Hi, this is my first post on the org. What brings me here today is some suspension problems I am facing. First off I am certainly no mechanic, and this is my first car, so I am not well versed in solving and knowing what my problems are. I own a complete stock 2001 4-door cavalier with 81,000 km. Just recently I have been noticing 2 distinct sounds, 1 from the passenger side rear, and 1 from the drivers side front. In the rear I am hearing a "knocking" noise when hitting bumps of any sort. In the front I am hearing a "squeaking" noise during road waviness or large bumps or dips. Now a friend of mine has been trying to persuade me into upgrading the suspension since I am having trouble with the OE. He has been telling me about KYB struts..AGX to be exact. My only concern is if after spending $500 on 4 new struts and installation is that going to solve the sounds I am hearing..if not then I am slightly swayed in purchasing anything like that.
Now if 4 new aftermarket struts would be the ultimate fix then great, I'll start thinking about it. I don't think I really need the AGX if in fact I should get some struts, because lowering isn't my main focus. I also read in the FAQ that Koni..(I believe) are a superioir strut for our cavaliers? I don't see many 4-door cavaliers being upgraded, and part of me would like to get a little more involved with this whole scene. I just don't want to be wasting money for nothing. I mostly read about the 2.4 being the main choice, but can the 2200 be a nice performer as well?
Although I don't want to sway off topic, my main concern now is these suspension issues, just to sort of give you an idea how my cavalier will be used, road conditions arn't the smoothest here in Atlantic Canada, so again, I don't want to lower my ride height. I do like the comfort of the OE suspension, but having it less bouncy would be great. But I don't want to settle for the cheapest fix either. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.
Steve.
If you think the stock stuff is bouncy then steer clear from ANY and ALL lowering stuff ! LOL !! You'll HATE it.
As for the sounds your hearing, sounds to me like worn out strut mounts.
Good Luck.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
Hi, as I mentioned a couple times in my first post, lowering isn't my goal at all. I just want to get rid of those knocking and squeaking noises plus maybe get a stiffer ride. My knowledge of aftermarket performance struts is they produce a stiffer ride in comparison to OE? But I don't have too much knowledge of it at all. ha.
Yes you can get ones that are adjustable and will make for a stiffer ride. I just installed Tokico D-Spec 10 way adjustable struts and I can tell you that they can make it VERY stiff!
Knocking and squeaking sounds like mounts, you may want to consider replacing them as well.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
Definitely sounds like new strut mounts are in your future. I just noticed the same noise about a month or two ago, while lowering my car and putting on the new struts - I noticed a pair of nice worn out strut mounts. I'll be picking up the fronts this weekend for about $35 a pop.
Thanks for the replies already. Ok 2 of you are presuming that the noises are "mounts". As I've already said I have no idea, but I just wanted to throw this question out there. If rear mounts "knock" then why would front mounts "squeak"? Wouldn't the fronts knock if the rears did? Why the difference in sounds?
The mounts are different. In the front you also have a strut mount bearing that allows the strut to turn when you turn your steering wheel, no such bearing in the rear. The knocking is useualy because something is loose back there. Check all the bolts to make sure none have backed off any.
Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.
The rear is definately the mount.
The frount could be the bearing plate (generally refered to as the mount, although it's not quite the same), spring insulators, or possibly (but unlikely) control arm bushings. The bushings you can simply look at and see if they're good or bad. The spring insulators and bearing plate need to come off to look at. Bearing plates generally don't look bad even when they are.
Ok, so although replacing only the mounts would possibly fix my problems, should I be considering a different type of strut anyways? As well, I have been wondering, when purchasing an aftermarket strut, is it better in the long run to get an aftermarket spring as well? I don't want a Lower ride..at least not too low. But stiffening up the ride would certinly be an asset to making the cavvy feel a little more stable. I don't want to be going through suspension parts every so often, so would this be a smart thing to do? I have a feeling that this can get quite pricey? Thanks for all the input guys.
