Alfa156Melb

Alarmism, the press love it.. Over here they are already blaming global warming for the fires.. It doesnt seem to bother them that there isnt a shred of evidence to support it.. But we lap it up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Haha... Ill never forget a yacht race i crewed in a few years ago.. It was so hot that day that at the end of the race, at the marina all the crews jumped overboard, used the mooring lines to sit on, and eskies floating, full of bear, as far as the eye could see.. Hundres of people floating in geelong marina drinking. It was over 40 that day too.. Awesome stuff.. Except for the 3rd degree sunburn! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, i just read your last post - 45 degrees.. Thats the sorta weather that melts roads... Heres hoping it eases for you, along with the fires. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Didnt you guys get to 45.7 today? Not the best weather to work on a car! We had 42 a cpl of days ago, dropped to 35 overnight where i am... Yuk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Funny you mention that because it actually feels like the wheels continue to oscillate after hitting high speed bumps - comes through as a vibration through the whole body of the car... Thats one of the main symptoms the car's been throwing up over the last week.

OH yeah I know it! :He He: The previous owner fitted them but left the shocks standard.. It's only now I can justify upgrading the shocks.. I would have done it years ago, but after a new engine ($4000 for an engine swap here in Aus - I was lucky to get a very young motor though), replacing failed bits, worn suspension.. it adds up! The dampers are the last major upgrade / job I'm doing to this car - once done, I'll limit any work to maintenance only. And finally, maybe - I can plan to get myself a GTA :Big Grin: Besides, there's nothing else to replace now - lol.. well, the radiator is orginal and so is the gearbox.. everything else is pretty much new!

They're Eibach Pro Kits... I assume they are the correct spring, but I haven't been able to find the part numbers yet under all that muck. When i swapped over the uppers, i tried to rub it back but it wouldn't budge.. so i moved on. The only thing is I have no idea how old they are. they may have been fitted when the car was new.. so 10 years old.. I'm pondering whether I should buy new springs too.. they arent that expensive.. maybe piece of mind.. How long would you expect a spring to last for Smaky? The car has done 96,000 miles.

The car was loaded on a ramp hoist, but I reckon you might be right.. I was at the breakers today getting some bits and pieces and took the time to have a look at some other 156's and all of them seem to have bendy springs.. exactly like your pic Seeing you showed me yours....... I'll show you mine....

Excellent, thanks Alex. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, ive decided to get the dampers fitted professionally so ill get them to check that. I believe the springs were fitted when the car was new by the dealer, but I'm not 100% sure on that.. Maybe they are wrong? Ill see if i can find out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey Smaky.. So while I was at the suspension place today they also noticed that the front springs are in a banana shape on the struts.. basically they aren't sitting straight.. They reckon that the top mount bush may be worn.. would that be a fair conclusion?

Heya Smaky... I was at a suspension place today getting them to have a look over the car to see if there was anything that stood out that may be causing the handling issues I've had recently (outside of worn shocks) and they noticed what seems to be excessive forward/backward engine movement. They didn't know whether this was in spec or whether the mounts are shot.. (or would it be the top stabiliser bar?) So I took a vid - I selected first and with the brakes on I applied a small amount of power and did the same in reverse.. There seems to be a lot of movement there.. Also when you shut the engine off, there is a small knock that's developed over the last few weeks. What do you think? Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_OujSQ4B9E&feature=youtube_gdata

Seems so Although, we drove home today and the car behaved well, not perfect but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. Strange. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It definitely is stepping out around corners, and it feels like the suspension isn't compressing over fast bumps.. I know when I had that on the bike, it was a rebound problem, causing the forks to continue compressing until there was none left... Leaving you with a crashing, wooden feel and no up down movement.. This is a car and I'm buggered if I know if its the same concept. I spose it is. You've mentioned top mounts before actually, and given you've now mentioned it could be a bush causing that squeak, assuming its the hub bush, then maybe I should spend even more money and order them too... Do the job properly. It all seems a bit sudden though, the car has been near perfect ( bar the old dampers),but today it just went pear shaped, no. Associated noise, no bang - the car just started handling like a bad horror movie. Just back to how the car is handling bumps now, it's almost as if the springs have a wedge of wood in the coils, there's just no compliance at all over fast bumps.. Slow bumps no problem. Sigh... It never ends does it. While I'm here, an additional symptom is a high frequency vibration when you hit a bump at high speed, you feel it through the wheel, the body.. the floor... It feels like the body has no strength, or that the wheels continue oscillating as if the dampers aren't slowing the spring at all... This has been lingering for a while but now it's much worse now. Yes Smaky, it is annoying when you do things in the wrong order... But, I had a budget to work within, started with the least expensive job and did it in stages.. Such is life . I still trying to save up for a GTA, but it seems my JTS has decided to thwart my efforts,. She must be going through some attachment issues..

