I just bought and installed some GC coilovers and Tokico illuminas with no instructions. So im not sure if I installed everything right, but after three tries on both the front and rear, everythign finally sits right.

Everythign except the passenger side front wheel. At first all the corners were threaded a quater of the way down from the top. The passenger side was almost two inches higher then the rest of the car though. I had to thread the passnger side down more then halfway to even it out with the rest of the car.

Now when driving I can hear noises that seems to be the spring hopping after every little bump. When a friend drove with me though, the noises stopped (added weight on that side?)

HAs anyone had similar problems with this setup? Have any idea what this could be? Why would one side need to be threaded down so much farther then the rest?

BTW, Its on a 93 civic ex coupe, I have the right springs installed front and back, and everything is bolted in tight.

Thanks for any help.

 

help

 

The first thing that you need to make sure of it that the surface that your measurements are on is dead level, not just rather level. Most cars will have some variances in height corner to corner if the ground is not level.

Once you are on a known level surface, you need to get out a small tape measure (I use one of the tiny key ring tape measires) and just start making lots of measurements. Measure that your threaded sleeves are truly the same length and that the spring perches are sitting in the same spots side to side based on the distances from the lower mounting bolt or a known consistent point. It doesn't matter how far down from the top of the threading you are if the threading is different lengths or starts at different heights. If the springs are truly the same side to side, then set the perches at the same places in comparison to the boittom mounting bolts or fork pinch bolt on the front. This should have the cars in the ballpark of level. Of course you cannot just lower the car from a jack and take a measurement, the car needs to roll or drive forward and backard several revolutions of the tire to let things settle or for sure your measurements will be bad.

I am betting that your problem is that you have now dropped the passenger side so low that the driver's front spring is holding the majority of the front weight of the car and the passneger spring is contributing little. This could explain the nise (free motion) when no one else is in the car but the weight of your passenger is enough to stop the spring from moving. Measure the height from a easy to measure, consistant point on the rim to one on the fender. At KONI when measuring for R&D, we put a small piece of masking tape on an identifiable point on the fender and make a pencil mark on the tap to measure to exactly on both sides then measure down to the rim in a repeatable, exact spot.

If your perch to shock mount bolts measurements are the same, the springs are the same, the surface is level, tire pressures are appropriate, etc., then the heights should be pretty darned close or you have some issues like frame twist, etc. Measure everything and do it consistantly. Trust good ,measurements more than just standing back and looking at it. Of course corner weighting the car will be the real proof but that tends to be overkill for the street IMO if you have to pay much. A steady approach of lots of well reasoned tape measurements will go a long way for a street car and your problem will most likely be resolved this way.

 

Thanks, Ill try that just as soon as it cools down, feels like 110 down here.

Also, I just remember that the coilover didnt fit snug onto the tokico. The drivers side had been taped up and fit snug but the passengers side had not. I fix that to while Im at it.

 

Didnt work, I tightened the pass front coilover as high as it would let me (about a 1/4 form the top) and then measured averything and got everythign close to even. I then drove around and the same noise is there over even the smallest bump. I even put on more tape where the gc rests on the illum so it would fit snugger.

Same noise, clanking?

Please help
Thanks

Steve

 

did you use the little rubber o-rings that go around the shock body before the threaded perch goes on? If the threaded sleve is not held off the shock body by those o-rigs, you may hear some noise.

 

did u install the dusk boot cover thingie. it could b because of that. iono if that would help but that was making noises

 

Figured it out, I found a rubbre bushing on the floor... reinstalled it and now it rides fine.... except for that blown strut...