Clunking Noise In Rear

[Resin]

ok i installed my coilovers the other day and i have been getting a clunking sound in the rear only when i drive over some bumps ....it doesnt always happen but its a metal on metal sound clunk...quite loud. It also comes main from the middle of the rear.

My car is an a31 with s13 coilovers and also have a s13 adjustable swaybar.

i have a horrible feeling that it maybe a shot shock but i am hoping there maybe somehting else causing it. I know its not the jack, spare wheel. I thought maybe the swaybar as it comes awefully close to the chasis in some places. There doesnt seem to be anything wrong with the rear end interms of handling and most of the time there is no noise ....just when it hits the slightly more severe pot holes and bumps its does it.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Resin

[salad]

i have the exact same problem in my R32 gts-t.

i know my shocks are fine, and there are no leaks, but the sound is driving me nuts!

im thinkin the nut on top needs to be tightened (not the studs to bolt it in, the one that holds the strut top to the shock

can anyone confirm this? or is it something else?

[Resin]

yea mines the same ...there are no leaks from the coilovers. Im going to have a last ditched attempt at removing the swaybar completly. If that doesnt works then i will prob take it to a suspension place i suppose ......needs an alignment anyway ...

[salad]

i dont think it has anything to do with the swaybar and its probly not a good idea to take it out.

[Resin]

yea i was only goign to take it out go for a small drive around the block to see if the noise stops or is still there etc ........ and yea it probably has nothing to do with it ......but i am running out of ideas .....

[Primordial]

Yeah I had the same prob with a set of Apexi N1's in my R33... I lowered the rear by about 10mm and it fixed the problem.

Im not running the rear excessively low either, so maybe try adjusting your height up/down a bit (if they are heigh adjustable of course)...

Edited January 24, 2006 by Primordial

[salad]

mine are height adjustable via a helper spring, so the preload is not affected by height...

think i might put em in some spring compressors and tighten the nut on top a bit

[NateR31]

i had this, i forgot to put a rubber bush, so when they went up and down the metal washer would hit inside the top hat

[salad]

ah k, cheers dude

[Resin]

yea mine are height adjustable under the spring and at the of the strut. When adjusting the plates under the spring does that compress the spring more? making it a harder ride ? or does the damper also increase?.

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

yea mine are height adjustable under the spring and at the of the strut. When adjusting the plates under the spring does that compress the spring more? making it a harder ride ? or does the damper also increase?.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

all this changes, is where the bottom of the spring sits, it doesn't compress the spring any more. And wont make it a harsher ride (unless you've lowered it so much that the shock is bottoming out)

The advantage of body adjustment, is that you can adjust the height without changing the stroke of the shock absorber (extreme lowering of the collar under the spring can cause the shock to bottom out)