Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[sophos9]

Hi

Hope you can help! I'm having some strange problems with my suspension on a 97 3.0 Elite...

Here are the symptoms:

Car sits higher on one side higher than the other
Sound from the front drivers side that sounds like a golf ball inside a biscuit tin when going over bumps
Rear suspension feels pretty rock solid, front feels soft
Car handles REAL bad, all over the road wandering, lack of feedback/control

Any insights into what may have failed please?

[feeutfo]

Oh dear...

Busted front spring?take wheel off and av a look. does it have self leveling suspension... ?who am i kidding... dont know where to start :-/

[sophos9]

Thanks for the reply!

Had new shock kits (complete with all the extra rubber bits) about two years ago... The car sits at different heights at the rear, front seems normal.

It had a new steering idler arm about 7 months ago.

I was thinking along the lines of drop links, wishbones and possible spring bust on the rear. The car does have self levelling suspension on the rear, the compressor makes the noise so I guess its still working?!?

Damn barge!!  

[feeutfo]

is it possible the self leveling is jacking the car too high? Think i read there is a control box drivers rear side(anybody), or has it been that way since shock kit added? Tendency is to dis trust the non standard parts, for me. Have you still got the old shocks?  

[sophos9]

Hi mate,

All parts used in the replacements were genuine Vx, I did not just replace the shock but everything including bushes etc... The car was sitting higher  on one side before I changed the shocks.

To test, I pulled compressor connections off the shocks and drove around for a few days, the car still sits higher on one side so I guess it not compressor related.

I'm pretty sure the knocking noise is a defective drop link so I'm going to by a set of FAI replacements, thinking I should also buy replacement wishbones and just get them done. Old shocks were so knackered it was untrue!

I've also go uneven tyre wear on the front despite having two full geometry setups.

Car handles like a bag of shite, wanders all over the place...  

[VX1]

Even though having full geometry done, if the wishbones are knackered then this will not make any difference to the setup. When replacing the wishbones and the droplinks this should stop all wandering at the front end and incorrect tyre wear (once the geometry has been done again).
If the car is sitting higher on one side then were both rear springs the same or was one higher than the other? Are both shocks being pump by the air compressor?

Paul  

[Andy B]

..... Are both shocks being pump by the air compressor?

Paul  

The air lines to each damper is T'd off from just one line that comes from the compressor up front. If you lose air to one damper you'd lose air to both.

[Albatross]

I had this uneven ride height at the rear on my self-levelling, it turned out to be a mixture of 3 things:

Broken spring
Not being parked on a level peice of ground when checking
Not havinag a full fuel tank.

Is it your right hand side that is higher? Fill 'er up then park on a level peice of ground and re-check. If this doesn't help, check your springs.

All else fails, try calling, e-mailing wheels-inmotion.

I replaced my springs and shocks all round for MV6 set up; much better.

As for the handling, it could be a wealth of things; wishbones, idler arm etc. Cold even be the front springs / shocks on their way out, but I would say you're dealing with two different front / rear issues.

Your profile doesn't say where you are, but if you are in the Sout-East, I can't recommend WIM (www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk) enough.

[VX1]

..... Are both shocks being pump by the air compressor?

Paul  

The air lines to each damper is T'd off from just one line that comes from the compressor up front. If you lose air to one damper you'd lose air to both.

Ok just a thought  

Paul  

[sophos9]

Even though having full geometry done, if the wishbones are knackered then this will not make any difference to the setup. When replacing the wishbones and the droplinks this should stop all wandering at the front end and incorrect tyre wear (once the geometry has been done again).
If the car is sitting higher on one side then were both rear springs the same or was one higher than the other? Are both shocks being pump by the air compressor?

Paul  

Totally agree, not much confidence as the same place done the geometry on my old Calibra and the wishbones were shot to bits, bit sad really as I thought the geometry people would have spotted it!

The compressor makes the right noises and I think its supplied by a single line to a T piece so there should not be any bias.

Agreed, I think wishbones and drop links are worth a change.

Not sure regarding the springs, the car has been like it since I bought it. In a way, I'm hoping that the springs are shot then I can get a new set and drop it by about 30mm

I've got it booked in with a mate who runs his own garage for a diagnostic, once I know whats going on I will order the parts and get him to fit em!

Will be nice to have a car that handles right

[sophos9]

Andy B, you got in there first - thanks for confirming!

Albatross, thanks for the post. I've parked it on even ground (how gay to actually measure with a spirit level!!).

However really strange you say that about the side, yes it is the right hand side that is higher and today, I filled the tank up (jasus, £73!!!) and it looked a bit more normal but still higher on the right.

Whilst the geometry is being fettled with I would rather just get everything done so will prob be looking at FAI droplinks, FAI wishbones, new springs all round can then get geometry setup for final. I would be very surprised if shocks were worn out, new kit a couple of years ago and only covered about 10k on them  

[Andy B]

Andy B, you got in there first - thanks for confirming!......

I'd had to crawl around under the car to replace some of the plastic piping after I'd put the proper self levellers back on. The previous owner had put ordinary dampers on for some unknown reason.

[Entwood]

Just a daft thought ... have the springs been replaced ?? If they were replaced 'cos the end broke off - not unheard of on miggy's - was the old broken bit removed ? or has a new spring been just fitted on top of the broken bit

 :-/ :-/

[sophos9]

Just a daft thought ... have the springs been replaced ?? If they were replaced 'cos the end broke off - not unheard of on miggy's - was the old broken bit removed ? or has a new spring been just fitted on top of the broken bit

 :-/ :-/

Good question, I dont know...

Just looked back over the service history. At 113k (just before I bought it) I can see an invoice for A spring, just one?!? Invoice does not state where the spring was  - price before VAT was £42.21...

Who the break changes one spring?

Anyway looked further back, at 78k I can see damper bushing, bushes and both front lower control arm (they wishbones?)

Mega invoice at 78k, came in at over a grand haha

[markey mark]

that will be why its leaning then a new spring with a 113k one !! and ues lower control arms are wishbones