I recently replaced my struts and coils in my Sunfire with a set from another Sunfire that was lowered and now the front end of the car hits really hard each time I hit a bump.
The car they came off of did not do this which leads me to believe that the struts aren't blown as I had initially thought.
The only thing I can think of that might be causing this is if the struts were put on the wrong side but I don't actually know if that would cause this. If anyone has any other suggestions or insight or could confirm that this is the case I would appreciate it.
-BT
need info:
1.what kind of struts are these?
2.how much of a drop is it?
3.did you put the bump stops back in when you did the swap, did the person that did it on the other car?
4.were any parts interchanged with each other?
"hitting hard" doesn't usually have anything to do with the struts. Most of the struts for our cars have very limited impact damping. It's in the rebound that they do their job, preventing bounce and oscillation. Of course, if you come off a bounce and take another impact, that can hit a lot harder than it would have with proper damping after the first impact.
That said, the springs and bump stops should be your first suspects.
How did you do the install? Did you take the whole assembly and put it on your car or did you disassemble it and just use the springs and dampers? If you disassembled it, as Cinny asked... did you keep the bump stops?
And are you sure the other car didn't hit as hard? Whose car was it and how often did you drive in it?
Cinny wrote:need info:
1.what kind of struts are these?
2.how much of a drop is it?
3.did you put the bump stops back in when you did the swap, did the person that did it on the other car?
4.were any parts interchanged with each other?
1. Modified Stock Struts
2. About 2" on Eibach Ground Control Coilovers
3. We just swapped the struts over directly. They struts were never disassembled. As far as I know the bump stops were never removed. How would I check for this?
4. I took my struts out with the stock coils, and put these struts in already mounted with the coilovers.
-BT
MODIFIED STOCK STRUTS?? are you sure they arent just stock struts?? or are the koni inserts? more info please.
They're stock struts modified to take the different coils. I found a how-to online but it's different than the way mine were done.
-BT
So, they're stock struts.
Stock struts are CRAP when lowered... even more so on coilovers.
There is your problem!!!
<a href="http://www.lenkorules.com/"><img src="http://s93165229.onlinehome.us/images/zm/sig/LRDCsig3.jpg"></a>
MODIFIED STOCK STRUTS??
I don't think so, did you actually pay for these? Ever think of why the person was getting rid of such a great ride?
repeat after me: STOCK STRUTS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE ON LOWERING SPRINGS OR COIL OVERS OF ANY KIND !!
When he says "modified" he's probably referring to the perches being cut off and what not to install the coilovers.
Coilovers, even good ones, have less travel than regular spring setups due to the size of the springs themselves. Bottoming out is harsh, no matter what. Bottoming out without proper bump stops is even worse.
Take a look and see what's in there. It'll be a plastic or foam-looking thing sitting freely inside the spring. If it's less than 2" tall, then consider getting some aftermarket ones that will fit in the GC springs.
Bottoming out HARD will still be really harsh, but that's the case with anything. With proper bump stops, bottoming out lightly is more than tolerable.
And get yourself some proper dampers. Coilovers on stock struts are dangerous.
Brennan wrote:Damper?
more professional term for struts and or shocks.
Ah. That's what I figured. I do fully intend to get a set of Koni's, just not for a month or two.
-BT
I just took a look at my struts and they're missing the bump stops. Looks like the person who I bought them from didn't know what they were doing. I'm just gonna take the bump stops out of my stock struts and install them and hopefully that will fix the problem
Thank you everyone.
-BT
I've heard of this before.... someone who hates the ride of their car on coilovers, doing a trade back to stock to get rid of them
<a href="http://www.lenkorules.com/"><img src="http://s93165229.onlinehome.us/images/zm/sig/LRDCsig3.jpg"></a>
sounds like you need to raise them way up....
coilover springs are pretty hard... so to bottom out you sound like you have your car near if not all the way to the bottom.
never good.
Nope, no tradeback. He smashed up his car so I bought (traded, actually) the coilovers from him. The struts were basically thrown in.
-BT
Eibach Ground Control
-BT
ground controls on stock struts...granted it can be done, i am willing to bet they are already blown, from spring rate alone.
