04-11-05, 01:40 PM
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#1
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Spinner
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Oceanside, California
Posts: 241
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I need some suspension advice
I bought a 18 pc.Unobtainium bushing set from you some time back and I had some technical questions. So here is the situation, I had them all installed about two years ago, maybe 10k miles on them, they have been wonderful but I am getting a suspension noise that is very hard to pin point, that has gradually got worse over time. I have a 93 R1 (80K miles))with stock shocks that I am replacing with Koni yellows, I don’t think my original shocks are bad, I assuming they need replacing after a period of time. You see, initially, I thought this noise might be from blown shocks that may be making seal noise or bad hydraulics (inside the shock?) or something. The only way I can describe the noise if some was out there banging on the engine cross brace or the front suspension with a heavy ball peen hammer. And here is the clincher, it never makes noise when the car is cold or for the first few miles of driving. It is especially prevalent after freeway driving and as the car gets hotter, and/or the weather particularly gets hotter then this noise intensifies. As I was pulling up to the house the other day on a long perfectly smooth brand new asphalt driveway, my friend described the sound as someone slapping on my side panels. When the car sits warm you can make the noise by pushing down real hard on the shock tower. But no one can find the exact source, just which it’s coming from that area. (Thanks here’s $50) So, I have these new shocks in the box waiting to be put in, but I hate to re-tear apart my suspension for nothing. Thus the repair shop told me I might as well replace all the upper shock mounts as a precautionary measure. They said it “might” be a noise source. So I was going to try and find out (from the forum) whether this noise might be related to shock mounts or bushings. Has anyone ever had shock mounts go bad? Do they have any specific symptom? Noises etc?
I can only assume since I had a reliable suspension shop install my bushing set that they did it correctly, they were certainly given all the printed instructions, however when I picked up my car afterward the instructions were handed back grease and fingerprint free. This raised my eyebrow, I double checked with the manager to make sure these instructions were “used” in the process, he said yes…I still wonder today if they performed the lubrication part adequately. I live in San Diego, I don’t know if this is considered an inclement weather area. So no Zirk fittings for me. I'm not sure if I should have installed grease fittings or not...
So, what I am trying to assess is the need or not to disassemble my whole suspension to clarify lubrication or to see if the noise is from the bushings. Have you seen what the symptoms are for lack of lubrication in the bushings. Secondly, by changing out my bushings, would it be possible that the stock shocks could have degraded the stock shocks faster. I know they are still pretty functional, the car handles correctly, and I can’t push the factory shocks down to save my life. I heard they were harder (stiffer) on the R1. I always thought when shocks went bad the got spongy or springy. So you can tell I have a quandary…
Advice anyone?
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