TCP strut rods / coil over, loud popping sound

j69302

Active Member
Jan 31, 2006
325
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I haven't called TCP yet as its the weekend, but wondering if anyone here can help.

I just finished putting TCPs coil over setup on last week. Drove it for the first time since I got it aligned and while it drives very nice and handles much better, I am getting a very loud popping sound. most noticeably when hitting bumps in the road where the seemed together 2 pieces of concrete/asphalt (like on a freeway over pass when you hit the seems of the different bridge pieces) And also potholes, even small ones.


In my driveway I opened the door and had my friend jump on my rocker panel and you can hear it pop when it compresses and then when it rebounds. I was placing my hand on various parts of the suspension and beleive I narrowed it down the the strut rod where it mounts to the frame.

I loosened the strut rods where they mount to the frame in the front and it got worse. So I loosened where the strut rod mount to the lower control arm, jumped on the rocker panels again to try and settle everything with the weight on the suspension, re-torqued the strut rod and jumped on the rocker panels again and everything was quiet. Drove it around the block through some smooth dips(gutters for water drainage), then to find some small potholes and it made the noises right away when I went of the transition from my driveway to the street.

Put it up on jack stands, pulled the shock/spring out and manually lifted the control arms through the full range of motion on both sides, and it was very smooth, no binding felt or noises heard, however with zero weight on the suspension, there really is no forces to act on the strut rod.

I am 90% sure that its coming from the strut rod where it mounts to the frame. It seems to happen under a very quick impulse of compression and tension of the strut rod (which would explain why I didn't get any noise while manually lifting the suspension through its travel).

The instructions stated to inspect the mounting areas of frame where the strut rod mounts to. The metal was not 100% perfect but there is no rust and the strut rod fit flat against the metal with no rocking when I test fit it, and the hole was nice and round. The same went for the upper shock mounts where the spot-welds were drilled out, and the upper control arms against the shock tower. No rust in any of there areas, and the metal was flat and each piece fit flat against the metal with no rocking or slop.

Even when it makes the sound, there does not feel to be any binding of the suspension as it travels. The rid is actually very nice.

There can be a vibration felt through my feet on the floor boards as well, and It is both sides doing it. the Vibration felt the strongest on the strut rod when I felt around with my hand.

I would put my stock strut rods on just to eliminate the TCP ones but unfortunately I had to cut them off because the bolts were permanently seized onto the lower control arm, even my impact wrench could not get them off.

I am thinking about finding a thin piece of hard rubber or something to put in between there, kind of how the factory bushings were, but something much thinner, not to allow give for compression/stretching but to just absorb the sound hopefully.
 
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Are you sure it isn't your sway bar end links?

J69,
Are you sure it isn't the sway bar end links hitting the coilover springs or the adjustment ring and lockring? When I installed my Unique Performance (TCP copy) coilovers, I had this issue with the end links that came with my new sway bar. Went to the shorter end links that were provided with the UP/TCP kit and they were short enough so as not to interfere.

Look for rubbing on the springs or lockring at full extension and kind of eyeball it to see if you would have an issue in compression too. Just a thought.
 
its probably not it but check your heim joints. after my install i had a creaking noise i couldnt pin down. turns out one of the heim joints was bad.

Are you talking about in the upper control arm? They looked alright. I know i checked to see that the moved freely and were smooth before I put them on, same with the lower control arm and all the other moving parts.

How were you able to narrow it down to the heim joints? did you just replace the control arm?

J69,
Are you sure it isn't the sway bar end links hitting the coilover springs or the adjustment ring and lockring? When I installed my Unique Performance (TCP copy) coilovers, I had this issue with the end links that came with my new sway bar. Went to the shorter end links that were provided with the UP/TCP kit and they were short enough so as not to interfere.

Look for rubbing on the springs or lockring at full extension and kind of eyeball it to see if you would have an issue in compression too. Just a thought.

Yeah the sway bar was rubbing but I ground down the ends of the sway bar...My bar had about 3/4 inch more material around where the endlink went through than need be.

But the sway bar is currently removed and still makes the noise. I did not see any signs of rubbing on the coil over but ill put just the shock in and run it through its travel and see how close it is.

Im gonna see if I can pull and push the wheel back some how and see if there is play in the strut rod bushing.

I didnt buy the thrust bearings for the spring seats, i assumed those came with the kit. Would those make a difference?
 
How were you able to narrow it down to the heim joints? did you just replace the control arm?

my noise sounded like it was coming through the pass side door or front fender. i couldnt find the noise for the longest time. later on i had to disassemble the suspension partially to go with an aftermarket export brace, and heard the noise, while moving the suspension, we took the control arm off and realized the heim joint had seized. i contacted TCP and they shipped a new one out no questions asked.
FCOC-FD_front_wide_AT.jpg
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this is the part im referring to, only i have the older TCP setp that was blue and didnt have the control arm drop built into it.
 
well I retorqued everything, I put the upper shock mounts underneath the shock tower so it loads from the bottom like the original spring did, kept my export brace snug until i lowered it on the ground then tightened that.

Drove it for a couple miles and it was all quiet, then near the end it started doing it again.

Checked all the clearances and there is plenty of room withing all the moving parts.

Sent TCP a email this weekend, hope I hear back from them sometime Monday.. with the exception of putting some type of cushion or bushing at the front strut rod mounts, im out of ideas.
 
Yeah i had my friend jump on the rocker panel while i felt around with my hand. You can feel it pretty much all through the suspension but feels strongest at the strut rod bracket to frame... but i dont know how there can be play in there, those are some big diameter bushings and they are torque to 150 ft lbs.

Sounds like its coming from both sides also.
 
I know you checked the sway bar ends, but are end links too tall?

If it's happening on both sides, it could be that the end links are too tall like they were on mine - not that the sway bar ends need to be ground down or reshaped, just that the end links are so tall that they push the end of the sway bar against the spring or the lockrings during the travel. Maybe you looked at end link height already, not sure.
 
Glad that took care of it. Just keep an eye/ear on them in the coming months. Running them without grease will cause premature wear and possible damage. They're probably fine since we caught it rather quickly, but if they start getting noisy again in a few months you should go ahead and replace them.

Enjoy,

Lino
TCP