Spring thumping?

#1

Sorry if this is a repeat I did a search and couldn’t find anything that described this.

Just spent several hours putting the suspension together. IE ‘spec e30’ adj. camber plates, bilsteins and h&r springs. IE sway bars front / rear.

Lowered the car and when turning the front wheels at slow speeds towards the max lock, the spring is "thumping" like it is rotating or seating itself (just front wheels obviously).

Used the stock spring hat between the camber plates and the spring.

Is this normal?

#2

Jim - I’m no pro on this, but offer the following. The lower spring perch is fixed (part of the strut assembly), the top rotates. If the top is binding on the body - it may be causing it to come out of alignment with the spring -hence the reseating noise. You may need to back off slightly on the camber adjusment to aleviate the problem.
Ed

#3

Thanks, that sounds logical.

These d@mn IE camber plates are like some sort of spec e30 hazing ritual from the 800 posts.

#4

it is rather bizarre that IE doesn’t do a bit more work to document it better, isn’t it?
bruce

IndyJim wrote:

[quote]Thanks, that sounds logical.

These d@mn IE camber plates are like some sort of spec e30 hazing ritual from the 800 posts.[/quote]

#5

If you think camber plates are a hazing ritual, try removing the rear subframe,subframe bushings, trailing arm bushings and alignment of the trailing arms. Good luck, Robert Patton

#6

I have that on the ‘wait until something breaks’ list.

My masochism only runs so deep.

#7

LOL…

Also, make sure you put it all back together properly. If the steering won’t center itself properly, when driving, you have installed the washers incorrectly.

Ask me how I know…

And others have done the same…

Carter

#8

There were no washers in my kit with the camber plates?

#9

Come by the shop sometime and we’ll try to solve the puzzle for you. Cumming area 770-886-2500.Regards, Robert Patton

#10

Stock washers (1 each side) and 1 spacer all that would fit. Noise free and I ‘think’ properly installed.

#11

The upper strut mount must be spaced off the upper spring plate so it can rotate without binding…The IE mount should be supplied with 8 inadequate washers 4 for each side 2 or 3 between the spring plate and camber plate…as Robert pointed out, you need one of the stock washers in there to help spread the load or the strut will try to punch thru the spring plate… I used Cyl Head bolt washers, machine out to 14 mm… What you are hearing is the upper spring plate/spring binding on the camber plate…

Al

#12

IndyJim wrote:

[quote]I have that on the ‘wait until something breaks’ list.

My masochism only runs so deep.[/quote]

That’s on my "wait until I feel like spending a weekend lying on my back under a car swearing" list.

You guys who have replaced the subframe bushings - did you notice much of a difference in the before/after comparison?

#13

Just to help with the pita (pain in the a$$) evaluation a shop quoted me 12 hours of labor or around $1000.

#14

IndyJim wrote:

I’ve heard the same. Adding a few extra hours of head-scratching and explaining-the-constant-stream-of-profanity-coming-from-the-garage-to-the-neighbors time, and you’ve got a full weekend.

#15

Which brings us full circle to - is it necessary, or is the 1g / weekend curse-a-thon and busted knuckles better spent on another joy of e30 race preparation ownership [insert project here].

#16

I haven’t done it but maybe I should this winter.

Is there any way to KNOW if it’s necessary, like hearing the moaning from a bad wheel bearing?

Carter

#17

Carter wrote:

[quote]I haven’t done it but maybe I should this winter.

Is there any way to KNOW if it’s necessary, like hearing the moaning from a bad wheel bearing?

Carter[/quote] I don’t know how you tell for sure other than the feeling that the rear steers itself a little as the bushing"gives" more than when it was new. I took the subframe out of my wrecked car and am going to put it in the new one…I have to do a trans/diff swap so all the hard work has to be done anyway so I figured why not…anyhow the bushings we pushed out seemed to be still pretty sturdy and not torn or damaged. I put in some delrin replacements. I figure I won’t have to worry about it later.I am bringing that subframe as a spare to Ohio so if you want to come over to the garage and see it feel free…

#18

I just did my subframe this past weekend. All new bushings, new rear
wheel bearings and new half shaft boots. It’s really not that bad of a job.

BTW, I’ve got the sub-frame bushing removal tool if anyone needs it.
I’ve also got the tool to remove the RTAB’s.

Steven

#19

Steven, where did you purchase the sub frame tool? it seems that that part of disassembly is the last holdout in the difficult-to-do-department for the racers that have come through the shop down here in the southeast area. Regards, Robert Patton

#20

However, I’ll speculate it works as good as the commercial tool. Ask Shaun,
we pulled his bushings up at VIR a couple months ago.

To make the tool, I used a set of calipers and took the relevant
measurements and also looked closely at the commercially available tool.
I then had a friend at the machine shop where I work machine the parts. The
circular piece with the two teeth is the key piece. I ended up with about $30
in parts in the tool. It has probably pulled 8-9 pairs of bushings so far…

Anyone who want to borrow this tool is welcome to it. Contact me to work out
the details.

Steven

See next post in this thread for a photo: