Front suspension clunk/pop

[dohclgt]

Have you guys checked the location of the very end of the bottom coil of the spring?

 

 

Norm

 

Yup, I checked everything. Nothing related to the strut, springs, top hat etc that i can tell..

[dohclgt]

So, the AVO bushing still hasnt come in yet, but I went ahead and took the control arm out to inspect the bushing first. To my surprise, the bushings look solid. No rip or tear or anything that would give me a clue that it's the cause of that clunk pop sound... Im beginning to think it might not be it. However, I used my jack to push up against the balljoint, moving the entire spindle up. I basically compressed the springs, putting load of it. I turned the spindle left, right and I hear this clicking sound. Surprise! It came from the axle! I am now thinking it could be the axle?? Anyways, I'll diagnose one thing at a time. The bushing will go in next and then I'll go from there.

[brandon.mol]

Don't change the front/horizontal bushing. Just the rear/vertical one, whatever you do!

[dohclgt]

Don't change the front/horizontal bushing. Just the rear/vertical one, whatever you do!

 

Can you explain why? Or point me in the right the direction on where to find that answer?

[dohclgt]

A little update, I put back the LCA and got the car aligned. I needed the car for a mini family trip this weekend so I couldnt wait for the bushing to come in. Anyways, driving the car all day today and I gotta say, i DO NOT like this whiteline roll center kit thing. My steering feels so twitchy. Every decent bumps and my steering would jerk. It was not like that before this kit. Even when I was lowered on H&R springs. Is this normal or am i missing something here?

[leighos]

A little update, I put back the LCA and got the car aligned. I needed the car for a mini family trip this weekend so I couldnt wait for the bushing to come in. Anyways, driving the car all day today and I gotta say, i DO NOT like this whiteline roll center kit thing. My steering feels so twitchy. Every decent bumps and my steering would jerk. It was not like that before this kit. Even when I was lowered on H&R springs. Is this normal or am i missing something here?

That doesn't sound right, it should improve the front end noticeably, are you saying you are getting bump steer? What did you set your toe to? If you zeroed it all round you will notice it is very twitchy and less stable in straight ahead, turning response is awesome though so you just get used to the twitchyness!

[GTEASER]

I believe the Whiteline roll center kit is specifically for cars lowered 1" or more. If you're on Eibachs, then you're lowered less than an inch, correct? Something like 0.8"?

[dohclgt]

That doesn't sound right, it should improve the front end noticeably, are you saying you are getting bump steer? What did you set your toe to? If you zeroed it all round you will notice it is very twitchy and less stable in straight ahead, turning response is awesome though so you just get used to the twitchyness!

 

Yes, bump steer is the word. It's not bad, but I can feel it. Before the Eibach and before the RCK, my steering was solid. No bumps or dips could move or "steer" my steering wheel.

 

Yup, I zeroed out all the toes.

 

[dohclgt]

I believe the Whiteline roll center kit is specifically for cars lowered 1" or more. If you're on Eibachs, then you're lowered less than an inch, correct? Something like 0.8"?

 

YOu have a point. I overlooked this. But eibach sags over time to like 1" or so (or so I've researched..). Plus I didn't think .2" makes a difference. I'll probably put back the H&R springs and see how that does.

 

From underneath though, the angle of the LCA and steering rods look straight!

[GTEASER]

Being lowered -0.8" will make a difference, even tho its only a 0.2" difference, because it's outside of the designed range of the roll center kit which is designed to improve bump steer and roll center when lowered a static -1.0" to -2.0"(could be -2.5", I'm assuming because I don't have Whiteline's data on the design), the ideal centerpoint of the range of the kit being perhaps -1.5" of lowering.

 

Also, since the Eibachs are not as stiff as the H&R's, they will have a wider range of motion which will in turn experience a wider geometry difference in the movement, which could also accentuate any bump steer at the extremes of the range.

Edited December 15, 2016 by GTEASER

[leighos]

I have H&R's fitted currently and no roll centre kit (yet), my LCAs and tracks rods are very slightly angled down. No real bump steer to speak of, but is twitchy with the toe set zero.

[brandon.mol]

Can you explain why? Or point me in the right the direction on where to find that answer?

Certainly.

 

Because you will get terrible NVH with no tangible benefit in handling, rigidity, etc.

 

I have a set, but didn't install them on this advice from others, including a few people on here and a tech at the shop that did them on his WRX and regretted it.

[dohclgt]

Well, a little update on the current setup. I absolutely hate how the car drives currently. It's so twitchy and it sways left and right if there's any unevenness on the road. It's NOT pulling left or right though. I don't feel like the car wants to spin out or anything though. But I have no confidence in the car atm. (This feel is NOT the same as bad alignment. I drove it without an alignment before and I could feel the car pulling left/right and wants to spin out.) Not like before where I have total cockiness driving even in the rain! It's like having bump steer with the added twitchiness to it. Im guessing the combination of not lowered enough with the softer spring rates is causing this (as someone has mentioned).

