That's just the nature of the Subaru strut setup. A little dab of antisieze on the top and bottom of the spring (springs if you have tender springs in your setup) will take care of the problem.
around the net im reading that the spring is supposed to be able to rotate by hand a little. i must have them preset too tight maybe and thats creating the noise because its having a hard time rotating. whats this coilbind your talking about?
Coil bind, in this context, is when the spring compresses until it binds and the suspension setup has no more travel left. Typically, you don't notice it on "coilover set-ups" because they usually have less travel to begin with... so you end up hitting the bump stops before you reach the limits of the springs' compression. I would think that if you are tightening the static pre-load on the springs, you are lowering the threshold at which the springs will bind. I would suggest reading the manufacturer's install and adjustment instructions. Not all coilover systems are adjusted in the same way. Start from the beginning. Loosen the preload, snug up the bolts, set the preload and see if that works. Also, might as well check the threads on the top retaining nut as well as the nut itself while you're at it. Also, yes. Having the pre-load set too tight will typically result on the "twang" sound you are hearing as well as ****ty handling and stressed parts.
and the collar and lock ring are stationary and not moving too...right? what kind of height are you running, if you are topping them out or something it could also play a part if they just aren't as seated down onto the coilover body
To me it sounds like something is wrong with the preload. I would follow idget's advice and just start over.
The coilover coils and damper rotates as a whole with the pillow ball up top at the top mounts. The coils should NOT twist or rotate at all when you turn as it is a whole unit from the pillow ball to top mounts. You should have someone turn the wheel and you listen and look for noises. Adjust the height of the lower bracket to match the other side of the corner and make sure the height of the damper and lower bracket are the same, then adjust your ride height. This way everything is similar left to right. ALSO out of the box NEVER expect it to be well assembled. I had to make sure all the rings on the coilover where tight, and the strut top nuts, camber screws, etc.
It sounds like your upper spring seat is not rotating freely or the spherical bearing has seized up due to sand/particles inside. There should be a spacer or sleeve that the bearing rests on so that it can rotate more freely...
well today for some odd reason i havent herd any twang noises at all....wtf. maybe things needed to settle or.....idk.... im really getting frusterated about mysetup. i want stock suspension really bad. REALLY REALLY BAD. anyone want to trade? lol other than some settings i need to tweak things dont seem so bad anymore. im really sick of this cold weather. it makes my suspension seem soooo stiff too. in the warmer weather its not really all that bad at all. i need some warmer weather before i shoot myself. i would totally read the manual that came with the coilovers if i knew how to read japanese. nothing is in english. i can look at the pictures but that doesnt help lol. if i could only have a warm day i would be more than willing to spend some more time in the garage getting everything setup where it should be. but for some reason global warming is on vacation in minnesta (im just saying that out of stress) and id give anything to have it warmer than 20...
Whoa, some bad info here... First, springs will try to rotate in their perches. Second, perches do not rotate (unless you can find a new, super-trick, perch that is supposedly available). Third, it is fairly common for coilovers to bind (yes, that is the correct term) when turning. My JICs twang and pop all the time when I am turning at low speeds. Fourth, pre-load is set for optimal performance, not noise. Make sure the pre-load is set per instructions from the manufacturer, period. Welcome to coilovers.....
