I am almost afraid to look. I have about 800 miles on the car and just today started to hear a clunk/rattle coming from the driver's side. I did some searching and came across 2 people who had this clunk and said it was a sun visor screw. I'll check that first thing tomorrow but I highly doubt that this is a sun visor screw. It sounds like it's coming from the suspension under the car (on my side).

I still have the "loose change" noise from the back but other than that, the car has been driving great. I'll get it up on the lift tomorrow. In the meantime...any concerns or ideas as to what I might expect to see? Depending on this issue at hand, it may be time to revert to a shock and spring combo.

 

may depend on the coilover.... ive heard the Vmaxx ones are very prone to this...and most just live with it lol

 

I cannot live with this sound. One thing I noticed after washing the car and getting it on the lift is that the car has SUNK on the driver's side (where the noise is). Everything is in good order and toqued properly. I changed the rotors and pads as a matched set as I planned to do and while here I checked torque on everything and visually inspected everything. Everything seems fine.

I am wondering if the coilover is blown/shot??? I don't know what else would cause the car to actually sit lower on that side!

These are not el cheapo coilovers. I paid good money for them. Eibach's($1,500)..I am lost. The noise is terrible...

 

Call Eibach....they have had a few problems across the board on the multipros. But they have been good at resolving issues.

- Andrew

 

Andrew,
Thank you for the response. Anything in particular that you care to share with the board or possibly hook up with me offline? I am not interested in having ammunition per se but I would like to be privy of some things prior to contacting Eibach. This is a pretty big disappiontment for how "young" these coilovers are.

By "across the board"...I assume that you are talking about other car models as well? Just curious? Thanks!

JG

 

I am also wondering if it's possible that this noise is a failed swaybar end link? They look ok visually and are torqued to spec but...I am wondering if there is a failure within the joint as the car is pretty low. I have done some searching and it appears that this noise would be somewhat consistent with a bad end link. Maybe time for some adjustable links?

 

Yes, mostly for EVO. Too short on spring length, hose for the remote canister placed in the wrong spot for the 2 way, and broken spanner wrench. Standard spring rates are also a little weird for that car. The damper itself though has been great and quiet in all cases. They definitely have some kinks to work out.

It absolutely could be a busted endlink....you could disconnect the bar and check if the noise remains.

- Andrew

 

Andrew,
You know this is funny. I broke a spanner wrench and called Eibach. They immediately blamed me for overtourquing the collars and I said...hey, I just barely tightened the thing and it snapped!!! They replaced it free of charge. Another thing is that...the front collars adjusted all the way up are NOT even close to stock ride height...they are still LOW! I am wondering if they sent me the right spring and/or spring rate?

Lastly...in looking at the swaybar angle. It is pointed down with the car at rest. This actually leads me to believe that I need a SHORTER swaybar end link. This is contradictory to what most say. Most say you need a longer one. This cannot be the case though, if it were longer, it would just move the bar down further and cause interference.

Any insight on the whole end link thing?

In the meantime, I will definitely call Eibach and have them confirm the spring p/n that is supposed to come with the coilovers. Very dis-heartening that they have had so many issues.

 

Funny that your spanner wrench broke too. It was replaced free of charge for our customer as well. The too short springs are probably what they spec which is unfortunate. We're not really selling them anymore until we know they iron these things out. The valving is very good, but all these things are just headaches we don't want to deal with and we can spec other brands at similar prices that do very well.

Can't really say on the endlink...I would think a shorter endlink is needed but I haven't been under a Mini with a big drop in my own experience.

- Andrew

 

Andrew,
Thanks again. I removed my endlinks and they articulate smoothly in a nice full range of motion. They appear to be in good working order. This is going to be frustrating...I can just tell. :(

 

Good luck with the call to Eibach.

Did you try driving it with the bar disconnected?

Might be worth going with some adjustable links anyway....

- Andrew

 

Just got in. I disconnected the links and reversed them as the noise is pronounced on my side. The result. Nothing new...

I really think that the strut is blown. It sounds god-awful on my side of the car. I can hear a metallic spring noise along with floating on that side. I want to say that possibly the shaft sheared?

I am extremely disappointed...Eibach will definitely get a call first thing tomorrow. I will also call Bavarian Autosport. To be quite honest, I may ask if they will flat out take them back. These things have been nothing but problems from day one. I'd hate to get another one and have it **** the bed again.

I have a slammed M3 on ground control coilovers (Bilstein strut) and it rides smooth and quiet as glass. My new MINI sounds like freight train from the 50's. Just awful. Again...very disappointed.

 

That's what it sounds like. Well that's a shame, those things had potential. This just reinforces our decision not to sell them. Let us know how it turns out.

- Andrew

 

Your top nut is prolly of torque

 

What kind of strut tops are you using?

- Andrew

 

Top nut is good and tight. Anything more and you are just spinning the shaft.

Andrew,
Stock top hat/bearings. I would expect these to last quite some time.

 

Stock as in the ones that came with the car?

 

Yes....the car has 800 miles on it. It is brand new.

I think that the internal shaft is sheared or something of that nature has occured. The sound appears more pronounced at slow speed while turning into my driveway. Also, the drivers side ride height dropped so much that I cannot get my lift pad onto the jack pad. At rest, the coil spring doesn't appear compressed but when driving it sound like it tinging (coil binding). I am almost positive it's a shot strut. I can't think of anything else, in combination, that would make these noises.

 

I think that this kit may have the wrong length or rate springs as well. With the collars set all the way to the top (in the front) the car is still low! I am going to call Eibach this a.m. and see what kind of customer service they can provide.

 

You asked for specific rates right? Linear eibach coilover springs should have markings on them.

Tinging noises that are made at low speed turning into driveways or parking lots is often the spring binding as it tries to rotate and then popping free. It's fixed by a shitload of grease on the perches, or a torrington bearing.

- Andrew

 

You have to use an allen wrench to keep the strut shaft from turning and continue to torque the top nut to spec. If you only tightened it until the strut shaft started turning....that's probably the cause of your clunk. That's not tight enough.

 

It's not the problem. You have to use air tools on the shaft as there is no provision for an allen wrench (like stock shafts). I wish there were...the stockies were a breeze to remove because I bought all of the special sockets with provisions to secure the shaft.

Andrew,
The springs that came with the kit are supposed to be designed for the MINI. I was not at liberty to pick and choose. All kits come with the same springs as far as I know.

 

There's NO way for you to hold the shaft? No slot in the top for a screwdriver-shaped item, no flat spot on the shaft for you to slide an adjustable wrench onto?

That's ridiculous, IMO. Limiting you to using air tools for tightening bolts like that is poor design... Again, IMO.

BTW, can the clunk be replicated manually by pushing down on that corner of the car while parked?

 

What we do for coilovers (KW for example) like that is use a strap wrench to hold the shaft still as we tighten. We NEVER use air tools to tighten the top nut as that's a recipe for disaster. We do use an electric impact very very carefully though. With a strap wrench you can definitely feel the top nut bottom out and all is well. It takes 2 people. We use a Kobalt strap wrench, cheap and effective.

For some reason I thought you had custom rates. I personally would maybe try to work that angle when you get them on the phone. Get some linear springs with helpers front and rear that will let you get the ride height to a normal setting.

- Andrew

 

Blaine,
you can hold the shaft body with an adjustable wrench but there is no way to get enough leverage to tighten it to spec (even with a crows foot out of the car). An air impact is really the way to go here. Trust me...I am not a fan of air tools but opted for one in this case.

Clunk is not reproducable when pushed down on.