Coilover noises

[El_bigote_AJ]

How are you raising it? I would suggest increase preload vs. the body adjustment which doens't actually change anything w/r to this issue/shock travel. Adding some preload will give you more bump travel.

Not with these type of struts/shocks… the preload is typically only 1/4” if that as it’s just so the spring doesn’t fully lose tension at droop (like a helper springs or the first few coils on “progressive” spring) . Threaded body shocks and struts really do have much shorter rods and travel than what you’re used to with stock struts and something like your bilstiens.

Also at this point and only having the video in car at slow speeds it’s still speculation that the noise is the strut bottoming out as it takes a lot of impact to get a 8k spring to compress say 1.5” to 2” in reality.

 

[El_bigote_AJ]

For sure one issue on this style coilover is an overall lower travel (top to bottom) due to the shorter adjustable body dampers which necessitates a very good setup overall to make it work i.e. damping, spring rate, bump/droop (set with preload), and ride height (set with body).

Yeah adjustable body struts really seem to just be ideal for cars that are trying to go really low and and still have “some” travel, and let’s face it threaded body struts for companies make its so the can use the main 2 parts of the assembly across multiple platforms by only needing to have a different top mount and bottom mount/sleeve.

 

[Roald]

Not with these type of struts/shocks… the preload is typically only 1/4” if that as it’s just so the spring doesn’t fully lose tension at droop (like a helper springs or the first few coils on “progressive” spring) . Threaded body shocks and struts really do have much shorter rods and travel than what you’re used to with stock struts and something like your bilstiens.

Also at this point and only having the video in car at slow speeds it’s still speculation that the noise is the strut bottoming out as it takes a lot of impact to get a 8k spring to compress say 1.5” to 2” in reality.

Yeah looking back over the dyno charts I suspect it's just not compressing at a rate that's "comfortable" over anything more than a very small road surface imperfection. I have no doubt that these would be absolutely killer for track only.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

Based on your videos, I'm 100% certain you have an installation issue. You should never hear banging or crashing noises like that regardless of how stiff or soft your suspension is tuned.

How much suspension experience do you have?

Who did the work on the car?

 

[tigeo]

Based on your videos, I'm 100% certain you have an installation issue. You should never hear banging or crashing noises like that regardless of how stiff or soft your suspension is tuned.

How much suspension experience do you have?

Who did the work on the car?

There is only so much that can be wrong here - metal camber plates and really stiff suspension is my vote.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

There is only so much that can be wrong here - metal camber plates and really stiff suspension is my vote.

I guess. Could be something as simple as an LCA nut that's loose. I've seen it before.

Could be that preload that isn't set properly or the kit is just slammed stupid.

Each time I see these kinds of posts I think about how unnecessary it is to replace suspension with nothing but overly stiff metal components. Even track cars don't need all that stuff.

 

[El_bigote_AJ]

There is only so much that can be wrong here - metal camber plates and really stiff suspension is my vote.

I drove a mqb with the same metal camber plates and same “really stiff” spring rate on a 11 mile city street drive this morning to work and not once did it make a noise close to what’s on the video with a metal to metal sound, not to mention the OP said that redshift told him their new plates needed a spacer if the strut tower was not modified… that would easily explain the metal to metal contact sound in the video as with a pillow ball camber plate the angle of the shaft nut does change as the suspension compresses.

Yes pillowball camber plates add NVH transmissions to the body and cabin but of the 3 different ones I have run between Tiguan and the GTI I’ve never experienced metal to metal sounds like in the vids

 

[tigeo]

I drove a mqb with the same metal camber plates and same “really stiff” spring rate on a 11 mile city street drive this morning to work and not once did it make a noise close to what’s on the video with a metal to metal sound, not to mention the OP said that redshift told him their new plates needed a spacer if the strut tower was not modified… that would easily explain the metal to metal contact sound in the video as with a pillow ball camber plate the angle of the shaft nut does change as the suspension compresses.

Yes pillowball camber plates add NVH transmissions to the body and cabin but of the 3 different ones I have run between Tiguan and the GTI I’ve never experienced metal to metal sounds like in the vids

Your'e right - so many run this type of coilover/metal camber plates without that type of noise.

