TRACKIN951

I installed new konis and paragons height adjustable coilover kit up front on my 87 and have since had a lot of clunking from the suspension. While going slow you can really hear it over every bump and turning also you can hear a rubbing(metal on metal). Im pretty sure it is just because of the upper perch and upper strut mount are two metal pieces so there will be some noise. But to me it is VERY annoying and would like to fix it. Would helper springs help out with the clunking since there would be no play in the strut assembly. As for the rubbing could that be solved maybe by a polyuerathane little bushing between the upper perch and the upper strut mount? Any suggestions would be great as im sure others have had this problem!
Thanks alot!

testarossa_td

Sounds like you need helper springs. As for the other I think they make a good grease for that.

TRACKIN951

That might work, anyone else have any suggestions?

testarossa_td

A step in the right direction....
Helper springs

Musche

I have a noise once in a while with mine as well but only when making sharp turns. I drilled two little holes in the top mount and looped a piece of safety wire through the top mount around the coil spring. This is especially helpful when jacking up the car and letting it back down the coil will not catch on the top mount and let out a loud bang when it seats.

FSAEracer03

Lay a bead of clear RTV on the top of the strut mount (mating surface with the strut tower). Let it set for 10 minutes or so and toss them back on. As far as helper springs... I need them with mine. What spring rate did you go for and what kind of ride height is it set at?

Kool

I zip tied my spring perch to the hat.

I haven't had my car down since they have been installed so I can't speak as to how loud/quiet they are. 400lb springs we shall see.

TRACKIN951

Ive got 275lb springs. the car is lowered a good amount. Just so the tires are bairly tucking behind the fender with stock 16" 50 sidewall. Im thinking that the helper springs would work wonders(hopefully). Now I do have the perch zip tied to the springs.
FSAEraser I am confused with where your saying to put the RTV, in between the perch and the strut mount?

Oddjob

The little helper springs you are referring to are for keeping the springs seated on the perches when the weight is off the car (when its jacked up).

They completely coil bind when the weight of the car is on them, and would have no effect on reducing noise - might even make it worse. The noise you are hearing is not the spring rattling around, its the spring popping or binding and releasing as it twists on the spring perches. Pretty normal for any flat edged linear spring on flat perches.

Youll notice that the factory spring seats/perches catch the last coil end of the spring, so both the top and bottom of the spring are stationary relative to the perch.

With the aftermarket kits, the spring can move on the flat perch, which it does when you turn and the whole strut rotates. The spring will twist until it releases and it slides on the perch, you get the "boing" sound.

I dont think there is an easy solution to this.

Matt Sheppard

Oddjob: Yes there is. They are called Torrington bearings. They are a flat race w/ needle bearings in them, . . oh hell here:



The Racers Group has them in any spring size you may need. (707) 935-3999. Ask for Paul.

TRACKIN951

matt sheppard your a genius, would you use 2 of those on either side or would only 1 per side be needed? Do you have any idea on a price of these suckas? Oddjob you do have a point there, I was wondering about the stiffness of those helpers!

FSAEracer03

Nope, between the perch and the strut tower. I wanted a thin boundary layer there instead of the stock paper-like crap.

I really don't think you need helper springs... I don't have them on mine and I have yet to fully unload the springs accept when jacking up the car. Are you running standard length springs? Who makes them?

Here's my ride heightm for reference/showoff sake

TRACKIN951

Well im just a tad lower than you are, as far as my springs they are hypercoil 275lb 12" or 10" i dont remember. So are all of you out there with this not having the same problem as I or is this a common issue? I dont think that the spring at any point would come fully unloaded to where helper springs would make a difference in the clunking!

Matt Sheppard

. . .far from it.

You need one pair - a bearing race per side and they come w/ flat ss washers so that the bearings have something to roll against. They are not sealed against the elements so they require semi-frequent cleaning.

FSAEracer03

I've worked at two race shops and the only cars that squeeked and clunked from their coilovers were the cars running ultra-high jounce damping and high rate spring (800-1400 lb/in).

I've come across a whole bunch of Koni conversion kits on 944s and 951s... yours is the first I've heard to squeek. Most of them also didn't have helper springs... I always see PSS, PSS9 and other Bilstein setups with them, but like somebody said before, they full compress when the car is dropped and only provide use when the wheel reaches full droop.

One test you might consider trying to see if you need them and find out if you need them or not, get a mirror setup under the car and shine a spot light onto the strut from the opposite side of the strut that you're looking at... get a second person to slowly jack the car up. Watch to see if the the spring losses seat before full droop.

Another point I'd question... spring hieght... about how high is the spring perch from the bottom thread (in inches)?