DasSilberWedge

Is there something I should be doing? Had the car a week since it was put back together and corner balanced but its still creaking at the rear. I say creaking (how technical!) because it feels like it's still 'settling' in and the sound isn't high pitched (ie squeaking). Is this normal for it to be doing it this long? I've never done a suspension job on another car as intensive as I have on my S2 so I just don't know. Thinking I'm going to put the car back up on ramps soon and triple check nothing is wrong.. Car has Koni Sport Yellows up front, Koni 30 series coilovers at the rear, torsion bars removed and Paragon's "Spec" bushing set so essentially the same as the Ground Control Coilover setup as far as I know. I crawled under the car and tried to shake the rear springs to see if they weren't compressed but sure enough there is weight on them with the car stationary. Ideas? Car really has only been driven ~6-7 hours since rebuild too..

951and944S

What's involved in the "Spec bushing set"....?

When does it creak....?

Drive for a few minutes to verify noise is still present.

Lay on ground with hose and nozzle and spray suspension area and drive again immediately. Water will temporarily lubricate bushings/hinge points.
See if noise persists or disappears.
If it's gone, it's a dry or tight bushing.
If it is still there, it's something with a clearance issue like a spring rubbing exhaust, etc.

T

DasSilberWedge

Here's the kit: http://www.paragon-products.com/944-...bushings-4.htm

Car only really creaks at low speed, approximately at 30km/h or less and over bumps

Maybe I'll get the GoPro out and go for a quick spin in the evening, see if it picks it up. I'll make sure to try the water idea after the video, thanks for the tip.

wildcat077

It's more than likely the poly graphite spring plate bushings that are driving you crazy ... do yourself a favor and get the Racer's Edge Delrin spring plate units.

I wouldn't be surprised if your rear suspension was binding due to that.What you can do is remove the lower shock bolt and see how freely you can move your wheel up and down !
Mind you , i don't know how easy that would be with the torsion bars in place , mine are removed for a coilover setup ...

DasSilberWedge

Yeah maybe. I've been trying not to blame the bushings yet. I spent a lot of time ensuring every one of them fit as best they could, lubed the s**t out of them etc. Here's the weird part with the spring plate bushings; I only got one 2 sets of poly graphite bushings for the spring plates.. They were the smaller black ones that go on the lower front of the spring plate (they face the front if that makes sense) and the black ones that go into the torsion bar carrier on the stubby end of where the spring plate locates into the carrier. The larger poly graphite ones actually fit really well during install. What's strange is that I actually got the really big bushings that go on the outer part of the spring plate in delrin.. I'll try and lift the car too and try that out as well.

951and944S

Not knocking any RE parts, I use some of their products myself and Paragon...Pffft, that's my go-to guys but in the instance of the spring plate, I would never use anything but the Elephant polybronze.

They are greasable, have a near zero tolerance fit and when installed properly, the movement of the plate is fluid and true. Squeaking and creaking is resistance to movement and the stock rubber....., you can actually stand on the end of the spring plate and the range of movement is limited by whatever elasticity there is in the rubber. Same with the front....good sphericals there will allow the a-arm to swing like a pendulum for a few cycles before the come to rest.

T

mikey_audiogeek

+1

Mike

DasSilberWedge

Haha I knew somebody would bring those up. I somehow didn't notice or even know about them at the time I purchased everything. They seem like a great product, maybe I'll get into those eventually. They're obviously a far better idea than the black Weltmeister ones I have in there that may be the cause of the creaking.. I'm sure I'll find a way to make them work for the time being..

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, busy week.

shortyboy

i have the same creaking noise and its from my delrin spring plate bushings. i need to take them out again to sand them down a bit more and add more lubricant.

924RACR

Well, these are racing parts... and if you can hear them squeaking in your racecar... that means your exhaust isn't loud enough...

(Have a combination of delrin, poly graphite, and sphericals in our 924 racecar... no idea if they squeak)

DasSilberWedge

As much as I like to pretend, she's not a racecar but I could follow that train of thought..

porscharu

Agreed, if putting in solid bushings NVH should not be a concern.

DasSilberWedge

NVH has nothing to do with this. It isn't a constant noise. I already knew and understood that replacing the bushings with harder components would transfer energy and bring an increase in sound throughout the car. There is tons of info just about everywhere on the internet regarding that. My question and concern was regarding this low speed creaking sound. I haven't experienced it before and thought it had something to do with the load not previously transferred through the trailing arms, perhaps the coilovers or springs or something to do with the spring plates being loose/overly tight. These are not solid bushings. Very hard, yes but not solid. People install ER PolyBronze bushings without this sound. Those are equally so if not more so solid than what I have in my torsion tube/spring plate at the moment anyways. Ask how many people have this same issue or any other problems with them.. It probably has more to do with my install and the fickleness with which the poly graphite wants the mating surfaces to be finished to. Once up to speed the ride and sound is actually really good.