Alfa156Melb 9 Report post Posted January 12, 2013 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? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smaky 73 Report post Posted January 12, 2013 A damper would normally knock if it's failed, A sqeak would normally lead me to a bush, and on the rear if youcan hear it then it is most likely the shock top mount where it slots into the body, the tother thing you'd feel is a shock had gone would be the car "stepping out" as it hits a bumb whilst going round a corner, the only other thing I can think of is the possibility that the tracking bolts were tightened weight off and as the bushes are now sat under constant tension and theoretically trying to lift the car then thiscan make it feel loose in the rear as the car unloads on the inside of the turn. All of this though can be sorted after the B8s are fitted, which will require anoth tracking session, isn't it annoying when you get things done in the wrong order. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alfa156Melb 9 Report post Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) 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.. Edited January 12, 2013 by Alfa156Melb Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smaky 73 Report post Posted January 12, 2013 I think that pretty much nails it as the shocks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alfa156Melb 9 Report post Posted January 13, 2013 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