Hi all, I'm hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this for me... Over the last two months ive replaced just a bout every suspension component on the car both front and back. The only parts I have NOT replaced are the dampers, rear ARB and trailing arms. I have ordered billy b8's which should arrive next week sometime.. Anyway, since doing the work the car has performed very well, especially after having a 4 wheel alignment done, i really couldn't fault the handling.. However, over the last week, and much more so today, the car has become very very crashy over bumps, its become unstable and the rear feels loose around corners. I have tried the bounce test, and although the dampers have done 150,000 kms, they dont bounce, but a squeak has developed in the rear now when you bounce the car hard.. thats new... I've never had a damper fail on me before so I don't know what it feels like, but i wouldn't be surprised if that's what it is, given their age.. I hope thats the problem as Ive already bought new ones so its an easy fix.. Can anyone shed some light one this? would it be dampers, or something else?

Hmmm.. Well i guess that leaves droplinks or trailing arms... As they are the only things i haven't replaced. Theres no rust in the car. Or maybe ill just stop chasing noises and save up for a GTA Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for that, i thought the arm came with both bushes so ill keep that in mind. Its rock solid in the rear handling wise, so maybe it is the shocks.. Im sure they've seen their best days. What about strut mounts, so they wear? Happy Christmas Smaky, and thanks for all your help this year! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey Smaky, So, given i've spent a lot of money and time on this car - I'd like it to be as close to perfect as I can make it. There's a couple of small things, now I have time, I want to address. For background: the uppers, lowers, swaybar and droplinks are all brand new. I've also replaced all the transverse arms at the rear. The dampers are still original, I'm addressing them in January. I haven't replaced the rear droplinks or the trailing arm yet. And they may well be the source of this problem.. 1. Even though the suspension front and back is more or less new, the car still feels a little loose.. as if there is minor play, especially in the rear. Its not making any major noises, but the car isnt sounding tight (straight off the showroom floor)... it still seems thuddy over minor bumps. The front sounds ok.. I'm thinking it could either be rear droplinks, trailing arms or possibly strut mounts? or would most of these noises go away when i fit new dampers? What do you think? 2. Yesterday, when the car was stationary and the motor off, I wobbled the steering wheel and noticed a very minor knock - its really right at the start of some wear - it's hardly noticeable. But, I want to get onto it before it gets worse... In your experience, would i look at the tie rod ends or is it more likely going to be the rack? Whats more common?

Thats fascinating, i wish i was local, id take u out for a beer so i can hear more of that sort of stuff. U have a point actually, my car runs on pro kits, and i had the opportunity to drive a standard 2.0ts a while ago, the difference was chalk and cheese. It would be great if u did a guide, i paid to have mine done. In the end i didn't want to bother with it.. Next time though, ill do it myself. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well chaps, i found a magic fix! Fit bosch aerotwins and you cant even tell if the wipers are on.. So smooth it makes a baby's bum seem abrasive.. So quiet, a church mouses squeak would be louder.. Ah, the serenity. And now the sensor works. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Im glad we got that sorted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, as a pilot i totally appreciate that, but would the difference be that great to warrant such a pig of a job removing the bar? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was the cam belt tensioner.. Got a new kit fitted with water pump to be safe and sound.. Its so quiet u can hear a mouse snore. Engine is miles smoother too, idles perfectly.. The timing mustn't have been bang on before. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So am I.. So i'll be replacing that along with the engine guard quick...

Well it turned out to be the cam belt, we think probably the tensioner.. So it's getting a new cam belt kit fitted tonight... Because i don't have an engine tray, and I'm also missing a side engine cover too (Driver side) all the dirt and muck makes its way in... it might have lasted, it might not have, i'd rather play it safe.. especially given I've already killed one engine because i was lazy with the cam belt..