96 RS N/A suspension help.

[Straycat]

Hey guys. So.......I traded my wife's mountaineer for this 96 RS ( in all fairnes she stole my 97 EK typeR conversion so it's not like she is missing out) and well, when I drive it "normally" i dont have any issues, no noises,ect. But when I get on it in first and second gear i hear a periodic "knock" sound and i feel it in the floorpans at my feet. third through fith gear runs out perfectly smooth, and i dont feel any vibration in the shifter handle or anything. it has new lower control arms, ball joints, axles and rear shocks/springs, the only thing that i noticed is that they bubbafied the front springs and cut them almost in half to lower the front end, and at the forward part of the crossmember where the 2 big bolts go into the lower core support, 1 bolt is missing the rubber washer/grommet thing completely and the other is on its way out. It may just be me, but it seems that if the above mentioned issues were the cause it would happen essentially all the time while driving and it isnt. And I dont really have any good way of looking to see what it could be aside from duct taping the kid down the street to the front end with a video camera to document it. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue and hoping to hell its not an oddball internal trans issue. engine/trans only have 89k on them.

 

[DSM_IKE]

Well best way i can tell you to find out if your having any troubles from your shocks would to first jack up the car and see if there is any wheel play left to right and or up and down.. If your shocks were altered in anyway that is not good i would replace them. I just had a thought, Im not sure if its the same on a 2g as a 1g, but if it is the same check on the drivers side cv axle and make sure that the carrier bracket and bushing in still on the cv axle mounted to the block, this could possibly be an issue.

 

[Straycat]

I'm not sure but I'll look into that. I took it to work yessterday and put it on the lift ( i'm a tech by trade) and you can grab the front springs and slide them up and down the front strut a good 6 inches. I dont know wether there are any sort of retainment clips or so on that should be keeping the spring locked in, but if so they rednecked all that too. But there is zero up and down or side to side movement. That was my first thought too. Ball joints are good tie rods are good, and wheel bearings are good. I just ordered a set of new KYB struts and Tein S springs for her. Trying to get all of the dipshit out of her I can, but I am sure I'll find more as time goes on.......i'll get some lower front end pics up in a few hours..

Damnitt, it's in the trans I'm pretty sure. Sounds like the bearings in the counter shaft are on their way out. Is there an upgrade or should I just rebuild it myself with some beefier parts if they are available?

 

[DSM_IKE]

Yea, the springs should deff not move like that at all. .. Sounds like they cut the hell out of them. As far as trans goes im probably not the one to ask as i am trying to learn the basics of the dsm myself. If it was me and i suspected a trans problem like that i would probably go pull one from the j yard then worry later on rebuilding the other one.