Rub marks on shocks?

[tighty]

Hey,

Here are some pics of my passenger side shock. Setup is Tokico Illumina 5-Way + Tein S-Tech Springs on a 2g. Looks like the spring has been rubbing on the shock... Is this normal? I noticied it lately because that side has been sqeaking like a batch. It would sqeak like this before I installed the shocks but hasn't been a problem up until now. The shocks have been in for about 6 months. I checked all the bolts and everything is tightened to specs. I noticed the sqeaking goes away if I set the shocks to like 4, but this is pretty rough for the streets. It is still there on 4, just doesn't sqeak as much. The only thing I can think of is maybe alignment, because after I lowered the car (Tein S-tech = 1.25 - 1.5") I didn't get it done because the tires were getting there and I'm getting new rims and tires next month for Christmas so I put it off until then. Or maybe its a bushing? Its really annoying, and really loud. Any ideas on what this could be are greatly appriciated as I'm stumped!

Pics: (400k jpg files)
http://home.comcast.net/~chaos_phoenix/Spring_Rub_001.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~chaos_phoenix/Spring_Rub_002.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~chaos_phoenix/Spring_Rub_003.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~chaos_phoenix/Spring_Rub_004.jpg

 

[tighty]

So no one has any ideas on this? Could it be from the alignment being off? I just installed my new rims and took a good look at the shocks again in the rear and they're more scraped up than before and starting to rust now, so I have to get this fixed? Could the shock be bad? How far down am I supposed to put the nut on the top of the shock rod? Any help would be greatly appriciated.

 

[DSMvroom]

this might be a stupid reply but did you install them correctly?

Don't spacers and things like that come with suspension mods? Did you use the right ones and or the right amount? I don't know so excuse my ignorance. I'm just trying to throw out ideas.

 

[ChefTSI]

Im runing sportlines and tokico 5 ways, and have yet to have a problem, About the first thing you do after lowering any car is take it in and get it aligned. have them check to see if anything is bent (control arms) anything. im not to sure on what could be your problem, but yes take it in and get it aligned.

 

[ADrewzki]

Let us know if the alignment fixes your problem. Looks like a rear shock too. Is the shock centered correctly on the strut/brace?

 

[tighty]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure I installed them correctly. Read Haynes, Chiltons, PlymouthLaser.com, vfaq articles before I installed them but theres always a chance. When I get it aligned (after I get my camber kit) next week I will have them take a look at it and tell me what they think. I don't think any of my suspension parts are bent, because I haven't had any accidents or hit any really big holes.

Let us know if the alignment fixes your problem. Looks like a rear shock too. Is the shock centered correctly on the strut/brace?

You are correct that it is the rear shock. By strut/brace do you mean at the top where the 2 mounting bolts are that are inside the car, under the covers?

this might be a stupid reply but did you install them correctly?

Don't spacers and things like that come with suspension mods? Did you use the right ones and or the right amount? I don't know so excuse my ignorance. I'm just trying to throw out ideas.

They're installed as right as I could get them according to all the stuff I studied before hand. As for the spacers or any other additional hardware, my Tokico's came with nothing but the shock/struts and the springs had no additional hardware either.

Thanks again to those who replied.

 

[tighty]

Hi guys,

OK so I got it aligned and it has not fixed the problem. Even worse, now that I have my rims, 18x7.5 ADR Spade's with 225/40/18 tires, its rubbing the inner fender that most people roll. It is only on the passenger rear that it is rubbing. I couldn't get the other side to rub, just the passenger rear. I turned the shocks up to 4 and it still rubs on that side. The wierd thing is it seemed to go away after I put the camber kits on and had tons of positive camber on both sides. That causes the other side to rub instead.

Still have no idea. I guess I will try to roll the fender on that side, but something is obviously wrong over there if one side rubs and the other doesn't, right?

Thanks.

 

[tighty]

Anymore ideas? I also looked at the tires and the one thats rubbing seems to have a little more positive camber then the other...but Big O said they were aligned perfectly pretty much. Could something be bent? Please help before I screw up the tire from it rubbing on the inner fender, .

Thanks.

 

[91lizard]

it aint anything that has to do with alignment or anything firat of all is there a little cone thing that came with you springs??????is it installed corrsectly cause this is what centers the spring to the strut i had the same problem and i didnt even have mine in and now that i have put them in no rubbin no squeakin

 

[tighty]

it aint anything that has to do with alignment or anything firat of all is there a little cone thing that came with you springs??????is it installed corrsectly cause this is what centers the spring to the strut i had the same problem and i didnt even have mine in and now that i have put them in no rubbin no squeakin

The only thing I can think of that was remotely cone shaped was the bump stop. I noticed you have a 1g and I think they are a little different. Otherwise, no other cone shaped sort of parts on the shocks/struts.

