eg6_jb7

Hello all,

My recent introduction is here:

https://honda-tech.com/introduce-you.../#post50109518

First of all, I apologize in advance: I've put this question in the Fit forum because there is no forum for my car on Honda Tech. I drive a 2006 Honda Life Turbo (JB7), in Japan.

The reason why I am posting here is because the rear suspension setup is very similar to the Fit and thus information regarding the Fit could be compatible.

I am no stranger to major modifications, mostly suspension and chassis, but I just swapped out the OEM suspension (front and rear) and put in the Trust GReddy PS Compact coilover kit.

トラスト サスペンション&スプリング BL コンフォート ダウンスプリング

So far, it rides like a charm and is lower by about 4 cm, but there is a strange noise coming from the rear left-side suspension area. It seems that when the car goes over an uneven road surface on an angle, such as out a driveway or on an uneven incline, the left rear area produces a very deep tension-related-sounding noise, like a spring that's popping or under tension and moving around somehow. It happens when the car has to lift up on the rear left side and when the car is undergoing torsion. It really sounds like the spring. I've only remedially taken a look and can't see anything visually obvious. I plan to get under there the next time I have a chance jack the car up and perhaps let the suspension down to see if the spring needs to be reset into a better seating position. The sound ONLY happens on the rear left side. At first I thought the rear fold-down seats weren't locked in, but they are now, and the sound continues.

I guess the question is: Has anyone, when changing the rear OEM spring in a Fit to an aftermarket spring, come across similar problems? And if so, how did you remedy it?

Also, on the lower seat of the spring, there is a little plastic clip that sort of retains the spring around the raised area that it sits around. The clip is only 2 cm long, is shaped like a small fin pointing upward, and it clips into a slot hole on the metal area of the seat area. I am used to the older Civics where the damper and spring are one unit, and although I let the rear axle fall enough to allow the spring on that side to fall out, the raised area of this clip broke off when I pulled the spring out. Now, that fin doesn't really stick up any more cause it broke off. It didn't seem to me that this clip was all that important (being plastic and all; perhaps just a guide for installation), but I wonder if it is. However, the body of the clip below the fin is still there and still provides something for the bottom of the spring to rest on. The right-side clip is still perfect and no sound is coming from there. That clip aside, I wonder if the spring is just not seated perfectly.

Any thoughts would be helpful. Thank you all.

Best regards,

eg6_jb7

eg6_jb7

****PROBLEM SOLVED****

As a note for anyone who might experience the same problem on any Honda:

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the rear left spring was not seated in the correct position. However, these cars exhibit something strange regarding how the spring seat topography differs right to left.

During installation, I had assumed that the seat topography of both sides was symmetrical and thus mirrored each other. That assumption was wrong. Strangely, enough, on each side, there is one plastic fin tab that provides a spot for the spring to sit beside.

On the right side, the fin sits on the left side of the spring seat, while on the left side, the fin sits ALSO on the left side, which I find very strange, but that is apparently how Honda designed it, not sure. I didn't realize this at first, thus I positioned the spring incorrectly. There was no mention of this in the manual.

Anyways, perhaps the same small plastic fins exist in the Fit? If so, don't assume that each side is designed the same.

It's really interesting working on a Honda that is not known in North America; it's a bit like relearning everything again at times.

Case closed.