Knocking Suspension

[mctwistuk]

i think my car is beginning to suffer from the dreaded knock which doesn't really surprise me after reading a lot of people's experiences on here. I will get these replaced under warranty when i can get round to it but due to planning to keep the car for a good few years more i was wondering if maybe i should be saving for some coilovers to fit to my car so i can put the new struts in the shed to keep them good for when i sell the car. there seems to be a lot of different makes out there and just wondered what everyone's views were. there is a groupbuy on Snet for Apex coilovers for ~£500 delivered are they any good? Or are the tein superstreet the ones to go for???? Also looking for suppliers etc. Not looking to spend a fortune on them as i don't go on track.

I think i may be better getting the handling side sorted before looking for more power so might concentrate on this side of things now.

I welcome any advice.

Cheers

Chris

[RS Grant]

If the suspension on the SpecG was to go the same way then I'd be trying to buy some adjustable shocks to go with my lowering springs. IMO, for a fast road car, some quality top (damping) adjustable shocks and slight lowering springs are a better option than coilovers which tend to be a bit more harsh and stiff over bumpy b-roads.

I remember pricing/researching this when I had a Classic and I was all set for an adjustable KYB shock and eibach spring set-up once I moved onto the suspension mods. I'm not sure if the same setup is available for a Hawkeye.

Cheers,

Grant

[scooby222]

im in the same position,for the 2nd time and only got 6000 miles from subarus choclate box efforts this time.

i thought about going the route grants suggesting but as i dont touch the car myself ive been advised that the cost will work out nearly the same as coilovers,though id be interested to hear from anyone whos tried this.

been looking at the apex stuff too,but my other halfs car has tein superstreets and i dont find them that hard on b roads and they have a better(more available) backup service.

[RS Grant]

Yep, to be fair.. I have got Tanabe Fully Adjustable Coilovers on the Integra and they are pretty compliant, however, the damping is set quite soft for the road. One of my friends has Tein SuperStreets and they are a little harder than the Tanabe, but WAY more driveable and useable than another friend that bought some cheaper coilovers on an almost identical car which are crazy stiff.

I dont doubt that things like AST and Exe-TC are really quality bits of kit that 'do-it-all', but they are another stage up price-wise again from things like Tein Basics, Apex etc.

Cheers,

Grant

[scooby222]

didnt know you had an integra grant-you a dc2 or dc5 man?

cheers dave

[thewelsho]

Coilovers are a bit harsh for everyday road use and unless your are going to do some track work, best avoided. Lowering springs will do a good job of making the car look aggressive and will go a long way to improving the handling.

[RS Grant]

Its a Black JDM DC2 that I bought on an impluse to replace the SpecG... however, its was a bit too much of a jump performance-wise and I didn't think it through properly, so the Scoob is now back on the drive along with the Integra. Going to be taking pictures and writing a full spec list of the Teg tomorrow before sticking it up on Pistonheads etc.

(Sorry for the thread hi-jack)

Cheers,

Grant

[mctwistuk]

yeah but springs still make use of the chocolate subaru struts though. what happens when my warranty runs out and i need new struts and i have forked out for lowering springs?

[seano]

Buy a car with coilovers on it lol.Wish i could talk Grant into my spec c.Iv got used sti shockers in the garage if you want them but yours is still under waranty

[mctwistuk]

don't see the point in fitting more chocolate shockers so am looking fo something more robust ence coilovers or something similar if someone can advise.

[st3ph3n]

I'd take the stealers to town and get some new shockers all round, or at least at the rear. Then get coilovers fitted at a later date. It's your warranty - make the most of it. IF you ever need to sell the car later you've got a newish set of shocks to put on it then!

[scooby222]

yeah but springs still make use of the chocolate subaru struts though. what happens when my warranty runs out and i need new struts and i have forked out for lowering springs?

exactly the position im in,got the prodrive spring kit fitted to mine as didnt want to go to coilovers but had all 4 struts replaced last october under warranty (with a great deal of hasle ) 2 attempts by dealers to sort the geometry out before i eventually had to pay up myself and take it to hypertech to get it right. now 11 months and less than 6000 miles later im in the same position and i just cant be bothered with the hassle of rolling up to subaru every 5 or 6 k to get my car to drive properly.

