I just completed most of my suspension project. Includes...D specs front and rear on Tociko springs, new KYB strut mounts, poly control arm bushings, and sway bar end links.
Anyways...all bolts should be tight and torqued, done correctly on the ground and everything. Control arm bushings were properly greased, etc. But I get all kinds of terrible sounds from the front end and some from the rear. The front sounds like stuff "flopping or clunking" over quick bumps and the rear sounds like "loose change"?!!?!? I cancelled my alignment until I know what is wrong. Does anyone else with similar setups have all this noise? I was concerned that this may just be a price I pay for a stiff setup. I just need to be sure. Again everything was replaced with exception of the sway bar "D" bushings. Any help would be great. All the noises are just very discomforting.
Thanks guys.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
Missing spring isolators?
my setup is def stiffer than yours and none of the above....
settings could be too soft.
lack of spring isolators like zach mentioned.
what did or didnt you use or retain from the stock setup?
I paid $13 bucks at the dealership for the isolator i was missing...so yeah they are all there top ones and bottom. The only piece of rubber that was left untouched was the sway bar D bushings. That is it. All other pieces were replaced (I did re-use the spring isolators I had). I wouldn't think that the D bushings would cause that much racket and they did not look bad to me. Both sides looked the same, like they are a two piece rubber insert. I figured last time I had the noise it was strut mounts, so this time I replaced them too. Thanks for helping.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
The only other thing that comes to mind is my front strut tower brace. I know it sounds crazy but I have a little problem up there. The stud for the (GM brace) on the firewall is stripped near the base. I used another nut to tighten it up until I can cut off the old nut and put some washers in there. Could my new ride be stiff enough that the brace is rubbing due to the weak firewall connection??? I know its a long shot but I'm just thinking of everything that could be doing this.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
pretty much.... thats the only reason it bolts to the firewall, to keep it from chattering against it.
Yeah I guess I will attempt to fix that now. Too bad I just can't replace the stud. I will see what happens when I remove the old nut.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
silvercav02, I have the same setup and the same problem as you. I've re-torqued all the nuts and bolts, and triple-checked everything. I even got an alignment. Everything is installed and seated properly. I think that it may just be noises due to a stiffer than stock setup, or it might just be that the Tokico setup is a little noisy. All i know is nothing is loose or installed improperly, so I'm not worried about it.
Well I finally got that nut off!!! It was a royal PIA since it was in that "nook" in the GM strut brace. Well I hope that this helps, but I somehow think I'll be in the same boat as Gorilla. Yes, everything I have is tight too. I think that noise from the back is actually the seat itself. If you smack the back of the seat with your hand you can kinda hear the same noise that I heard over bumps.
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
The funny thing is, you can only hear it from inside the car. I had my older brother drive over a few speed bumps with me standing right there outside the car, and I didn't hear a damn thing. I've chalked it up to Cavaliers being economy cars. I'm actually thinking about switching over to the new Tein SS coilovers w/ the pillowball mounts, cuz according to Event, those don't induce those annoying noises that the Tokicos do. Mmmmm....pillowballs
Yeah I just got back from running the car with the tightened strut brace. No dice. It still makes the noises. The back noise is definetly the seatback so no problems there. Anyone else have any other ideas for me to check. I need to get the car aligned soon so I can stop driving the minivan to school!!
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
Chalk it up to the suspension mount design.
Mine makes noise with all the proper seats as well. The noise factor did increase with the addition of camber plates...
Zach...are you noises like mine? They sound like something in the front end of the car is "hopping" up and down over a quick bump impact. Kinda a heavy object sound with rubber to muffle it. Its so hard to explain this type of stuff, yet it is frustrating as hell.
But, is the consensus that this is now a "normal operating sound"?
"If you aren't shifting, then you certainly aren't driving!"
