Suspension Woes Advice Needed

[bilko0795]

Since fitting all new shocks ( Boge turbo gas ) and new top mounts along with refurbed struts and H&R lowering springs from ( Alex Error404 ) on the W/end. The car is now making all sorts of weird noises mostly clunking sounds from the front springs when turning the steering wheel the same from the rear it's like if there are loose parts the same sound as when a drop link is fubar. When driving on a nice normal stretch of road the ride is ok and I havn't heard anything but as soon as you drive onto ****** B roads then a small dip or hole the car cluncks if when you go over a larger dip ie a drain the car rides it ok speed bumps also affect the noises is this normal with fitting mostly new parts. The struts were blasted and powder coated and then I gave them two coats of por15 I was wondering if this could have anything to do with all the clucking and banging as the springs may not be seated properly.

ADVICE WELCOME PLSE.

[philj]

Shock insert ratting in the strut?

Castle nut tight?

[Error404]

inserts are loose by the sounds.
Did you refit the spacer collars at the top that centralise the insert in the strut tube?

[irishs2]

Top mount upside down?

[Rusty]

Spring upside down.

[UrS4boy]

Since fitting all new shocks ( Boge turbo gas ) and new top mounts along with refurbed struts and H&R lowering springs from ( Alex Error404 ) on the W/end.

Last I looked Boge Turbo gas shocks were for normal or factory sport springs only. They are too tall for shortened springs. I will attempt to explaing this as follows:

First we have agree that the shock and the spring work as one unit. The main purpose of the shock is to prevent the spring from compressing too quickly and/or rebounding too quickly and, as such, to dampen oscillations when the vehicle goes over bumps and/or pot holes.

Let's say for illustrative purposes, the OE springs and shocks have a maximum of 100 mm of total travel. For the shock this means the shock piston will travel a maximum of 50 mm down and 50 mm up from its initial resting equilibrium position. Let's also assume that the normal shock piston travel has been shown to be 37.5 mm inches up and down (75 mm total) with the weight of the particular vehicle and the roads on which it is travelling. This leaves 12.5 mm of buffer distance (up and down) under normal conditions.

Now you take that same shock and install it in a strut that has shorter (and presumably stiffer sport springs).

Okay, lets now say the sport springs lower the car by 25 mm inch (not uncommon for our cars). This means the stock shock piston at rest will be 25 mm closer to the bottom of the shock piston barrel than it was with the non-sport stock springs. This also means that the shock piston now only can travel 25 mm before it bottoms out in the piston bore. (Originally it had 50 mm of potential travel and with normal driving 12.5 mm of non-used travel). The question now is, "is this shorter spring stiff enough to limit the compression to less than 25 mm or not?" If it doesn't, the shock piston is going to bottom out in the piston bore.

The shock manufactures deal with this by making sport shocks that are designed to work over a shorter piston travel distance. Since the vehicle is still the same weight, etc. the sport shocks are designed to be shorter but with larger shock pistons so the same forces are handled with less piston travel.

Hope that works for you.

[Error404]

All valid information, but the stroke on the Boge inserts is virtually the entire length of the tube so probably not an issue in this instance

[K Simmonds]

Yep, there's something loose by the sounds of it. The standard damper has more than enough travel to deal with 30mm shorter springs. Hell, I had -60 mm springs fitted to the standard shocks on my old 10V coupe, whilst I agree that's probably far from optimal I had no such issues. Never bottomed out the shocks no matter what I threw at the car. It was too low though so I put it back to standard.

[audinut]

I have a similar issue with one of my top mounts , as i turn the spring moves off its seat , the spring is fitted correctly , today i removed the strut and noticed the top mount would not move round and around on the bearing so i loosened it all off and the top mount span freely , reinserted it all and roadtested - all ok for about 5 miles and then the clonking started again - only one side does it and both sides have been installed the same way

currently doing my nut in!

[Rusty]

As I've said, the spring is upside down, there are subtle differences between the top and bottom that make all the different. BTDT a few times.

[audinut]

would h and r really print the spring text the wrong way up on both springs?

[Rusty]

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40977&highlight=spring%2A

There's even a thread on the subject...

[audinut]

well sir i take my hat off to you ! i will stop getting very angry and my springs too , please now check my engine/turbo thread before i lose the will to live !

seriously thank you

[Error404]

That said I had this exact set of springs fitted on mine the other way round (closer wound coils at the top) for over 2 years without a peep from them. I did try them both ways and they definitely fitted more squarely the way up I had them, so there is either variation in the springs, or the strut tubes & upper spring perch.

[s2driveruk]

my H&R's have the close wound at the top and are silent on my coupe? I tend to find noises are usually tired drop links (or not nipped up enough) or the plate at the top which sits between the spring and the top mount is not seated properly, this allows the spring to rotate and make horrible noises , especially at the extremes of the steering rack, they kinda 'twang'