Noise in front end after new shocks/tie rods

Joeaksa · 06-11-2001, 12:47 PM

I put a set of Bilsteins and turbo tie rods on my 85 911 a month ago. Very happy with their handling but have a problem with something in this area. It sounds like something is loose in the front end when I go over a bump.

I have taken the shocks off at the top to check and the main nut holding them to the strut is still tight. All of the nuts on the adjustment plate on top are tight as well. I have a Weltmeister shock strut rod installed and its all tight as well.

The tie rods were installed at Zims and the whole suspension aligned, and I trust their work.

Has anyone else experienced this on their car? Ideas??? Do not like the idea of something loose in the suspension.

TIA,

Joe

john walker's workshop · 06-11-2001, 01:06 PM

if it's a bilstein strut, sometimes the pin that secures the shock into the strut misses the mark if there's debris in the bottom of the strut, like old snubber chunks. on boge struts, the capnut that holds the shock tight in the strut may be loose.

Joeaksa · 06-11-2001, 01:51 PM

John,

Sorry, I have Bilstein shocks in a Boge housing. Did not mess with the bottom part of the strut when I changed shocks.

Next idea?

Thx,

Joe

john walker's workshop · 06-11-2001, 06:10 PM

so is the capnut tight? can you bounce the bumper and duplicate the noise?

Joeaksa · 05-12-2002, 07:47 AM

John,

Still fighting with this one. Did not see your comment on this or would have gotten back to you. Just had the car serviced at a local shop last week and they commented on "something is making noise in the front end."

This noise is like something is loose, and it sounds like the shocks are not tight in the strut. I cannot duplicate the noise by pushing down on the front end and its only when I go over expansion joints in the road.

Have heard that in some cases that Bilstein provided liners that were put in the struts when inserting the shocks to take up some room. Anyone heard of this?

I even went so far as to take the struts apart (at the top) and loosen and then re-torque the nuts holding the shocks in the struts, with no change.

Anyone else had this happen when changing from Boge to any other shock?

Thx,

Joe

Gspin · 05-12-2002, 10:52 AM

Did you torque the cap that holds the strut inside the housing to 90 ft lbs? Also, there is a tool provided by Bilstein with each set of struts. Once the torque has been set, next compress the strut and put the shaft into the hole in the body. Also, don't use the old rubber bumper that came with the Boge strut as this is no longer needed. Last, torque the top nut to approx 50 ft lbs.

Joeaksa · 05-12-2002, 11:23 AM

Gary,

That may be my problem!

Are you talking about the rubber part that is used on the fender side of the car that the shock nut goes on or the rubber bumper inside the "dust cover" of the shock?

I did use the Bilstein wrench and torqued the nut to spec, twice and it still makes the clunking noise!

Thx,

Joe

Gspin · 05-12-2002, 07:53 PM

All you need to do is drain the vast majority of fluid from the strut housing once the old Boge is removed. Next, install the new Bilstein insert and tighten the nut to 90 ft lbs. The only rubber piece you use is a very small o-ring which fits over the shaft and on top of the nut. Nothing else is used icluding anything from the old Boge installation. In fact, Bilstein will supply two new nuts that will be used to hold the shaft to the body which are torqued in the luggage compartement.

Joeaksa · 05-12-2002, 08:06 PM

Gary,

Did clean out all the oil out of the housing, then insert the new shock and torque the unit down. Did it exactly as you described. Still makes noise!

Am wondering if I used any of the old BOGE parts on the upper part of the installation that is now causing the noise? Guess another bit of surgery is in order!

Thanks,

joe

marcesq · marcesq's Garage

This is a WAG, but it you left the old Boge rubber in (under fender) the noise that you may be hearing is the shock bottoming out due to the shock being to low for the anticapated travel.

Just a thought.

Joeaksa · 05-12-2002, 08:59 PM

My WAG is that you are correct and the only way to find out is take the whole puppy apart again!

Appreciate the help and will report back on what I find.

Thx,

Joe

dickster · 05-12-2002, 11:05 PM

Gary Spinella

Quote:

The only rubber piece you use is a very small o-ring which fits over the shaft and on top of the nut

i recently did this change and couldn't figure where to put the o ring! i called the supplier and they said forget it! so i left it off - assumed it was to stop movement in transport of the part

where does it go??

and is it important????

Gspin · 05-13-2002, 05:34 AM

I gather the small o-ring is to protect the insert from dust and grime. It seems somewhat marginal.
BTW, if you used the old Boge rubber piece instead of the o-ring I doubt the shaft would protrude all the way through the hole so that you could torgue the nut.

dickster · 05-13-2002, 07:46 AM

thanks, thats a relief!

Jim Smolka · 05-13-2002, 08:36 AM

When installing the new parts, did you loosen the big nut that holds the ball joint to the A-Arm???

If so, make sure that the notch on the ball joint matches the notch on the A-Arm

Joeaksa · 05-13-2002, 08:54 AM

Jim,

Undid the nut holding the shock at the top and thats all! Never touched the bottom at all and the noise is coming from both sides of the front suspension so doubt that both of them came loose all at one time. Compressed the shock strut and pulled it out from under the fender and unscrewed the collar holding the insert in the strut.

Cleaned out the oil and inserted the shock and used the Bilstein nut and wrench upon assy and torqued it up. From here I then reinserted it in the upper mount.

Only real change is that I did install a Weltmeister shock tower mount at the same time, then got the whole car aligned at Zims in Dallas. I may have left the old Boge rubber piece in the top and will have to take it apart now to check. This noise was not there before the shock change, so its related somehow!

Thx,

Joe