 

[tigeo]

Not with these type of struts/shocks… the preload is typically only 1/4” if that as it’s just so the spring doesn’t fully lose tension at droop (like a helper springs or the first few coils on “progressive” spring) . Threaded body shocks and struts really do have much shorter rods and travel than what you’re used to with stock struts and something like your bilstiens.

Also at this point and only having the video in car at slow speeds it’s still speculation that the noise is the strut bottoming out as it takes a lot of impact to get a 8k spring to compress say 1.5” to 2” in reality.

You still can add more preload though to this type of coilover correct regardless to help out? I know most of these coilovers are to be setup with only enough preload to keep the spring tight then you adjust ride height with the body. I suppose b/c they have so many springs available if you think the springs are too soft and sagging into the travel too much you just up the spring rate vs. preloading the softer spring.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

Your'e right - so many run this type of coilover/metal camber plates without that type of noise.

This.

Kinda what I was saying to begin with. I've never heard noises like that from a suspension setup unless there was an install issue.

Even screwing up preload would just cause the shock to bottom out, but those banging metal on metal noises... something is up.

I'd be willing to look at the car for OP if he was close enough. One thing I'll say, stop driving the damn thing until you figure out what's going on.

 

[Roald]

This.

Kinda what I was saying to begin with. I've never heard noises like that from a suspension setup unless there was an install issue.

Even screwing up preload would just cause the shock to bottom out, but those banging metal on metal noises... something is up.

I'd be willing to look at the car for OP if he was close enough. One thing I'll say, stop driving the damn thing until you figure out what's going on.

This is exactly what I was feeling in the car. either the suspension not compressing at all, or waaay too much. The metal rattle noise is an effect of shitty phone microphone recording. It doesn't sound like that in the car at all. There's no rattle at all. It's flat out solid bang over everything.


So a few new details to update. Monday night I pulled the redshift kit from the car and re-installed the factory suspension.
I managed to get it installed without any issues and it rides just like before- no noise, no rattles, no issues.
I am not sure what I messed up. I will say that plenty of folks have voiced either an install/config/or build concern and it makes me feel a little crazy because I have no idea. I followed several guides, I've watched videos for months now. I'm not a mechanical dumb dumb either. But who knows...

I bought all new bolts, I torqued everything to spec. I set preload on the springs at full droop. I even re-set droop at 5-10-15mm testing each time to no effect. I did find that the coil overs came on basically the lowest ride height adjustment which I requested at an inch. Even after adjusting them back up to the stock height the issue remained.
I made sure the strut body was fully seated, I re-checked all the bolts for torque or looseness. And I couldn't find anything obvious. The downside is, this was my first suspension install. Could I have unknowingly messed something up? Absolutely. I don't know what I don't know.


I've have had a number of individuals also voice concern over the dyno chart I was sent saying that maybe it's over pressurized or the rate is way too high, effectively saying that the suspension/dampers just weren't compressing at all. Which makes sense to some degrees because it felt that way. It truly felt like someone had just installed solid metal rods and that I was basically riding the Oregon Trail in a wagon. Mostly minus the dysentery. - If I were to take more time with it I would have mounted my go pro somewhere under the car and got video of what was actually occurring. I regret not doing this now. I work in IT my whole job is troubleshooting. I wish I could have identified 100% what the issue was.

In the end though I may not ever know. I'm sending the kit back to Redshift and moving to significantly softer/lighter springs and street valved damping. If that kit is also like this then I've almost certainly screwed something up and I'll feel extra stupid and embarrassed. Even more so than I already do. Chris has been very helpful and accommodating. But the whole situation sucks. My first event is the 14th which is a test and tune and I'm almost definitely not going to be 100% ready for that. Which I guess is sort of whatever, I'm not trying to win. I just had my mind set on being "done/ready".

Anyways an alternate solution is coming. Once I get the new kit installed I'll update with results. Which I'm hoping are significantly better.

Also I appreciate the offer for a look. I'm in Ohio so I suspect that would be quite a drive plus it's un-installed already.
Some folks had requested photos of the kit after I un-installed. I'm not sure I got absolutely everything or every angle or really even anything useful. I was in a hurry to get these boxed up and sent back.
FWIW I installed them exactly as pictured. Except I had the bottom adjuster ring locked into the correct position-on the bottom of the body to lock it in place.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

This is exactly what I was feeling in the car. either the suspension not compressing at all, or waaay too much. The metal rattle noise is an effect of shitty phone microphone recording. It doesn't sound like that in the car at all. There's no rattle at all. It's flat out solid bang over everything.