 

Anyways, once I get back from this trip, I'll have to fix this problem. I'm liking the softer ride of the Eibach as a daily for me and the fam. I like the stiffer ride of the H&R when Im by myself doing some spirit driving. I also like the lower look too! I can go about it two ways:

1, I can put back my H&R springs and see if the bump steer/twitchiness goes away or

2, I can leave the Eibach but use my new OEM tie rod ends.

Either way I'll find out which one is the culprit, learning experience I guess.. lol

 

The thing is, I feel like the ball joint is doing a great job because I feel Less bouncy during turns and more stability DURING cornering. Turning seems to be more precise. But then again that could've been in my head... I'll see if I can feel the same difference once the H&Rs are back in.

 

 

Don't know how I went from trying to find that clunk/pop sound to stability and twitchyness of the car 0.o ... Still on that though!

[brandon.mol]

There is no way that its the springs causing that. Swap the stick ball joints back in.

 

As far as the pop. Are you sure its not coming from the right rear?

[dohclgt]

There is no way that its the springs causing that. Swap the stick ball joints back in.

 

As far as the pop. Are you sure its not coming from the right rear?

 

Im pretty sure it's not the rear. I cold feel the vibration through my steering wheel when it makes that sound. I'll probably leave the ball joint but I'll swap back in the OEM tie rod ends. At least I can sell the H&R springs and the whiteline tie rod ends if anything..

[Golferdude1087]

Im pretty sure it's not the rear. I cold feel the vibration through my steering wheel when it makes that sound. I'll probably leave the ball joint but I'll swap back in the OEM tie rod ends. At least I can sell the H&R springs and the whiteline tie rod ends if anything..

Mines slowly disappearing, it's def the front left. Can someone get a blueprint or schematic of the car front??

 

there must be something different on the passenger side vs the drivers side. Steering rack, or a binding spring or something that's not symmetrical that could cause this?

 

It seems odd this is the same on multiple cars from multiple years on different springs but that leads me to believe it's something outside the springs/struts themselves.

 

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[brandon.mol]

I asked about the rear since there is the rear apron body pop known issue with a tsb, but is fixed properly with a drill and a welder rather than their bullshit fix.

 

I said ball joint before, but sorry, I meant to swap back the OE tie rod ends.

[leighos]

I asked about the rear since there is the rear apron body pop known issue with a tsb, but is fixed properly with a drill and a welder rather than their bullshit fix.

 

I said ball joint before, but sorry, I meant to swap back the OE tie rod ends.

What's this body pop? I have an odd noise coming from the rear that wasn't there before I lowered it, I assumed it was a bad rsb end link and making a knocking type noise with a bit too much preload on it (sorry for the thread highjack OP).

[brandon.mol]

Its well documented. There is a TSB for it. They refer to it as the right rear apron. In summary, there are is several layers of steel and one of them pops like a bottle cap against another when the car is twisted certain ways. The Subaru solution is a fix that doesn't work right but if you get the body layers welded together instead, the problem is solved. I wrote extensively on the subject if you look it up.

[leighos]

Very interesting, I will look into it

[GTEASER]

My guess is that is won't apply to leighos' car because it was produced in Japan rather than at SOI here in the US. From what I remember, the pop was a result of insufficient glue or welds that were not hot enough holding several body layers together.

[leighos]

Dohclgt, I was at my local suspension specialist today (related to my 80 series Cruiser, not Subaru), I mentioned your issue with stability after installing RCA kit, he suggested that if at or near OEM ride height then too much of a steep angle on the control arm and tie rods will give you this symptom, plus the zero toe induces this instability even further.

[dohclgt]

Dohclgt, I was at my local suspension specialist today (related to my 80 series Cruiser, not Subaru), I mentioned your issue with stability after installing RCA kit, he suggested that if at or near OEM ride height then too much of a steep angle on the control arm and tie rods will give you this symptom, plus the zero toe induces this instability even further.

 

Thanks for confirming this info! I still haven't decided on putting back the h&r Springs or leave the Eibach..

[TDWPgtp]

Hello everyone, sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead, but it hasn't been inactive for that long:icon_bigg. I am on Konis with '13-'14 springs, otherwise stock. I recently noticed a sort of pop coming from the driver's side front when hitting certain types of bumps, usually raised patches of blacktop with gentle slopes. This pop has gotten worse over the last few weeks and I would like to figure out how to fix it.

 

Last night I replaced the front left koni strut assembly with my OEM strut and '11 spring, just to see if it eliminated the noise, and it did. I drove over the same bumps that had been making the koni assembly pop without pops today. So now I am wondering what to do. I would assume the only things it could be are a bad top hat or an insufficient press fit between the insert and the housing. The housings were cut right on the money, so I don't think it was an issue there, but the inserts were used, so it is possible that the little nubs were worn down a bit. If the insert IS NOT tight enough in there, what can I do about it? What are your thoughts?

[FLlegacy]

The only way to be sure the strut insert isn't moving in the body is to remove it, or try to and see if that is the issue, my guess is its not. I would look at the tophat first.