Funky suspnsion noise after coilover install

[El_Guapo]

Hey guy,

I recently installed my KW Variant 3 coilovers, when I test drove the car afterwards I noticed a clunking type sound coming from the front. I figured it was from the low ride height settings that were on the coilovers when I got them.

Today, I took the car to have some tires mounted as well as an alignment. They mounted the tires and when they went to do the alignment the guy at the shop told me I needed to raise the car so he could do the alignment, so I took the car home and raised the suspension all around. On my way back to the shop the car was still making this clunking noise. I was thinking it may be a bad bushing(s) or somethinng. Is this noise normal? The noise seems to be a little more frequent on the passanger side.


Ivan

[McCoy]

Whenever I hear clunking nose it usually means my top nut (holding the strut into the camber plate) has backed out some causing the noise...

[eye-5]

^ That is very common. They don't come torqued. You usually need an impact to torque them as that shaft spins. The other possible thing is a loose spring seat. Make sure the rings are locked together.

[El_Guapo]

Whenever I hear clunking nose it usually means my top nut (holding the strut into the camber plate) has backed out some causing the noise...

^ That is very common. They don't come torqued. You usually need an impact to torque them as that shaft spins. The other possible thing is a loose spring seat. Make sure the rings are locked together.

I think that may be my problem then. There were only a few threads into the nut, I tightened the passanger side with a ratchet and the shaft did not turn at all and I tightened it until it was about 3 threads from being flush to the top of the nut.

On the drivers side however, the shaft would turn and then stop. I tightened it down a few threads and it would feel snug then loose. I got kind of worried about the shaft turning and stopping, so I backed it off a few threads.

Ivan

[Matt93SE]

Wrap the shaft in a piece of leather or thick rubber or something, then grip with some vice grips. use an impact to spin the top nut down. you don't want any play in there, as you'll have a clunking noise if they're loose.

[El_Guapo]

Wrap the shaft in a piece of leather or thick rubber or something, then grip with some vice grips. use an impact to spin the top nut down. you don't want any play in there, as you'll have a clunking noise if they're loose.

Awesome. Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try when I get home.

Ivan

[Def]

Use blue loctite on the strut shaft nut, otherwise it will eventually work itself loose due to vibration with spherical bearings used since it is usually not a distorted thread locknut.

[El_Guapo]

Worked on the car last night before I went to bed, and holding the shaft with rubber and vise grips worked like a charm. Unfortunately, my water pump decided to explode on my fourth run at the autox, putting a hole in my hood and damaging a few things in the engine bay. I will post more info along with pictures in another thread.


Ivan

[Matt93SE]

Wow.. never seen a water pump actually explode before! in for pics!