MM C/C plate noises?

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 12, 2004

#1

• Apr 12, 2004

• #1

I noticed that the inside diameter of the top plate bearing is just slightly larger than the outside diameter of my stock and aftermarket strut's shaft. I installed the plates and when I rock the car I can hear the strut shaft moving in the bearing. A "knock knock; knock knock" sound can be heard and felt in the strut towers when I rock the car side to side via the strut brace. It is not a loud noise and the gap in between the bearing and strut shaft is probably less than .010".

Can you guys with MM plates hear this noise when you rock your car? I think the bearing/strut tolerance is too great.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 12, 2004

#2

• Apr 12, 2004

• #2

I get noise from mine, but I've always assumed it was from not being able to really tighten the strut nut as much as I'd like. I'm interested in a solution -- I don't much care for the noise.

Dave

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 12, 2004

#3

• Apr 12, 2004

• #3

HairyCanary said:

I get noise from mine, but I've always assumed it was from not being able to really tighten the strut nut as much as I'd like. I'm interested in a solution -- I don't much care for the noise.Dave

Click to expand...

Yea the noise is actually from the strut shaft being slightly smaller than the bearing. It is near impossible to have them be a perfect fit, unless you have the bearing pressed onto the strut. I emailed MM to ask for their input.

 

bjl95mustang

Founding Member

Jan 18, 2000

1,495

0

36

Austin,TX

Apr 12, 2004

#4

• Apr 12, 2004

• #4

I had a problem with mine. The whole bearing would slide up and down in the housing and make a clicking noise. If you look at the cc plate from underneath the bearing is held in by a spiral lock and some lock tite. The pair of cc plates I got was milled out to much and there was a gap between the spiral lock and the bearing so after the lock tite broke lose the bearing would side up and down a bit and make noise. I called mm and talked to them and told them my problem. At first they where trying to say that I abused my car and broke the cc plates. Then after talking to one of the managers that was on the message boards and telling him what they where doing and it looked like they where milled out to much he said he would check on them and see what was up. He called me back and said there where a bad run and some got milled out to much. They sent me the upgraded sn-95 4-bolt plates for free and they took care of me.

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 13, 2004

#5

• Apr 13, 2004

• #5

The problem with mine is simply the bearing is too darn big. That bearing must be a tight fit onto the strut shaft or it will make noise. I have only drove my car about 3 miles since the install and I didnt really notice a noise, but Im sure I will hear them knocking when I get on a more bumpy road. The bearing must fit onto the strut shaft much like a dampner does onto the crankshaft. If not, there will be play and eventually the bearing or the strut shaft is going to get chewed up. I would think MM would have figured this out and I wish I would have heard about it before I blew $200 on them. Hopefully I can send them back so MM can install a better fitting bearing.

 

cjones

Founding Member

Jul 20, 2002

1,561

0

37

Avondale, AZ

Apr 13, 2004

#6

• Apr 13, 2004

• #6

i have had no problems with mine.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#7

• Apr 15, 2004

• #7

Did you ever get a reply from MM on this?

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 15, 2004

#8

• Apr 15, 2004

• #8

HairyCanary said:

Did you ever get a reply from MM on this?

Click to expand...

Well, I went ahead and took my suspension apart. I unbolted the struts from the spindle and then worked it up and down while still attached to the plate. Turns out my struts have a slight "slack" in them. The slack can't be felt as movement but only as a vibration, almost like something is popping in there. Of course with the solid MM plates any vibration sounds like a TON. When I removed the struts I placed them on the ground and moved the shaft. I could barely feel the vibration/slack then. Those MM plates are sooooo sensitive to any suspension vibration. There is nothing wrong with the struts though. They just have a slight vibration in them when moved quickly up and down. It may just be the fluid moving in and out of the valve?

At any rate I emailed Strange but haven't heard back yet. I also ordered some KYB AGX's from Summit. Im going to install them and see if they have the noise. If they don't then I will sell the Strange struts. If I had the stock plates on my car I would never even notice that vibration, but like I said the MM plates really amplify everything.

I apologize for bad mouthing MM, but it really sounded like the bearing was moving when I bounced the car fast. I had no idea the struts were causing the noise until I got everything apart again.

It sucks that I lost money on this, but it won't be the first time

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#9

• Apr 15, 2004

• #9

That's interesting. I did notice a fair amount of slop in the Mach1 struts, so maybe that's all I'm experiencing too. I've kinda put off doing any real diagnosis because I hate the struts so much I'm going to replace them shortly with Bilsteins. Should have done that in the first place.

Dave

 

1

1bad5.0

New Member

Nov 17, 2003

5

0

0

az

Apr 15, 2004

#10

• Apr 15, 2004

• #10

cool

i was looking to buy some c/c plates which ones would you guys recommend.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#11

• Apr 15, 2004

• #11

1bad5.0 said:

i was looking to buy some c/c plates which ones would you guys recommend.

Click to expand...

Maximum Motorsports, if you're planning on any more serious suspension upgrades in the future. If not, you can get by with lesser ones.

Dave

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 15, 2004

#12

• Apr 15, 2004

• #12

I always hear good things about the Bilstiens, but they are soooo ugly. I really hate the baby blue and yellow paint scheme. I think they would look horrible on my black car.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#13

• Apr 15, 2004

• #13

S/CBlack95GT said:

I always hear good things about the Bilstiens, but they are soooo ugly. I really hate the baby blue and yellow paint scheme. I think they would look horrible on my black car.

Click to expand...

You can see yours from outside the car? Might want to kill the 4x4 stance...

Dave

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 15, 2004

#14

• Apr 15, 2004

• #14

HairyCanary said:

You can see yours from outside the car? Might want to kill the 4x4 stance...

Dave

Click to expand...

Well I have the FRPP springs so I still have about a 2 inch fender gap. They wouldn't be real noticeable, but still.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#15

• Apr 15, 2004

• #15

S/CBlack95GT said:

Well I have the FRPP springs so I still have about a 2 inch fender gap. They wouldn't be real noticeable, but still.

Click to expand...

I would be surprised if you could see them at all -- as I remember, the inside of the wheel well cover extends down below the what is visible from outside the car (even stock), and the strut goes up behind that into the strut tower. Either way.

Dave

 

S/CBlack95GT

New Member

Apr 6, 2003

2,018

0

0

Tampa Palms, FL

Apr 15, 2004

#16

• Apr 15, 2004

• #16

HairyCanary said:

I would be surprised if you could see them at all -- as I remember, the inside of the wheel well cover extends down below the what is visible from outside the car (even stock), and the strut goes up behind that into the strut tower. Either way. Dave

Click to expand...

I can see my strut from outside the car. The wheel well cover doesn't come down far enough to block the boot part of the strut.

 

Rootus

Officially Addicted

Feb 8, 2003

6,659

1

0

Portland, Oregon

Apr 15, 2004

#17

• Apr 15, 2004

• #17

S/CBlack95GT said:

I can see my strut from outside the car. The wheel well cover doesn't come down far enough to block the boot part of the strut.

Click to expand...

Why yes, you're right! For some reason I remembered it differently. Just went out and checked, and I can see the strut. But I have to get parallel with it to see it, if it was visible from any farther I'd paint the top of the strut black .

Dave

 

cjones

Founding Member

Jul 20, 2002

1,561

0

37

Avondale, AZ

Apr 15, 2004

#18

• Apr 15, 2004

• #18

S/CBlack95GT said:

I always hear good things about the Bilstiens, but they are soooo ugly. I really hate the baby blue and yellow paint scheme. I think they would look horrible on my black car.

Click to expand...

you can always paint them whatever color you want.