clunking noise after lowering coilovers 0.5 of an inch

Thorazine_IM · 11-26-2013, 05:21 AM

ok so i just recently installed a set of coilovers. i used to have swift spring on. when i first installed the coils i was pretty much in the same neighborhood as the swift ( i dont know how i came so close to the swift ride height but i did after doing some math): about 1.5 to 2 fingers gap between tire and fender. i drove the car around and never heard any noise whatsoever. basically, the car was driving perfectly. then i decided the car could drop a little more so i dropped the front 1/2 inch and the rear 1/4 inch. i took it for a spin and started hearing some noise coming from the front passenger side when going over bumps at lower speed. i was thinking it had something to do with sway bar/ end links? maybe the sway bar is stretched out or something from the car being too low? maybe a lose bolt? i triple checked all my work before putting everything back together so i highly doubt its a lose bolt.

ResIpsa · 11-26-2013, 12:08 PM

That happens to me all the time when I swap my springs. I would bet that it is a loose shock tower bolt. What may seem tight can become loose when the springs take on the weight of the car.

Thorazine_IM · 11-26-2013, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

That happens to me all the time when I swap my springs. I would bet that it is a loose shock tower bolt. What may seem tight can become loose when the springs take on the weight of the car.

You mean the top 3 12mm nuts in the engine bay right? Coz I torqued down the bottom ones pretty tight where the end links are and the 3 bolts around it that holds on to the metal bracket.

RICAN · 11-26-2013, 10:19 PM

I don't know what brand of coilovers you have but that happen to me on my srt4....I had bc br!!...I had to readjust my spring and it got better

Thorazine_IM · 11-26-2013, 11:52 PM

I have d2 racing. What do you mean by readjust the spring?

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Thorazine_IM · 11-26-2013, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RICAN

I don't know what brand of coilovers you have but that happen to me on my srt4....I had bc br!!...I had to readjust my spring and it got better

Here's a pic of the front coil over installed

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Thorazine_IM · 11-27-2013, 12:02 AM

Maybe tighten the spring perch?

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RICAN · 11-27-2013, 04:59 AM

yes i made spring tighter by turning the adjustment ring for the spring!!...now i would also make sure the coilover is not hitting anything in there!!meaning tie rod or the control arm!!..
inspect everything in there!!...you might not be hitting anything but it doesn't hurt to check!!

FuTuRe is Z · 11-27-2013, 05:41 AM

I had the noise when I installed coilovers on my previous car, if I recall correctly it went away. Does it sound like a coil binding like a ting ting ting noise or is it clunking, clunking is a loose strut tower bolt.

FuTuRe is Z · 11-27-2013, 05:42 AM

If you hear it over bumps it's definitely a loose strut tower bolt, if you hear it while cutting the wheel I believe it does that until the suspension is settled.

RICAN · 11-27-2013, 06:21 AM

this is how low i had my srt!!

RICAN · 11-27-2013, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuTuRe is Z

If you hear it over bumps it's definitely a loose strut tower bolt, if you hear it while cutting the wheel I believe it does that until the suspension is settled.

mine was over speed bumps sometime and mostly when i pass over dips on the road!!..and i said the same thing "ohh loose bolt or nut on the strut tower" and i tight them down and it didn't fix it

Sh0velMan · 11-27-2013, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RICAN

this is how low i had my srt!!

Dunno that I would post photographic evidence that I ever owned a Caliber SRT4.

Just me, tho.

Thorazine_IM · 11-29-2013, 02:46 AM

alright so today i re-tightened the already tight shock tower bolts thinking that overtightening them would fix it and i also tightened the spring perch. i tried moving the spring around but there is no play whatsoever. everything just seems to be tight no matter how you look at it. and still the clunking sound. still the same: it only happens at low speed going over select bumps/road imperfection. even the slightest road perfection triggers it. once again i say select road bumps. it doesnt happen over every single one otherwise that would be super annoying. i just try to ignore it hoping that it would go away once the spring settles. oh i forgot to mention its coming from the front driver side.

RICAN · 11-29-2013, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh0velMan

Dunno that I would post photographic evidence that I ever owned a Caliber SRT4.

