I installed my coilovers last weekend. They are all the way low in the front and about half way in the back. They are all good but they are constantly making noises over any kind of bump. They are clunking. This is okay, but now it has started creaking all the time, which is extremely annoying. I was wondering, to anyone who has coilovers, is this normal? I am wondering if a bolt is loose or something of the sort? Creaking, clunking, mostly in the front.
Any input? Thanks!


Edit: Mostly the noise is in city driving. But still present on highway!

 

I think it might be the endlinks in the front making the noise.

 

FYI you posted in the 1st gen MINI section, R56 goes in 2nd gen

Depending on brand, camber, or end links you could have noises

 

Pretty sure OP has vmax coils.

 

Way, I bought my coils from you. They are the vmaxx. Sorry, didn't realize I posted in this section. I'm usually pretty good about that.

Aaron, we'll have to see what it is. I'll stop by today and we'll take a look.

 

I just had KW V1s installed, and the front left creaks (almost like a rusty creak) when the suspension travels over a bump (mostly noticeable at low speeds). I'm thinking that it may be the links in the front moving at a different angle than before, so maybe they need to be greased or something. It is definitely unsettling...

 

Give KW a call and speak with Adam. He has been helping some of my mini customers.

 

Thanks for the reference. I just spoke with Adam. After taking the front wheels off, I noticed that the front two coilovers are installed in reverse...meaning the part number ending in "L" is on the passenger side, and vice versa. This causes the sway bar end link to have a very vertical slope, rather than traversing the body of the strut to mount on the wheel side of the strut. Make sense?

Taking the car to the mechanic at 8 am..........

 

This will be the same case for the ST coilovers as well.

 

OK...so here's an update. The two front coilovers were re-installed correctly by my mechanic, so that the left is on the left and the right is on the right. However, after looking at the service manual for the R56, the sway bar end links in the front do not cross over the shock body and mount on the outside like I originally thought.

The car still makes god awful creaks, it sounds like an old rusty pickup truck. The thing is, I don't think it's coming from the coilovers. I think it may be sway bar related.

I'm going to try to grease everything and see if it helps - I'll keep you all posted.

 

If you're going to be taking apart and greasing any rubber bushings, try this:

Get a tube of high moly content paste. Honda motorcycle shops sell it as "Moly 60". Or many auto supply stores have it as engine assembly lube. The idea is the super high moly content. Clean the surfaces to receive the grease. Then thoroughly rub in the moly paste into the surfaces that will be contacting each other. Wipe away large amounts and leave just a film. Now finish the lubing with a quality full synthetic grease with the normal moly content.

Moly is a dry lubricant with super small particle size. Once rubbed or burnished into the micropores of a material, it's super tough to get out again and that's why it works so well, even when the carrier is gone.

Wear some glove, though, when you work with it. It makes a mess and you'll end up with gray fingers for a day or so.

 

Coilovers were not meant to be slammed all the way down. They were meant to be adjusted and used on the track. If you dont pair them with the correct spring rates you will not have any shock travel, etc. My car is dropped on its @$$ and I have all noises and clunks from Day 1. Eventually you will blow your shocks out as I have.

 

Not the case with these coilovers. The guys who have reported the problem of noise have nearly the same drop rate which is minimal and did not know if they have installed left to left and right to right.

The spring rates and shocks with ST coilovers are a great match. It is not like using springs with shocks.

 

Thanks

Maybe you could help me target where this is coming from...Let's say I'm going about 5 mph, and I rapidly turn left to right a few times (as if I'm making a squiggly line behind me) I hear this creaking. Keep in mind, this has happened since I lowered the car. It was perfectly quiet in stock form. So it should be something that has changed its orientation since I've lowered the car.

Another thing I noticed which could be the culprit, is the direction of the sway bar end links (front to back). I looked in my Bentley service manual, and noticed that the end links mounted with the threaded ends facing the front of the vehicle. As it sits now, the top head of the links mount to the strut body facing front, and the bottom end threads in facing the rear of the car. This differs from the picture in my Bentley manual...

The things we go through for our cars

 

Nevertheless, many people damage the hell out of their shocks when they drop the cars and forget that the shocks then need to be shorter as well in order to keep them from slamming down and bottoming. The shop I take my Mini to says they see that all the time. Suspension mods need to be well thought out.

 

Creaking noises are most often noisy bushings.

 

Absolutely. I've dropped enough cars to know that you're right about planning the right suspension mods. My car isnt near slammed either.

 

I wonder how much fun I could have if I started a new thread to ask about heating the springs to lower the car? Hmmm........

 

I know you are a vendor but you have to know that when you slam down a vehicle from even the best coilover setup...you will need to readjust the spring rate and possibly the shock itself. It common Suspension 101. Im not talking dropping it down an inch or so...Im talking about dropping it down all the way like the OP did.

The creaking you are hearing is from spring binding man....

I agree totally. I have been slammed on PSS9s for 7 years and I can attest to whatever claim most can make...

 

The way the ST and KW coilovers are designed though that is not an issue. The dampening, spring rate and max drop all works with each other. That's me speaking from knowing how this product works rather than a vendor.

In other coilover brands that may be an issue but not which these two brands. That is why they say "min. and max. drop"

 

Here...I dug up an ol as crap pic for you to show spring compression on a slammed Mini. My BMW is slammed on K-Sport coilovers and my Touareg is on H&R lowering springs (or will be when I install them). Both the BMW and Mini pop and creak from Day 1 because of not allowing the spring to function properly....Life of a slammed vehicle.

 

Ksport :(

 

Ive run KW V1 and V2's on my BMW. I know the product well. But tell me why so many people are blowing them out on the Mini application at nominal drop after let's say 10k miles? And I can safely say that the OP is well beyond max drop if he has wound them all the way down.

Lets put spring/shock pairing aside. That can be an all day discussion. I want to hear where you think the noise is coming from. I know exactly what the OP is talking about without even being there because I have always had the same problem with ALL my coilovers (Bilstein/K-Sport/KW). And since these two brands are special I would love to know the fix because I was looking at a set of KW V3s for the Touareg just yesterday.

 

I would agree with you up until about 3 years ago when the company started to turn around and put a lot more quality into their products. I have been to their warehouse several times and have a wholesale account with them. In fact, their BMW application is far better than most but their Mini line had to be re-engineered because of a few issues.....so im told....

 

An update. Awhile ago I found out what was causes the noises- the top of my front sway bar was hitting the body of my car each time the car hit a bump. Unbolted it and it isn't giving me issues. I need to find either 1) an aftermarket swaybar that doesn't cause this problem, or 2) suck it up and deal with the noise.

Now my coilovers are "squeeking" again, which is rather annoying... It stopped for awhile but now it's back.