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metall noise after bilstein install

Joined
27 February 2004
Messages
640
Location
AUSTRIA (Europe)
hi!

I have an clicking metall sounding noise after I installed my Bilsteins on lower perch with oem springs. Every time when I hit a bump in the road I can hear this metall sounding noise. A friend of mine who has the same setup has same noises. It sounds like it came from the spring or something? How to eleminate this noise....it is annoying :(
 
Did you reinstall the rubber caps from the stock shocks/springs onto your new setup? You may do a search here with "Bilstein install" as you're not the first with this issue. I never had any metal sound with my Bilsteins - not with the stock springs and not with the Eibachs.
 
hi!

i did the installation 100% correct, like my friend does. the funny thing is, the noise is only when it is cold. in hot wheater or when the suspension get warm from driving, braking, etc the noise went away.
 
Check the top nut on the coilover is tightened or not, and try to move your coilover up and down when the car is jacked up to see if theres any free play.
I've done numerous coilover installation, and the cliking sound from hitting the bump is usually from a untightend top nut.
Hope this helps!
 
austrian type-R said:
... A friend of mine who has the same setup has same noises....

austrian type-R said:
...i did the installation 100% correct, like my friend does....
Sorry - that just seems funny! :)

Seems like either something not quite tight or maybe the coils of the springs just clicking when making contact - the OEM's have the rubber sleeves on the coils - are they still in place?
 
austrian type-R said:
yeah, the top nuts are thight and the ruber is still on the oem springs.
As NSX-Racer said in his reply, you need to use the OEM rubbers on the new springs.
 
Mine does the same thing. Sounds like it is bottoming out all the time. :confused:
 
mine were the same way, the problem also seemed to be temp related, very odd. My car at the stock spring /low perch was VERY low. I switched back to top perch and the problem disappeared. It was suggested the the back of the battery tray or front stablizer bar could have been the culprit. the temp thing is a mystery.
 
that's what "lifetime warranty" is for guys...take advantage of that!! :biggrin:
 
austrian type-R said:
hi!

i did the installation 100% correct, like my friend does. the funny thing is, the noise is only when it is cold. in hot wheater or when the suspension get warm from driving, braking, etc the noise went away.

Just had mine installed this weekend by Spugen in Whitter. Did the Bilstein lower perch and OEM Springs. Ricardo did a great job and there were absolutely no noises when I left the shop. The next morning, I took the car out and it was making that exact sound described and I couldn't figure it out. After about 20 minutes it disappeared! So in short, the same exact thing is happening to me.

If anyone figures out whats going on, please let me know. Maybe we can put some grease somewhere? WD-40?
 
I have the exact same problem on my 98 Coupe. Bilsteins on the lower setting with OEM Springs! The wierd thing is that I thought it was temperature related, but now I think its related to the date. It makes the noise on odd days but not even. Seriously, it seems like it makes the noise every other time I drive the car. This morning it was loud, but after driving 30 miles it stopped. Mine were installed and reinstalled and checked three times by one of the most competent NSX body shops in the country and they are puzzled as well. :confused:
 
There seems to be quite a bit of discussion about noise and Bilsteins.I was getting ready to have some installed on my 93 next week http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51375 (already have eibach springs installed)

Is it worth it? Has anyone had luck with them? Is there any real performance gain over stocks?
 
Are you sure you properly loaded the suspension before tightening the lower bushing?

Before the lower bushing is tightened, the factory loads the suspension (to 1G -just lifting that corner from the lift) This way any slop in the bushing mount is located in the same direction it will be when you hit a bump.

I think alot of shops are clueless about this, but it should be done on every vehicle.

Could be the source of some of these noises.

matt
 
Matt is on the right track here and that's probably where the noise is coming from. I would also make sure that the rubber bump stops have been installed correctly and not left out just because the car has been lowered. These little units not only prevent the shock from bottoming out, but they act as secondary springs when your are in a hard conering situation. Good luck on this.
 
The only reason I can think of it is the gas in the damper...when it has a certain temperatur the noise is there.....always when the car is parked in the sun or at an hot day, or I drive 20km or something the noise get away....so I guess the gas in the dampers have to reach a certain temperatur.......
 
austrian type-R said:
hi!

I have an clicking metall sounding noise after I installed my Bilsteins on lower perch with oem springs. Every time when I hit a bump in the road I can hear this metall sounding noise. A friend of mine who has the same setup has same noises. It sounds like it came from the spring or something? How to eleminate this noise....it is annoying :(


hummm.... I have the same issues with Eibach and stock shocks. It happens in low speed. It was really loud when I hit a bump on the freeway. It was so loud that I thought I bent the wheels or broken something, but everything is fine.

My car is lowered probably around 1.25 to 1.5 in. on the front. It sure sounded like it bottomed out.

Anyone knows how much more spring travel we have after it is lowered 1.5 inch on the front?

Thanks.
 
A suggestion.

See if your sway bar (especially aftermarket) is cutting or touching the battery tray edges; if it is it will make a scratch on the sway bar. This is particularly the case for 97+ with Bilstein on lower perch. If this is case in your 92, then perhaps your springs are shot?

While you are looking for this, check also if the sway bar where it mounts on the links (again especially in aftermarket) if it is moving enough to touch the Bilstein. In most cases, there is less than 0.5" play and that can be avoided with Al Terpak's collars.
 
Hrant said:
A suggestion.

See if your sway bar (especially aftermarket) is cutting or touching the battery tray edges; if it is it will make a scratch on the sway bar.

the sway bar is nowhere near the battery tray on the early model nsx. :confused:
 
nis350 said:
the sway bar is nowhere near the battery tray on the early model nsx. :confused:


Let me clarify. Do you have stock sway bars or aftermarket sway bar?

If it is aftermarket, are you checking it with the suspension loaded or when it is on a lift or jacks?

If your springs are shot/tired, with Bilstein lower perch you may indeed have your sway bar touch rub the battery tray braces on load on early models. But if this is the case, you will see some marks on the sway bar.

HTH
 
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