Problem: people with suspension/ lowering knowledge, help. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

undrcroft · 08-11-2003, 09:01 PM

ok 92 4cyl here. couple weeks ago changed out springs and shocks, front and back. kyb shocks. vogtland springs with a 1.5" drop in front, 1.3" in back. I've been having problems since install. Started out with a clunking noise, but assumed that was because i used the old spring insulator rings, and the front ones were shot. This caused the front springs, atleast one, to become unseated/ rotate around to where the spring wasn't sitting in the right place on the shock. I replaced the rubber rings and the springs seem to have stayed in place on the shocks, but i still have a clunking sound. I'm pretty sure its the same sound as before, but now it happens at every sharp slow turn. All the bolts are tight. My mechanic recently said the cv joints are fine, and i can see myself that the boots are ok. When i did the install both times, when i put the top strut cap on the, i lined the rubber mount under the cap up with the end of the spring, but when i lined the cap up with the old spots in the rubber for the three cap bolts. the arrows on the cap didn't line up with the steering knuckle. i had to leave the top rubber mount so that the groove would line up with the end of the spring, but i had to turn the cap so that the arrows lined up. I figure the three bolts would make new indentations in the rubber and the the pressure would keep the two mounts together. I dont think this would cause a clunk. Is it something to do with the camber. I'm not really sure about what this is. I know you can use an aftermarket to lower the car but am i messing up the stock one? Or is it the struts turning, or a joint or what. I'm stumped.
help please. can't stand this stupid clunk when turning. Worried I'm wearing something out.

S.Thet · 08-12-2003, 04:42 PM

well i dont know about car mechanical stuff so i cant help you with your problem sorry but what i want to know is did you buy your springs off of ebay(im planning on buying some) and is it a even drop and how much finger gap do you have and is the kyb struts any good. thanks

rezzle · 08-12-2003, 08:03 PM

Maybe Xenon can help you when he gets back.

He has had some good experience lowering his ride.

undrcroft · 08-12-2003, 09:16 PM

well i got the vogtlands off ebay, don't remember how much. theyre pretty stiff, but with the shocks the ride isn't too rough, and the drop was good. Noticeably lower but still had good clearence with stock wheels and 17's i just put on. I don't know any exact space measurements but I would highly recommend the springs. The car is alot more even with the road, not as jacked up looking in the back. The KYB's seem good but with as bad as my shocks were before, i could have put anything in there. I'd ask someone who only put the shocks in, not a shock/ spring change at the same time thing that i did. Also if you have the same car as i do, i'd recommend waiting till my prob. gets fixed, because i have yet to have someone tell me whats causing the clunking. No one's given me an installation error on my part. So you'll probably have the same prob.

Luc · 08-12-2003, 10:36 PM

When the strut mounts were installed over the struts, there are grooves under the strut mount that need to be seated properly on the strut damper shaft. This way, the strut mount won't rotate freely. The arrows on the dust boots don't really matter much, except for seating properly with strut mounts. But of course, make them as accurate as possible. Of the Gen3, Gen4, Gen4.5, Solara, & ES that I did, I haven't had any clunking noises.

undrcroft · 08-12-2003, 11:05 PM

yeah the spring is seated in the mount correctly. As i mentioned thats why the arrows weren't lined up. The arrows have to line up with the steering knuckle. With the cars you've done did you do shocks or springs or both at the same time? and were any dropped?

Luc · 08-12-2003, 11:28 PM

Here is the break down for those cars.

Gen3: H&R Sport springs (1.3"-1.4") on stock SE struts (no problems)
Gen4: Eibach Camry springs with TRD/Bilstein struts (1.2")
Gen4.5: "TRD" Solara springs with TRD/Bilstein struts (1.6")
Solara: Ground Control sleeves with Tokico blues (1.2"-2.0", with front camber kit)
ES300: same as Gen4

It's possible that the KYBs may be bottoming out with the Vogtland springs.

Xenon · 08-13-2003, 03:27 AM

Have your mechanic put your car on the hoist and then try to jiggle the front tires to see if they're any loose. I used to have a knocking noice every time I take a left turn and it turned out to be the lower ball joints, when my mechanic pulled them, they were so gone you could move them with one finger.

Did this noise only come out after you installed the suspension?

gqdabien · 08-13-2003, 05:12 AM

I have vogtland springs recently installed on my gen3 and i have clunking noises coming from the back which i cannot figure out the cause of. All the bolts are tight on the strut and i have noidea what is causing this.

S.Thet · 08-13-2003, 09:43 AM

any pics?

bastion · 08-13-2003, 10:22 AM

According ot the shop I had my vogt's installed at, it has to do with the increased pressure on the springs from the drop and the way that the independent suspension in the front (since it's front wheel drive) acts. When you turn, the struts on the front (which is where I'm having my popping sound come from) not only turn, but also pivot some side to side. The tech said that when this happens, due to the increased pressure on teh spring, and the pivoting motion of the strut, it causes the spring itself to pop like that. He said that it wasn't the boot or any part of the strut mounting for the spring that was making the noise, but it was actually the spring. I am taking it in tonight and dropping it off for a few days. They are going to do whatever they can to figure out a solution to the problem. Hopefully, in the 3 days they will have it they can find a way to fix it.

Does anyone else have or had this problem before that is NOT using Vogtland springs?

undrcroft · 08-13-2003, 11:09 AM

xenon: yeah the suspension was fine before the springs and shocks.

Bastion: could you post any updates on your situation here please. Seems you're going through the same thing. Did you change your shocks too?

wontonjohnny · 08-13-2003, 11:58 AM

assuming you didnt install the springs yourself my guess is the mechanic fucked up the rear sway bar links, (those things are a bitch to get off) and didnt want to tell you cause they are pretty exspensive.

go and check the links closely, try jacking the car up evenly on both side of the back of the car just high enoughs o that there's no tension on the sway bar, check the links by jerking it around

if it rattles then that's your problem

bastion · 08-13-2003, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by undrcroft
xenon: yeah the suspension was fine before the springs and shocks.

Bastion: could you post any updates on your situation here please. Seems you're going through the same thing. Did you change your shocks too?

Will do. Nope, stock McPherson struts. I'll let you know what they say about it. It will probably be sunday or monday before I pick it up.

wontonjohnny: I'll be sure to mention to my shop that they look at the front sway bar links.

***BLUEMEANIE*** · 08-13-2003, 12:56 PM

I did my Tokicos and H&R's then the Whitelines and then Vogtlands, springs and struts at once on my own (with YESCA's help :p ) with an impact wrench... no noises. I've since pulled them off and chopped 3/4ths of the dead coil off the fronts and put them back on... no noises.