I installed the Megan Racing coilovers several weeks ago. Even at the softest setting, hitting bumps can bounce your head into the roof. My wife won't ride in the car anymore. If I hit a pothole it feels like the front of the car is going to break.

Anyways, I noticed a click, click, click this morning coming from the passenger side wheel. It's louder when I'm turning. Sounds to me like a CV joint, which is bad news because tomorrow is a track day.

Can a hard suspension be rough enough on the car to cause CV joints to fail?

 

No, but track days can.

 

I've only done two track days with the car. Seems too early to fail from that.

 

I've had 3 or 4 go bad in a variety of cars, only one actually falling apart and leaving me stranded in a driving rainstorm. They last quite a while after you start hearing them. If the boot's still intact then it may be just one of those things.

Have you already checked to make sure there's nothing caught up in the brake caliper etc that might be making the noise?

 

The boot looked fine. I'll just have to keep an eye and ear on it.

 

Generally, a stiff suspension will not cause damage to CV joints. It's only when the geometry of the suspension gets altered excessively causing excessive operating angles that will damage the joints. In rare cases of extreme mods (or vehicle damage) you run the risk of running the axle with the inner CV joint under- or overextended, the former can cause damage to both joints.

 

Check your wheel bolts. I bet you have some loose ones.
Stiffer suspension will not effect the CV joints, but a car that is slammed will.
Anyway, I really bet it's loose wheel bolts.

 

I have seen the brgs come apart in the joints when putting shocks on if the axle is pulled out too far

 

even at 280lbs/in, huh? that sucks for street.

 

This is more likely and issue in the camber plates rather then the struts.
PM meb and talk with him. he has some good time in these shocks.

 

It wasn't the wheel bolts. I've had that problem too when the track wheels were new. The car started shaking during the first session. I came in and the wheel bolts had loosened. It happened every session that day. Someone told me that wheel bolts tend to loosen on new wheels as the paint wears off in the holes.

Came home early from the track. Not because of the noise but because of the rain. The Mini was the fastest car out there in my session when it rains. The only problem I had was with a loose front end. I didn't have the traction that other cars seemed to have in the carousel. The front end tended to slip much quicker than the rear.

 

did you disconect the front sway bar? if the rear is adjustable, did yoy make it a soft as it can go?

 

Huh?

280lb/in linear rate springs are not that bad for the street...335 in the rear by the way. Mine are completely civil. I personally do not think you should venture lower than 18 or 19 on the dampers. I actually prefer 10 or 11 front and rear...well, this week anyway

 

The front is the stock sway bar and is still attached. I have the H Sport bar in the rear on the middle setting.

 

I probably should have been more clear in what I was responding to.
In wet track conditions the last thing you want is a stiff car. The handling problems you experienced sound like the kind of problems one would have with driving a dry track tuned car on a wet track. You should always consider softening up your suspension when it's wet by disconnecting the front bar and softening the rear if possible. You should be setting your Megans to soft dampening and light rebound. At least start from there and find the "wet track" sweet spot for your car.

 

Thats good to know. I don't know much about how to set the stiffness of the dampers and just went by how others had them set, most likely for dry conditions.

 

I had a CV joint go out on the drivers side of my Stock '05 MCS.

 

just replaced the right side CV joint and axle...and bearing. Vibration is gone as well as the new clicking noise - which was my indication the CV joint wanted a time-out