Rear Passenger Shock
09-26-2013, 05:03 PM
#1
Rear Passenger Shock
My rear passenger shock is loose.
I'm wondering if it is it being loose from the Top Hat or if the shock is dead.
I'm away from home so I can't look at the car myself (no jacks, garage, etc...).
Any ideas what it could be? It is on Koni SP3 and Eibach Springs. Never had a problem until there was rattling underneath my speakers. Brought it to a mechanic and they said it is a problem with the shock/top hat (I had thought it was the speaker that got loose originally). My issue is that they took out the seats and all for $50... they want to charge a total of $90 to determine the underlying issue then $120 for labor on replacing the part whether its the shock/tophat then the cost of the part itself. I hate paying for stuff that I can do myself.
So what do you think it is?
I'm wondering if it is it being loose from the Top Hat or if the shock is dead.
I'm away from home so I can't look at the car myself (no jacks, garage, etc...).
Any ideas what it could be? It is on Koni SP3 and Eibach Springs. Never had a problem until there was rattling underneath my speakers. Brought it to a mechanic and they said it is a problem with the shock/top hat (I had thought it was the speaker that got loose originally). My issue is that they took out the seats and all for $50... they want to charge a total of $90 to determine the underlying issue then $120 for labor on replacing the part whether its the shock/tophat then the cost of the part itself. I hate paying for stuff that I can do myself.
So what do you think it is?
09-26-2013, 06:13 PM
#2
Instructor
My rear passenger shock is loose.
I'm wondering if it is it being loose from the Top Hat or if the shock is dead.
I'm away from home so I can't look at the car myself (no jacks, garage, etc...).
Any ideas what it could be? It is on Koni SP3 and Eibach Springs. Never had a problem until there was rattling underneath my speakers. Brought it to a mechanic and they said it is a problem with the shock/top hat (I had thought it was the speaker that got loose originally). My issue is that they took out the seats and all for $50... they want to charge a total of $90 to determine the underlying issue then $120 for labor on replacing the part whether its the shock/tophat then the cost of the part itself. I hate paying for stuff that I can do myself.
So what do you think it is?
I'm wondering if it is it being loose from the Top Hat or if the shock is dead.
I'm away from home so I can't look at the car myself (no jacks, garage, etc...).
Any ideas what it could be? It is on Koni SP3 and Eibach Springs. Never had a problem until there was rattling underneath my speakers. Brought it to a mechanic and they said it is a problem with the shock/top hat (I had thought it was the speaker that got loose originally). My issue is that they took out the seats and all for $50... they want to charge a total of $90 to determine the underlying issue then $120 for labor on replacing the part whether its the shock/tophat then the cost of the part itself. I hate paying for stuff that I can do myself.
So what do you think it is?
10-12-2013, 09:13 PM
#5
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
Holy crap! I know exactly what happened. Whoever installed it did it wrong and left out a necessary washer under the top hat, so the result is that the shock gets pushed up out of the top hat. Seen this happen before on other cars.
10-12-2013, 09:15 PM
#6
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
It's the washer with the angled hole in the middle so it prevents the shock from popping up like that. No fault at all from the konis, it was a faulty installation. The same would happen to an OEM shock without that washer too.
Btw the top washer under those 2 nuts is upside down. The edges should be angled upwards. Not a big deal though, I see a lot of ppl installing them upside down.
Btw the top washer under those 2 nuts is upside down. The edges should be angled upwards. Not a big deal though, I see a lot of ppl installing them upside down.
Last edited by paperboy42190; 10-12-2013 at 09:17 PM.
10-12-2013, 09:22 PM
#7
Oh 
I did the installation :X but I rushed it tbh because it was getting late. Bad idea :/ Justin told me the same. I have to remove the strut to put the washer am I right? Do you know the diameter of the Washer possibly?
I did the installation :X but I rushed it tbh because it was getting late. Bad idea :/ Justin told me the same. I have to remove the strut to put the washer am I right? Do you know the diameter of the Washer possibly?
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10-12-2013, 11:11 PM
#9
Yes. you have to remove the strut/spring combo, compress the spring, disassemble the tophat, and put it back together correctly. You're missing the washer as noted above. There are dimples on the strut rod that make contact with the washer and don't allow it to pop up like you've got.
10-13-2013, 05:29 PM
#13
I think its the strut and not because of the washer. The Service Manual says there isn't a washer below the top hat and that there is only a rubber bushing.