 

[x camaro owner]

spring looks set correctly on the bottom, but it could not be set correctly under the strut mount, also could be a bad spring, or strut

call the spring manufacturers tech support you would be suprised when in a bind you can't figuer out those guys will work with you till it is solved, they go by usually you can't stump us, and i am sure they have seen this before you can't be the only one in the world.

after all they know the behavior of their spring best

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

have you figured out the problem yet "tighty"?

 

[tighty]

have you figured out the problem yet "tighty"?

Lol...no not yet. Pretty soon I'm just gonna start replacing shit. I emailed Tein but I have received no response.

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

damn man that's messed up. not to mention, i'm gettin the same setup installed next week. i'll let ya kno if it gives me the same problem and if it does, believe i'm gonna call for a refund holmes. l8r

 

[tighty]

Well speak of the devil, soon as I posted they haven't responded, they respond, . This is what they had to say...


Hello, we are very sorry to hear that you are having some suspension troubles. We have never encountered this problem with any of our springs. Without having the problem here for our engineers to see it is very hard to say what might have occurred but it have to be an installation issue. We would like to do anything we can to help.
Best regards,
Sales

Staff @ TEIN USA INC.
9798 Firestone Blvd.
Downey, CA 90241
Phone: (562)861-9161
Fax: (562)861-9171

So I dunno, guess I'll have to take it to a shop to see if its installed correctly and pay them to tell me it is.

 

[jtmcinder]

I would take those marks as a good sign.

"WTF?" you say.

Yes, a good sign. It implies to me that your springs have a high enough rate for their length, such that they completely unload on big bumps or when you jack up the car. When they unload, they slide up on the shock. When the car comes back down, they rub on the shock as they settle back into place. You are seeing the evidence of the rubbing.

If you had coilovers with flat-ended springs, the solution would be simple: helper springs. As it is, I'd just live with it and not worry about it.

- Jtoby

 

[tighty]

I would take those marks as a good sign.

"WTF?" you say.

Yes, a good sign. It implies to me that your springs have a high enough rate for their length, such that they completely unload on big bumps or when you jack up the car. When they unload, they slide up on the shock. When the car comes back down, they rub on the shock as they settle back into place. You are seeing the evidence of the rubbing.

If you had coilovers with flat-ended springs, the solution would be simple: helper springs. As it is, I'd just live with it and not worry about it.

- Jtoby

jtmcinder where have you been this whole time, heh. I've seen you post around here on suspension stuff so I'm feeling better. But what about the sqeakin. Its really annoying =(.

Oh and thank you, its nice to get some kind of answer.

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

hey man i just got my tein springs in and it says to cut the bump stops. did u do that ?

 

[tighty]

Mine did not come with any instructions, but I kinda went by the Eibach thing and did trim the front ones a little, but not the rear, I have wondered if I needed to or not. What does it say about the rear? I'd be pissed if this was my problem some how....at myself of course =).

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

it says to trim the front as well as the back by 0.8 inches on our front wheel drive cars. maybe that'll help. good luck

 

[tighty]

Thanks for that info. I'll keep my fingers crossed and cut them this weekend...hopefully that will at least help with the problem.

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

yea man try that and keep me informed as i'll be installing my stuff sometime this week when the shocks get in. also, what number of adjustment do u have the shocks set on (front as well as back)? L8r

 

[tighty]

Alright, last night I took out both shocks in the rear in the pouring ass rain and dissassembled them and cut the bump stops a little. I also sprayed everything down and with penetrating oil cause it was pretty dirty and really hard, which seemed to soften the rubber and the dust cover up a little. The only other thing that differed from the previous installs was that my dad thought the lower spring perch on the shock that has been making all the noise looked like it was bent down to him...I didn't really notice, but he bent it up a tiny bit. Now that its all back together so far it seems like the problem is fixed, I haven't heard a sqeak yet and the car seems a lot more stable than before. For example I was goign on the freeway, and they have those grooves every 20 feet on the curved areas...in case of earthquakes or something, and before when I hit that it felt like my shit was falling apart and when I just went over it earlier, I could barely feel it. No rattling like before or anything.

Theres still a chance that its just not sqeaking yet because it hasn't dried out from the rain and stuff but I will keep my fingers crossed that it is fixed finally. Unfortunately I can't say whether it was the oil, bending that perch or the bump stops that fixed it, but for people having the same problem its a good place to start. I'll post again in a few weeks to let everyone know if the problem comes back or if it is in fact whipped.

 

[skoolz4loserz69]

i just got done installing the setup and i noticed that the front is pretty damn high, more than the back. is that normal dude? as far as noise or handling it's good. do u have any pictures of your car so maybe we could compare?

 

[tighty]

Give it a little time to settle I think. The front on mine has always been a tiny bit higher, but I always attributed it to the extra weight I have in the rear from about 200lbs of stereo equipment =). Mine is not all that bad though. I've been meaning to get some pics up of my car but wanted to take them when its actually clean, which I haven't washed it in about 3 months cause its wet and will rain on it, but I'll try to get you some.