So a few new details to update. Monday night I pulled the redshift kit from the car and re-installed the factory suspension.
I managed to get it installed without any issues and it rides just like before- no noise, no rattles, no issues.
I am not sure what I messed up. I will say that plenty of folks have voiced either an install/config/or build concern and it makes me feel a little crazy because I have no idea. I followed several guides, I've watched videos for months now. I'm not a mechanical dumb dumb either. But who knows...

I bought all new bolts, I torqued everything to spec. I set preload on the springs at full droop. I even re-set droop at 5-10-15mm testing each time to no effect. I did find that the coil overs came on basically the lowest ride height adjustment which I requested at an inch. Even after adjusting them back up to the stock height the issue remained.
I made sure the strut body was fully seated, I re-checked all the bolts for torque or looseness. And I couldn't find anything obvious. The downside is, this was my first suspension install. Could I have unknowingly messed something up? Absolutely. I don't know what I don't know.


I've have had a number of individuals also voice concern over the dyno chart I was sent saying that maybe it's over pressurized or the rate is way too high, effectively saying that the suspension/dampers just weren't compressing at all. Which makes sense to some degrees because it felt that way. It truly felt like someone had just installed solid metal rods and that I was basically riding the Oregon Trail in a wagon. Mostly minus the dysentery. - If I were to take more time with it I would have mounted my go pro somewhere under the car and got video of what was actually occurring. I regret not doing this now. I work in IT my whole job is troubleshooting. I wish I could have identified 100% what the issue was.

In the end though I may not ever know. I'm sending the kit back to Redshift and moving to significantly softer/lighter springs and street valved damping. If that kit is also like this then I've almost certainly screwed something up and I'll feel extra stupid and embarrassed. Even more so than I already do. Chris has been very helpful and accommodating. But the whole situation sucks. My first event is the 14th which is a test and tune and I'm almost definitely not going to be 100% ready for that. Which I guess is sort of whatever, I'm not trying to win. I just had my mind set on being "done/ready".

Anyways an alternate solution is coming. Once I get the new kit installed I'll update with results. Which I'm hoping are significantly better.

Also I appreciate the offer for a look. I'm in Ohio so I suspect that would be quite a drive plus it's un-installed already.
Some folks had requested photos of the kit after I un-installed. I'm not sure I got absolutely everything or every angle or really even anything useful. I was in a hurry to get these boxed up and sent back.
FWIW I installed them exactly as pictured. Except I had the bottom adjuster ring locked into the correct position-on the bottom of the body to lock it in place.

This post makes me feel better about the install portion.

Check the area where your axle and control arms meet up front and look for any areas of obvious impact marks or wear scars. Also check the sticker on the shaft of the axle itself to see if it’s been worn off or cut into. You may have had the wrong length front end links.

I know you said earlier that you just eyeballed the end links, setting them to the half way mark. I’m suspecting your axles may have been banging into the LCA up front.

 

[Roald]

This post makes me feel better about the install portion.

Check the area where your axle and control arms meet up front and look for any areas of obvious impact marks or wear scars. Also check the sticker on the shaft of the axle itself to see if it’s been worn off or cut into. You may have had the wrong length front end links.

I know you said earlier that you just eyeballed the end links, setting them to the half way mark. I’m suspecting your axles may have been banging into the LCA up front.

I'll check it out likely tomorrow morning and post what I find.
I really appreciate everyone's help. I came into this world as a tiny ** checks notes ** Ah yes. Baby back bitch.
And hopefully I'll end this situation be slightly less so

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

I'll check it out likely tomorrow morning and post what I find.
I really appreciate everyone's help. I came into this world as a tiny ** checks notes ** Ah yes. Baby back bitch.
And hopefully I'll end this situation be slightly less so

So, after thinking about this more, the front swaybar sits between your axle and the LCA. So it would have either been the axle hitting the top of the swaybar, or the LCA hitting the bottom of the swaybar. You need to look at both to see if there's an obvious area where things were bumping / banging into each other. If it's the former, you will see wear marks around the axle. If the latter, you will see impact marks on the top of the LCA / bottom of the swaybar.

Good luck

 

[Diggs24]

I want my baby back baby back baby back baby back