I searched extensively and there hasn't been much discussed regarding my problem.

<U>Problem</U>
loud clunking from rear suspension (right and left) when driving normally over potholes, imperfections, road seams, lane reflectors you name it.

<U>My thoughts</U>
I'm certain it's metal against metal. It sounds like something is slamming back up against something else when the suspension compresses. As of right now, the only thing I can imagine it might be is the shock bushings not working properly. Perhaps the shock inner hat bushing is bad and the spring is slamming against the ceiling of the hat. I don't think it's possible, but you never know.

<U>The car/mods (all that apply)</U>
-95 EG
-KYB AGX front & rear
-H&R Race springs front & rear (2.5f/2.25r)
-bumpstops cut in half
-14 in steelies
-stock exhaust

<U>Notes</U>
Everything back there is torqued to factory spec, I'm very meticulous about working on my car.


Modified by Ant Bishop at 4:28 PM 5/23/2003


Modified by Ant Bishop at 8:42 PM 5/23/2003

 

check the tightness of the nuts and bolts on your suspension. even though you torqued them down....check again

 

also, check the tightness of your lug nuts.

Last time i had my wheels off I went to take a leak before I left my friends house, he said he would take care of the lug nut tightening.

A few days later a clunk developed so I went to check everything, but when i went to take the lug nuts off, only 3 were there, and 2 were only slightly more than finger tight!!

That might not solve it, but try the easy fix before you take your suspension apart.

 

My rear does this, too. It used to do it with my stock suspension, and it does it now occasionally with my koni yellows and H&Rs. I can't really figure out what it is for sure, either.

 

Did you install the rubber peices back the same way?

This is what is happenin w/ my car I know that's the problem I'm just too lazy to fix it.

 

it could also be the softer section of your spring hitting.. as in coil against coil.. i believe some people actually put wire loom around the coil to take the clucking away..

 

bump stops????

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by domestik2k &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bump stops????</TD></TR></TABLE>
He cut his bumpstops in half just as your supposed to... However i don't see anything about cutting your dustboot cover as well. This will do it as there is metal inside the plastic outside. With the lower ride height, it will start to smash against the shock housing itself. Could be that or your shocks are bad. Def check the dustboot cover first though.

 

did you put those stock metal covers that protect the shaft back on? perhaps your bottoming them out. I had the same problem and just removed them and it was fixed. The dustboot cover....

 

FifthGear - I'll check it again, but I'm sure this aint it.

Briman - thanks, I'll check that too, but I'm 100 plus percent sure it aint that.

SlippylesKB - I'll be installing all new bushings back there this weekend so I'll be able to see if I installed incorrectly, but I'm almost certain it aint that either since I've taken my suspension apart twice since installing it originally.

ej0513 - good one, but this is solid metal against metal as in hammer against sheet metal (body panels)

domestik - nice one

98Hatch00 - no dust covers. I left these off to have easier access to the bumpstops in case more needed to be cut later. And they did. they are now at or below 50%.

Pritos - that's what 98Hatch said

Thanks everyone. As I stated above, I'll be replacing all the stock rubber bushings on the shocks with new oem rubber. I'll deffinitely post a follow-up seeing as how no one has experience with this.

Someone has to know what I'm talking about and found a solution

 

I have the same problem....I'll be getting all the new rubber bushings this weekend...how eary are they to put in?? any special tools needed??

 

SlowCivic,

Depends on your suspension. Is it stock? If it is you'll need to compress the spring with a special tool you can rent from pepboys or kragen. I don't need to for mine they just come apart with the shaft nut removed. Once you are able to remove the top hat, you can access the 1-2 rubber bushings that hold the shock shaft straight in the top hat and also the bigger, inner top hat bushings (big, round, flat). Hope this helps

 

thanks...its dropped already...just getting TEINs and throwing the stock strut away!!

thanks for the info!!

 

Modified by Ant Bishop at 12:52 PM 5/23/2003

 

I wanted to bump because I think this should be covered extensively. I doubt I'm the only one with these symptoms. Anyway it would make for better searching material for the future.