Also the metal shock part is pushed up how would I push that down if it isn't the strut?
Also the metal shock part is pushed up how would I push that down if it isn't the strut?
10-13-2013, 09:37 PM
#14
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
It's the washer, I guarantee it.
Good call by JJH, the top hat is essentially unbolted from the spring. With the car on the suspension the spring won't go anywhere but when you start unbolting it, it may want to fly out. What I recommend is take a jack under the hub, and take off some of the control arms so you can let the jack down slowly and let the spring come out safely. That's actually how ppl installing springs without a spring compressor, by using the jack method.
Good call by JJH, the top hat is essentially unbolted from the spring. With the car on the suspension the spring won't go anywhere but when you start unbolting it, it may want to fly out. What I recommend is take a jack under the hub, and take off some of the control arms so you can let the jack down slowly and let the spring come out safely. That's actually how ppl installing springs without a spring compressor, by using the jack method.
10-13-2013, 09:40 PM
#15
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
#14, thats what you are missing. there is absolutely no way for the shock to pop up like how yours did with the #14 washer in place. it fits in that tapered part on the shock shaft
Last edited by paperboy42190; 10-13-2013 at 09:42 PM.
10-14-2013, 01:21 AM
#17
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
No. think of it like this, from bottom to top in order:
shock
bumpstop
#14 washer
#12 dust boot
#13 dust boot cap
#3 black washer
then you put the spring over it
then you put the top hat on, and the diagram has the correct order. its a little confusing at first but when you've worked on 20+ sets of suspension its all self explanatory after, you will understand what each piece does. the #14 washer sits on the shock shaft at the tapered part in the middle so that the shock CANNOT extrude past the top hat, it will hit the top hat bottom bushing. the same concept is used for the highest washer(#1) except its reversed
shock
bumpstop
#14 washer
#12 dust boot
#13 dust boot cap
#3 black washer
then you put the spring over it
then you put the top hat on, and the diagram has the correct order. its a little confusing at first but when you've worked on 20+ sets of suspension its all self explanatory after, you will understand what each piece does. the #14 washer sits on the shock shaft at the tapered part in the middle so that the shock CANNOT extrude past the top hat, it will hit the top hat bottom bushing. the same concept is used for the highest washer(#1) except its reversed
The following users liked this post:
JJH (10-14-2013)
10-14-2013, 08:22 AM
#22
I don't understand how the spring is loose. When you compress the spring and install the top hat on the strut, the spring is compressed. Now since the top hate isn't going to keep the spring stationary when you loosen the lower strut mount and the three nuts up top, it's going to just keep expanding along with the top hat into the mounting surface whereas normally the springs travel would be limited due to the top hat stopping it.
10-14-2013, 01:32 PM
#25
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
I don't understand how the spring is loose. When you compress the spring and install the top hat on the strut, the spring is compressed. Now since the top hate isn't going to keep the spring stationary when you loosen the lower strut mount and the three nuts up top, it's going to just keep expanding along with the top hat into the mounting surface whereas normally the springs travel would be limited due to the top hat stopping it.
The following 2 users liked this post by paperboy42190:
justnspace (10-15-2013),
TheChamp531 (10-15-2013)
The following users liked this post:
justnspace (10-15-2013)
The following users liked this post:
TheChamp531 (10-15-2013)
10-15-2013, 11:17 AM
#31
I thanked you both and I rarely thank (via AZ ofc) people. 
I got it done at a local shop I know and they did it for $50. I didn't have time to deal with it anymore!
Thanks for the help. Now I'll remember you paperboy as the one who helped me not the one who raced on his broken transmission.
I got it done at a local shop I know and they did it for $50. I didn't have time to deal with it anymore!
Thanks for the help. Now I'll remember you paperboy as the one who helped me not the one who raced on his broken transmission.
The following users liked this post:
paperboy42190 (10-15-2013)
10-16-2013, 02:07 AM
#38
Moderator
iTrader: (7)
so its making noise after the shop installed it? take it back to them, they should warranty their work. honestly a lot of shops probably wont know the exact order of washers for aftermarket suspensions unless they've done it before.
10-16-2013, 10:35 AM
#40
Yeah taking it back. They did tell me they would not warranty if the issue would arise again as in the strut was bad or if the washer didn't hold up, but they never said anything about bad installation. They're a ma' and pa' store and the owner is very nice, just worried they may not know too much about aftermarket parts.
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