OEM spring covers?

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Hi all,

Silly question maybe... but I've noticed the outer sleeve/cover (or whatever you want to call it!) on the springs has started to come away/pop off the spring? Has anyone come across this? I've been getting a knocking noise from the right hand side of the car when moving off from stationary or going over bumps so I wondered if this would play any part at all. Worth an ask because I know spoon springs can knock without a sleeve/cover.

The whole suspension is standard OEM... as far as I'm aware. I'm the first owner since import and it all looks OEM.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers,
Jordan


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carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
JordanSuth said:
Hi all,

Silly question maybe... but I've noticed the outer sleeve/cover (or whatever you want to call it!) on the springs has started to come away/pop off the spring? Has anyone come across this? I've been getting a knocking noise from the right hand side of the car when moving off from stationary or going over bumps so I wondered if this would play any part at all. Worth an ask because I know spoon springs can knock without a sleeve/cover.

The whole suspension is standard OEM... as far as I'm aware. I'm the first owner since import and it all looks OEM.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers,
Jordan


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Spoon springs only knock occasionally (for some not all) without the sleeves and on oem dampers due to the diff length of the spring. The mugen dampers are 15mm shorter and so the spoon and mugen springs for 100% perfectly without knocks.

These covers just clip back on (the slip over the spring and it‘s mainly to protect the coating on them from damage when/where they impact under hard use etc).

The knocking imo would more than likely be the topmount bearing. I had this when I fitted my b16‘s without new topmount bearings. There was a clunk noise when setting off or occasionally when turning the steering wheel. This completely stopped as soon as I put new bearings on mate

Hope this helps a little, if not just ask away and I‘ll explain or advise more if possible.

Carl
 

skengdR

Advanced Member
Messages
342
carl hammond said:
Spoon springs only knock occasionally (for some not all) without the sleeves and on oem dampers due to the diff length of the spring. The mugen dampers are 15mm shorter and so the spoon and mugen springs for 100% perfectly without knocks.

These covers just clip back on (the slip over the spring and it‘s mainly to protect the coating on them from damage when/where they impact under hard use etc).

The knocking imo would more than likely be the topmount bearing. I had this when I fitted my b16‘s without new topmount bearings. There was a clunk noise when setting off or occasionally when turning the steering wheel. This completely stopped as soon as I put new bearings on mate

Hope this helps a little, if not just ask away and I‘ll explain or advise more if possible.

Carl
I plan on putting on new spoon springs next weekend but with oem shocks. Would you still advise to change the top mount bearings ? I think they are only £40 so if it makes sense let me know please

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carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
skengdR said:
I plan on putting on new spoon springs next weekend but with oem shocks. Would you still advise to change the top mount bearings ? I think they are only £40 so if it makes sense let me know please

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Hi mate for the price I would. I thought the ones on my Bilsteins were fine and one failed less than a day later so I then had to remove all and refit with new ones.

If I was you whilst it‘s apart for new top mount bearings (only replace the actual top mounts if needed), fit the spring protectors on the closest lower coils on the springs (I am sure there are pics in my build to show where I put them on mine) and fit.

Just make sure the spring is seated perfectly in the seat of the shock mate to prevent any movement and clean the shocks up as best you can.

Finally I‘d recommend so acf or arc protection on it all to aid in the battle against corrosion whilst it‘s off :)
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply. Ah okay, it has just been through an MOT and I was afraid it was going to be the lower ball joint that was knocking but it passed without any advisorys.

Is there anyway to confirm if it is the top mount bearing? How easy are they to replace and would it need an alignment check after being swapped?

I tried slipping the cover back on but there wasn't enough of a gap on the spring. I thought jacking it up might take off a little pressure which would enable me to slip it back on.

Cheers,
Jordan

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carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
Hi mate,

Thanks for the reply. Ah okay, it has just been through an MOT and I was afraid it was going to be the lower ball joint that was knocking but it passed without any advisorys.

Is there anyway to confirm if it is the top mount bearing? How easy are they to replace and would it need an alignment check after being swapped?

I tried slipping the cover back on but there wasn't enough of a gap on the spring. I thought jacking it up might take off a little pressure which would enable me to slip it back on.

Cheers,
Jordan

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Hi mate

A friend and I changed the topmount bearings with the shocks still attached on the lower side with the B16 Bilstein coilovers and so my geo wasn't thrown out at all, however I am not sure how it'd work with the oem suspension as they are substantially bigger in diameter and we really did have to use some force to pull the suspension down whilst one swapped out the old for new bearing.

I wouldn't say it's impossible as long as you know what your doing but that said I did it with thinner smaller shocks not the oem and it was hard then so it maybe a pig of a job (not sure if anyone else has tried it with oem shocks, hope so and someone can advise better).

If not then yeah the geo would need checking I guess as it'll be shock removal otherwise and at that time you could also re-seat the cover mate

Sorry I can't advise better on that bit :-(
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
carl hammond said:
Hi mate

A friend and I changed the topmount bearings with the shocks still attached on the lower side with the B16 Bilstein coilovers and so my geo wasn't thrown out at all, however I am not sure how it'd work with the oem suspension as they are substantially bigger in diameter and we really did have to use some force to pull the suspension down whilst one swapped out the old for new bearing.

I wouldn't say it's impossible as long as you know what your doing but that said I did it with thinner smaller shocks not the oem and it was hard then so it maybe a pig of a job (not sure if anyone else has tried it with oem shocks, hope so and someone can advise better).

If not then yeah the geo would need checking I guess as it'll be shock removal otherwise and at that time you could also re-seat the cover mate

Sorry I can't advise better on that bit :-(
Makes sense. I wouldn't tackle a job like that myself, it would go down to my trusted local mechanic. I will do some digging and see what's required. If the shock doesn't need removed then it might be worth getting them done, if it does, then I might tune my ears to not hear it for the foreseeable future...!

Jordan

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carl hammond

Advanced Member
Messages
3,737
Makes sense. I wouldn't tackle a job like that myself, it would go down to my trusted local mechanic. I will do some digging and see what's required. If the shock doesn't need removed then it might be worth getting them done, if it does, then I might tune my ears to not hear it for the foreseeable future...!

Jordan

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One test to do it get in the car and see if it does it (clunk) with the car static and on steering, then jack the front up and see if it still happens, min was at the start of going and only occurred originally once (when steering on the spot or pulling away/turning once) then it went. Then it got worse. However when I jacket the front up and did the same tests of moving the wheel there was nothing as the weight was no longer applied.

Not the hardest job mate (even if the shocks have to come off its three top bolts, two shock bolts and the track rod end, then remove topmount and fit new bearing between the shock and the mount :)
 
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