<U>update</U>
bought complete shock bushing set from Honda dealer and will install asap. I'll give results after a test drive with them installed. I can only assume they will make a noticeable difference in ride quality from how stout they look compared to the old set. The spring-hat bushing is significantly thicker than the old one.


Modified by Ant Bishop at 1:17 PM 5/23/2003

 

let me know I"m waiting to order ES or Prothane upper bushings......damn holiday!!

 

throw ya for a loop. i didnt have the problem with the stock suspension, i put the energy master kitin, konoi yellows GC coils and ST rear sway in one weekend and then the noises started woooo

 

doh!!!!

I'll soon see...haha

 

when i took my ACCORD to the dealership for the same thing, they told me that the sway bar had to be replaced, in the rear, of course. so, i would imagine it is something with that setup you may have there, something is loose or else. Good luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by naujcdl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">when i took my ACCORD to the dealership for the same thing, they told me that the sway bar had to be replaced, in the rear, of course. so, i would imagine it is something with that setup you may have there, something is loose or else. Good luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What the ****? I don't have a rear sway. I would've mentioned this in " The car/mods (all that apply) " if I had. Is it just me or is there some direct correlation between dumb-*** responses to members with few posts?

<U>update</U>
Let me clarify that my car isn't slammed. It is on "race" springs if you will, but not slammed. The drop is approximately 2.5 Fr & 2.25 Rr. I strongly doubt any part of the suspension is smacking any part of the chassis even at extreme compression, much less under normal driving which is when I'm describing the sysmptoms.

 

I used to have H&R race springs on my 93 Si hatch and running stock shocks. I had the same problem for years. I just left it as I figured it was a problem with running race springs with stock shocks. After I got Koni Yellows installed, it still did that. I think there's something about the race springs that make that sound. After switching to skunk2 coilover sleeves with my koni yellows, it all disappeared. I'm 95% it's the springs, although I don't know what it is about the springs that makes that clanging sound. Probably the high spring rate?...i dunno.

 

k, i read through the whole post and i didn't see it mentioned. you have progressive springs... so maybe it's the coils touching under compression... and maybe when you go over potholes the springs uncompress and the coils touch when they are compressed to their normal height.

just a thought.

 

Westside and Black,

The speculation of it being the springs is a good one. I can't say for sure it isn't. I beleive that if it were the springs, then the sound would be ever changing in decibal level. It doesn't. It is always the same volume and tone. I'm leaning towards two pieces of metal that are butted together at normal height, seperating when the shock/spring together decompress and then butt again when the combo compresses.

Black,

Did you say hello to the cow's on your way up Cali's ***?

 

<U>update</U>
Installed the rear shock bushings tonight. These include, the two small bushings that go on either side of the shock hat, and the inner hat spring bushing. The clunking is still there, but it isn't as loud as before. I'm enraged because I know for sure it's coming from the shocks somewhere...

I noticed a couple of things with how the shocks work. The shaft collar that sits in the two small bushings is shorter than the bushings when installed on the hat. Note: this is with the hat of the shock. Now, when everything is installed and torqued the bushings compress and I beleive are supposed to compress enough to let the collar sit flush against the two washers surrounding them leaving no gaps between them. Please correct me if I am wrong about this. Those three metal pieces are then a solid unit. This is where I think the clunking is coming from. Perhaps these three metal pieces and bushings are not creating a solid unit. When the shocks are at normal height, the three pieces are not touching. So when the shock shaft shoots back up after driving over a pothole, the washers slam against the collar and it clunks.

Installing shocks is pretty straight forward, but if I missed something let me know. This is how my rears are installed:

shock body
spring
bump stop
shaft safety collar
washer
hat; 2 small bushings/collar and big spring bushing
lock nut washer
lock nut

Here's a pic of the rear shock from Majestic. Take out 9 and 10 and this is how I have them installed. Note: my #11 is smaller in diameter and is tapered on the underside.
http://www.imagestation.com/my...36488





Modified by Ant Bishop at 1:02 PM 5/25/2003

 

1. make sure the spring is properly placed in the groove in the shock body.