I thought I’d re-visit the rear suspension, since I didn’t actually install the coil overs myself, I had them put in while the adjustable tabs were being welded onto rear crossmember.
I’ve been having some noise issues with these coilovers, mainly some light metal-on-metal sounds which are to be expected with a bare-bones coilver set up, but also some squeaking when going over bumps. The squeaking is what annoys me the most, and it’s coming from the boot (trunk), so I’ve always assumed its the rubber bushes that go between the body of the car and the nut that holds the coilovers in.
Here’s the starting point. (ignore the ugly discs)
Let’s take a look at the coilovers in a bit more detail. This first photo shows that the threaded sleeve isn’t actually fixed to the strut body, it slides over and has the ability to move around. My front coilovers came with some rubber o-rings to go in between these two parts to give them a tight fit. I thought about doing the same to the rear but there isn’t enough room, so I ran one layer of electrical tape around them, just to make them a bit more snug. Using a 2 layers of tape resulted in not being able to slide the threaded section back over the strut body, whereas one layer still gives some room to move.
Next is the lower spring perch. Metal springs, metal perches. I used the same trick as with my front coilovers, cutting a loop from an old shock absorber dust boot and using it as a sort of cushion. On the front springs I actually wrapped the rubber around the top and bottom coil, but for the rear I decided to lie it down flat on the perch.
As we make our way up, we can see that the top perch is cable tied (zip tied) to the top coil, so there is no need to tamper with it. But, looking at the top of the spring perch, where it’s diameter tapers inwards, you can see some scratches from where it sits inside that black nut/washer combination housing.
Closer look…
I tried modifying a couple of rubber bushes from a pair of S14 struts I have laying around to sit between the two parts, but I decided against using them as they both prohibited the perch to properly sit inside the black housing. I’ll leave it for another day when I get a better idea.
Below are the 3 collective parts that sit inside the boot/trunk that hold the coilover in. The rubber bush is my number 1 suspect for the squeaking. Is there a different type of material I can replace it with that won’t squeak?
The main reason for taking the coilovers out was so I could paint inside my guards (fenders) like I have previously done to the front of the car.
All done…
So, only a minor update, but still a chance to get some work done.
Here’s a clue for the next update, hopefully it will be in a few weeks time…
