Soarin Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 So, I'm still having popping and creaking issues with my Bilstein HD, Spec B mounts, and Swift Spring setup (mainly at the front, but now at all four corners) after weeks of noise I am just about out of ideas to tell the shop what to look for or what could be wrong. In light of that, I want to know the issues you've had with a modified suspension. From noise to rubbing to even a bouncy ride. plus this: I posted this in the Suspension and Brakes forum, but thought I could get more traffic here and maybe some new ideas. Simply put I am having a suspension popping and creaking noise from the front. Occasionally the right rear makes a noise too. It's fairly constant and repeatable. It happens on bumps and even taking off from and stopping at lights. I and the shop are out of ideas of what's causing the sound and how to permanently fix it. My suspension modification list is as follows and all are new parts. Bilstein HD Struts, Swift Springs, Whiteline LCA Polyurethane bushings both the inner and the tennis ball like pivot one, AVO solid polyurethane endlinks for front and rear, OEM Subaru Legacy Spec B upper mounts, AVO rear swaybar reinforcement brackets. All installed by a local Subaru tuning shop. If it matters at all I also have a Rallitek skidplate and the car has 95,500 miles on it and is an 06 LGT sedan. Any ideas are well welcomed since it's been checked and retorqued and checked again and we can't figure it out. Anyone who has a similar setup please comment if you've had any teething issues. I can't put the stock struts on since they're pretty worn out as is. Please help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 9 time out of 10, the suspension noise is swaybar related. especially if you have an aftermarket bar/bushings with the stock brackets and endlinks. If not this, then ther is another bushing or link gone bad. Very rarely is it a strut/spring unless it was assembled wrong, assuming the strut is not blown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soarin Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 I'll try replacing the swaybar bushings. I have some whiteline 20mm ones. I know the stock bar is 20.50 or 21 and what I have will work from what I've read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I did some research, and I think I might have discovered the problem. I was reading the thread below, and a few people there mentioned that you should leave the conical washer out when putting the springs and struts together (when using spec b top hats). http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/05-lgt-bilstein-hd-strut-install-issues-165228.html The conical washer is #20327 in the attached image. *Did a little more research. See post 52 and 53 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/koni-inserts-shocks-legacy-gt-sale-right-now-109606.html?p=2448828 When I go to parts.subaru.com and look up the spec b spring/strut assembly, there is no conical washer in the image either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soarin Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Firstly, thank you so much to everyone for being so patient and providing lots of information regarding this issue that is actually louder than before. I'm at wit's end here and right now it feels like I'm throwing money at the problem, but it's still there. I took it back to the shop who did the install and found out they had tightened the top lock nut to the M10 specs and not the M12 34 lb/ft torque specs required by Bilstein. New lock nuts and I thought I was done. Nope, it got louder and I can feel it through the car. Like something is moving, but the shop says they've taken it apart and found nothing wrong or damaged or hitting something else or as far as they see it installed wrong. So... That shop is closed next week while the owner is at TX2K15 and I'll be at another Subaru specialist (I should have probably gone to them first) telling them to look at the entire subframe and to take apart the struts for this washer, if it's there. I know the initial shop reused some of the parts from the stock struts like the three nuts that hold the strut to the shock tower, but essentially used the entire kit I got from Fred Beans. The stock struts are still assembled. I do have two washers they didn't use with Part #031012000. Part search says it goes on the rear struts, not sure if I need it or not. I'm not sure if they're needed or not at this point. Additionally, the driver's front/left front Bilstein HD strut they stripped the threads and I replaced it with another one of the same part number. The lock nut on that one has only a thread exposed on top of the lock nut and the passenger front/right front has three threads exposed after the lock nut. Not sure if that matters or not, but maybe??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I'm curious about this noise as well. I've replaced everything in my 3.0R to get rid of a vibration at highway speed, and I mean everything... brand new LCAs with OEM bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, struts(OEM Bil$tein), wheel bearings, brakes, rotors, sway bar end links, strut top hats. I still have a clunk in the front suspension. Only other thing I can think that it might be is steering rack bushings or swaybar bushings. Damn I pissed away alot of money... Good news is the vibration is gone!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soarin Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 So, I have an update on my LGT. It's a very positive update and every thing will be fixed and up to spec next week. The first shop did a poor job installing everything and that is what was causing the noise. Independent Automotive, the now current home base shop checked everything and pretty much all of it was loose and not torqued to spec. Loose lug nuts, loose upper mount lock nuts, loose LCA bushing mounts. I will never go to the first one ever again, except for the one time I will complain and bring this lack luster quality to their attention. And I'm not the only Subaru owner with this experience either. On the very positive upside the new base solved the issue and my new suspension parts are in great shape with none of the new parts broken and now torqued to spec. And there's a loose forward lower control arm in the right rear suspension. That'll be replaced next week, plus a four wheel alignment. After all of this grief it really was poor quality work and I'm back at the same shop who took really great care of my 91 Legacy and now my 06 Legacy GT. Pretty much copypasted from my bookface post in another car group I'm part of there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soarin Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 CapnJack, somehow it might just be the same issue as mine. Poor install procedure. Hopefully that's it because I know how frustrating this can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I can rule out poor install. I installed them myself and triple checked everything. I feel very confident in my ability. All bolts were torqued to factory specs with a calibrated torque wrench while the vehicle was sitting on it's own weight(where applicable), then rechecked after 500 miles. I'm leaning more towards sway bar since the noise goes away while cornering and returns while in a straight line. Could also be steering rack, but I'm not to that point yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apexi Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sway bar bushing are cheap and pretty easy to replace, I would give those a shot. I know when I replaced my fronts, they looked like they had been slightly redesigned versus the originals I took off my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soarin Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I agree, try the swaybar bushings. When I first got my car that's one of the first things that went out. I got them replaced with OEM ones and I'll be replacing them with Whiteline ones next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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