Shock absorbers

[Jonathan]

Hello, my 115 hlx needs new front shockers i think. The symptoms are as follows....

- Excessive tyre wear on front passenger side
- front tyre squealing around left hand corners
- a noise like gas escaping coming from the front passenger side when going over bumps.

After talking with my dad i have decided i do not want the car lowering, it already bottoms out far too often!

Obviously i will replace both front shocks, but there is no good reason to do the rears as well is there????

Also can anybody recommend some good shockers and maybe somewhere to buy them from?? I have heard Bilstein mentioned as pretty good, but remember i am keeping the original springs.... Should i stick to fiat oem ones?

Thanks in advance
Jonathan

 

[Tom]

Your symptoms (apart from the gas sound) are tracking related. Alot of shocks make that squish noise and its perfectly normal.

As for shocks, bilstein direct replacement gas shocks, about £100ish a set. www.motorsportworld.co.uk. If you are changing type (ie from Fiat) then do all 4. The rears are only £15-20 each anyway so its not much of a saving just doing the front.

Get the tracking done after doing the shocks as you will have disturbed the front suspension and it will very likely be out of line.

The acid test for shocks is to take each pair off, sit them on a firm surface with one hand ontop of each shock and lean on them. They should compress at the same speed. Then release them and let them return, they should also do this at the same speed. The classic bump test is totally useless. My last set of rears passed MOT and the bump test but drove like crap. One took twice as long as the other to compress or return hence the handling issues.

 

[Daz155HGT]

Getting uprated shocks will not lower the car.

after reading this post (and seeing the pic on Geforces post), you should keep away from any source of alcohol, it seems it does not agree with you.

also remember that lowering springs are also uprated so you shouldnt bottom out.

Daz

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Daz, i know uprating the shocks wont lower the car, i just didnt want loads of people telling me to get a full lowered uprated suspension kit.

I also know lowered springs are harder, but they WILL make the car bottom out more often (im already quite afraid the tray under my engine is gonna die pretty soon with all the abuse it gets).

Jonathan

and ummm, its not me in that pic, honest

 

[Daz155HGT]

Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Why dont you get a set of uprated standard length springs?

Daz

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Because the standard springs are OK (i think).

Unlike a lot of people i dont pretend my car is a sports car, its a relatively cheap family hatchback which i think looks great and is lovely to drive as-is.

I use the car mainly for long motorway journeys, where i want a quiet smooth ride, not a bumpy harsh ride with a big exhaust booming out all the time.

My friend has a Nova (yeah i know, a nova, but its been resprayed and lowered, and has a big exhaust) and i admit it looks pretty good. Anyway this car is HELL on any reasonably long journey due to the constant booming exhaust and the bumpy hard ride.

Anyway back to the point, i dont want my car lowering. I just want it to drive nicely again, which means i need new shocks (i really do think they are shagged Tom - but your probably right about the tracking too! I'll have it checked).

How much difference is there between bilstein shocks and fiat/other shocks? Isnt the whole point of sports shocks that they can cope with lowered springs? If the difference isnt much, i will just take the car to my mechanic and say "fix it". He is VERY cheap for parts.

Jonathan

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

The bilsteins are NOT 'sport' shocks, they are standard replacements for the fiat ones. It just happens that they are very good and a little bit stiffer.

There is no such thing as a 'lowered' shock, this is a marketing thing. If your car is lowered or not will still bottom out at the same point, usually just before wheel hits metalwork. With a lowered spring your shock is simply working a bit further down its travel. It won't do them any damage, or wear them quicker or anything.

'Sports' shocks are generally ALOT harder than normal shocks and most often adjustable too. That just makes them harder

I do alot of motorway miles and have found the Bilsteins to be very comforable. Get some. They are about the same price as fiat ones, maybe a bit cheaper.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

OK, i think you have convinced me - do you know which ones i need? It doesnt list them by car, just by part number.

its a 1999 115hlx

Cheers
Jonathan

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Ring them They are very helpful.

 

[Ste J]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

I reckon my shocks are shagged too, the tyres are at the quoted Bar but the ride is very very harse. Am i right in thinking that there knackered? Funnily enough its since i had to take an unplanned off-road adventure at high speed...

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Could be, could also be you have bent something.

Shocks are quite tough really.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Ive just got my car back from the garage, and thought i would let u know what was wrong.

It turns out the shocks were fine after all (No "I told ya so's thanks Tom ). The problems were caused by a very worn track rod end, which cost £14.

It cost me £188 plus vat for 2 new tyres, new front pads, the track rod end, a rear brake overhall, and the tracking sorting. Not bad saying the tyres accounted for £90 of that total.

The garage charged me 2 hours labour at £22 an hour. That included a courtesy car (a god awful ford escort but it was quite fast...), and i think they steam cleaned my car as well.

The garage was EK motors at paragon industrial estate, smithy bridge, littleborough, lancashire. They arent a fiat dealer but they pretty good and very reasonable.

Jonathan

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Ouch! £188 for a track rod end... they are £30 from Fiat.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

The track rod end was £14...

I didnt only take it in for the suspension looking at - i told him to check the bads and adjust the handbrake and fit new tyres as well.

£22 an hour is very reasonable i think.

Jonathan

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

bads = pads

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Shock absorbers

Ok, thats not so bad.

 

[Ribzz]

Shocks

Tom my bravo is going of the road in a few days untill March next year.

one of the things among many many others I'll be doing over the einterlol will be to sort some very slightly stiffer stuts out.

I would leave the suspension setup as it is (lowered 40mm) but with the extra power that the bravo will have,I think a set of struts would be a very good idea lol!

so you think the one you mentioned above are a good idea?

 

[Tom]

Re: Shocks

Depends how many ££ you want to throw at it You running stock Fiat ones at the mo?