[mctwistuk]

coilovers seem to be the solution even if it is just road use i am using the car for so will just need to save my pennies for some Teins i think. Was considering the Apex group buy on snet but not heard much about them.

I will of course get said struts replaced under warranty first so at least i will have a good set for the shedm lol

[scooby222]

think itl be teins for me too,im sure the apex ones are ok but tein has a good name without being as expensive as ast or exe tc-plus i like the idea of the edfc damper controller in car.

maybe try for a group buy over the other side

sounds like a nice motor grant,quite fancy one of my own for a tak car but the blue beast keeps eating all my funds lol!

[thewelsho]

Bear in mind that coilovers are not impregnable, they can go wrong too and the cost of replacing those will be considerably more than a strut. Of course, they are more robust but the initial outlay is over £800 supplied and fitted and that's for the standard ones.

Edited September 18, 2008 by TheWelsho

[scooby222]

im guessing you get more than 6000 miles from a set though? and bearing in mind that a sti strut(single) from subaru is £300 plus fitting, i think coilovers are a bit of a bargain!

seriously im quite happy not to get coilovers if theres a better option but to be honest id sell the thing if i hadnt spent so much on it already-did over 60,000 miles with classics with no bother just dont understand what subaru are doing. and its not that im paranoid or oversensitive,it was pointed out by awd at my annual service that 3 out of 4 struts had excessive play in the mounts and that the car must handle like crap-which was reassuring as i thought it was just my driving!

[mctwistuk]

If anyone knows of any group buys on Tein coilovers can they let me know please.

[man-with-men]

Your going to put coilovers on your wrx?

Maybe you should simply get the strut replaced or get a new s****y set of springs as well to make you feel better.

If you dont drive it like you have mental issues then your not going to enjoy coilovers and neither is your wife/boyfriend/dog

[scooby222]

ok,so coilovers are bad bad things and seeing as everyone says il regret it i wont go down this route

so to keep the dog happy can someone advise me on a make of strut to go for? subaru is simply not an option,not in the long term as a 20,000 mile car needing its 3rd set of subaru shocks indicates that theyre made by blind monkeys or that i do indeed drive it in a style of escaping the asylum

[peacher]

Would also be interested in any advice anyone has on this as I am in the same boat. Car was at the dealers last week to get some things looked at (including knocking suspension). Informed that that there is excessive play in the 2 rear struts and that I am looking at about £600 to fix. Wouldn't mind so much but car is 3 years 4 months old and now out of warranty although am sure the knocking was there at my last service (30,000 mile /3 year) when the car was in warranty and nothing was mentioned

[Bugeye29]

av got AST coilovers fitted on mine and i find them fine for everyday use just use the screw at the top to make them softer or harder ,ma car also sits low and is still not that bumpy , what a would say is get some whiteline goodies to go with whatever set up u decide on then ul be sorted think a was behind u the other morning in paisley a turned off at the shops at penilee , hav u got a McRae sticker on ur boot ?

[mctwistuk]

yeah that was probably me.

sounds like coilovers are not the right thing for me going by everyones feedback. Going to try and find some better struts and go down that route.

cheers

chris

[mctwistuk]

well took the car a wee drive through to edinburgh last night to see a band play as we are still searching for a band for our wedding and had to drive over a lot of cobble roads and i now have a constant knocking from front and back. So it will be a call to S&S on Tuesday and the car booked in for assessment. To all those that have had struts replaced under warranty did any of you question subaru as to why they replace them with the same rubbish? Has anyone tried to get them to cough up for better struts?

I look forward to your replies.

[scooby222]

had enough trouble getting them to replace them at all,only wanted to do the rears and told me there was no known problem! had to ask for written confirmaion that the fronts were ok which i would take to an independent suspension specialist for an engineers report before theyd do all 4. but if you have any luck let me know!

[mctwistuk]

where did you go to get the warrabty claim done? I got my car from S&S in Ayr and am hoping that they will not let me down. I can't understand why Subaru said there wasn't a know problem if they looked back at all the sets of struts they have had to repair under warranty and looked at the root cause of the faults then i am sure they would be saying something different.

Chris