Just me, tho.

Lol....hey man don't judge a book by its cover yes it was a caliber srt!!...but it was fun to be head to head with gt500 and beat terminators(cobras) and countless evos!!!......it definetly sounded mean as hell!!..but ur right I shud be emberast to show off a station wagon that beats all this big bad muscle cars!!!...

11-26-2013, 05:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
Thorazine_IM Base Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: CA Posts: 158 Drives: 13 Nissan 370Z PW M6 Rep Power: 13	clunking noise after lowering coilovers 0.5 of an inch ok so i just recently installed a set of coilovers. i used to have swift spring on. when i first installed the coils i was pretty much in the same neighborhood as the swift ( i dont know how i came so close to the swift ride height but i did after doing some math): about 1.5 to 2 fingers gap between tire and fender. i drove the car around and never heard any noise whatsoever. basically, the car was driving perfectly. then i decided the car could drop a little more so i dropped the front 1/2 inch and the rear 1/4 inch. i took it for a spin and started hearing some noise coming from the front passenger side when going over bumps at lower speed. i was thinking it had something to do with sway bar/ end links? maybe the sway bar is stretched out or something from the car being too low? maybe a lose bolt? i triple checked all my work before putting everything back together so i highly doubt its a lose bolt.

11-26-2013, 12:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
ResIpsa Track Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 564 Drives: 09 RACING HEN Rep Power: 338	That happens to me all the time when I swap my springs. I would bet that it is a loose shock tower bolt. What may seem tight can become loose when the springs take on the weight of the car. __________________ The Reed Law Firm; Michael Fasano VA Attorney and Counselor at Law: A Virginia Traffic, Criminal, and Family Lawyer.https://reedlawva.com/

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11-26-2013, 10:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
RICAN Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: fort hood, tx Posts: 345 Drives: 2012 370z m6 Rep Power: 12	I don't know what brand of coilovers you have but that happen to me on my srt4....I had bc br!!...I had to readjust my spring and it got better

11-26-2013, 11:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
Thorazine_IM Base Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: CA Posts: 158 Drives: 13 Nissan 370Z PW M6 Rep Power: 13	I have d2 racing. What do you mean by readjust the spring? Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

11-27-2013, 12:02 AM	#7 (permalink)
Thorazine_IM Base Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: CA Posts: 158 Drives: 13 Nissan 370Z PW M6 Rep Power: 13	Maybe tighten the spring perch? Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

11-27-2013, 04:59 AM	#8 (permalink)
RICAN Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: fort hood, tx Posts: 345 Drives: 2012 370z m6 Rep Power: 12	yes i made spring tighter by turning the adjustment ring for the spring!!...now i would also make sure the coilover is not hitting anything in there!!meaning tie rod or the control arm!!.. inspect everything in there!!...you might not be hitting anything but it doesn't hurt to check!!

11-27-2013, 05:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
FuTuRe is Z Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: CT Posts: 263 Drives: 2014 370z Rep Power: 12	I had the noise when I installed coilovers on my previous car, if I recall correctly it went away. Does it sound like a coil binding like a ting ting ting noise or is it clunking, clunking is a loose strut tower bolt.

11-27-2013, 05:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
FuTuRe is Z Enthusiast Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: CT Posts: 263 Drives: 2014 370z Rep Power: 12	If you hear it over bumps it's definitely a loose strut tower bolt, if you hear it while cutting the wheel I believe it does that until the suspension is settled.

11-29-2013, 02:46 AM	#14 (permalink)
Thorazine_IM Base Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: CA Posts: 158 Drives: 13 Nissan 370Z PW M6 Rep Power: 13	alright so today i re-tightened the already tight shock tower bolts thinking that overtightening them would fix it and i also tightened the spring perch. i tried moving the spring around but there is no play whatsoever. everything just seems to be tight no matter how you look at it. and still the clunking sound. still the same: it only happens at low speed going over select bumps/road imperfection. even the slightest road perfection triggers it. once again i say select road bumps. it doesnt happen over every single one otherwise that would be super annoying. i just try to ignore it hoping that it would go away once the spring settles. oh i forgot to mention its coming from the front driver side.