My Shock Mount Issues....(this will be long)
04-16-2009, 09:51 AM
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My Shock Mount Issues....(this will be long) When I was in college I purchased a set of Sam's springs.... (Very good as we all know). I could not afford the Koni's as he recommended so I went with the KYB AGXs. They're not bad but they're not great either. When changing the struts and springs out I purchased new upper strut mounts (from Car Quest) and installed them as they were supposed to be (exactly the same as the stock setup was installed and also as described here: http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6). All went well on the install except the driver's side strut mount was hard to get aligned and bolted down. After completing the install I aligned my car (My father owns a shop) on our John Bean alignment rack and it all came into spec. The ride was good for a while. Then the first set of strut mounts broke, so bad that the top of the strut rod bent. I warrantied out the struts and mounts thru Car Quest and repeated the process again. About another year later the strut mounts failed again. This time I called Sam and asked for any advice he could send my way. He advised to instill a large washer between the strut mount and strut rod. I got a large flat washer and did just that. Now it has been about a year and a half from the last strut/mount change. Once again the mount on the driver's side has failed. The failure is such that the strut rod actually pulls the center section (the rubber) of the strut mount out and moves freely. When the suspension is loaded it is hard to notice but when the car is raised on a lift it you can see where the strut rod has pulled out of the mount. It is noticeable while driving when I break hard, make a tight turn while breaking or break hard and then turn into a turn, each of these causes an audible "POP" to be heard.
I am at a loss for what to do. I am considering changing the strut mounts to KYBs or back to GM for the idea that maybe there is a quality difference. Or what would be better if there was a heavy duty mount or adjustable camber plate I could change to that would afford a stronger mounting point less prone to failure.
I'm looking for any knowledgeable response which could help me with my situation. Thank you for your help in advance.
~Brad Mason
Atlanta, GA
I am at a loss for what to do. I am considering changing the strut mounts to KYBs or back to GM for the idea that maybe there is a quality difference. Or what would be better if there was a heavy duty mount or adjustable camber plate I could change to that would afford a stronger mounting point less prone to failure.
I'm looking for any knowledgeable response which could help me with my situation. Thank you for your help in advance.
~Brad Mason
Atlanta, GA
04-16-2009, 10:03 AM
#2
I've seen some posts on here that say that aftermarket mounts are not very good and buying GM replacements are the way to go. I have no first hand experience on this yet....putting springs and shocks on this weekend. But if I run into problems with the mounts I'm going to buy GM replacements. Try a search on here and see what you come up with....I know there is more than 1 thread about this issue.
04-16-2009, 12:35 PM
#4
And meanwhile a guy posted the other day (with a pic) or a KYB mount completely torn in half....
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04-16-2009, 01:16 PM
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When I was in college I purchased a set of Sam's springs.... (Very good as we all know). I could not afford the Koni's as he recommended so I went with the KYB AGXs. They're not bad but they're not great either. When changing the struts and springs out I purchased new upper strut mounts (from Car Quest) and installed them as they were supposed to be (exactly the same as the stock setup was installed and also as described here: http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6). All went well on the install except the driver's side strut mount was hard to get aligned and bolted down. After completing the install I aligned my car (My father owns a shop) on our John Bean alignment rack and it all came into spec. The ride was good for a while. Then the first set of strut mounts broke, so bad that the top of the strut rod bent. I warrantied out the struts and mounts thru Car Quest and repeated the process again. About another year later the strut mounts failed again. This time I called Sam and asked for any advice he could send my way. He advised to instill a large washer between the strut mount and strut rod. I got a large flat washer and did just that. Now it has been about a year and a half from the last strut/mount change. Once again the mount on the driver's side has failed. The failure is such that the strut rod actually pulls the center section (the rubber) of the strut mount out and moves freely. When the suspension is loaded it is hard to notice but when the car is raised on a lift it you can see where the strut rod has pulled out of the mount. It is noticeable while driving when I break hard, make a tight turn while breaking or break hard and then turn into a turn, each of these causes an audible "POP" to be heard.
I am at a loss for what to do. I am considering changing the strut mounts to KYBs or back to GM for the idea that maybe there is a quality difference. Or what would be better if there was a heavy duty mount or adjustable camber plate I could change to that would afford a stronger mounting point less prone to failure.
I'm looking for any knowledgeable response which could help me with my situation. Thank you for your help in advance.
~Brad Mason
Atlanta, GA
I am at a loss for what to do. I am considering changing the strut mounts to KYBs or back to GM for the idea that maybe there is a quality difference. Or what would be better if there was a heavy duty mount or adjustable camber plate I could change to that would afford a stronger mounting point less prone to failure.
I'm looking for any knowledgeable response which could help me with my situation. Thank you for your help in advance.
~Brad Mason
Atlanta, GA
I would have to presume that just buying the replacement GM unit would rule out a defective strut mount though.......
04-16-2009, 01:56 PM
#7
I think it's time you ponied up for some GM ones.
And fwiw, how good your shocks mounts are dictates how well you shocks work. If mount is very soft it allows movement that should not be there, and instead of the shock going through it's stroke, it's not really moving as much and the movement is in the rubber of the mount. As such ride quality and control are also both effected.
And fwiw, how good your shocks mounts are dictates how well you shocks work. If mount is very soft it allows movement that should not be there, and instead of the shock going through it's stroke, it's not really moving as much and the movement is in the rubber of the mount. As such ride quality and control are also both effected.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
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04-17-2009, 10:43 AM
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I think it's time you ponied up for some GM ones.
And fwiw, how good your shocks mounts are dictates how well you shocks work. If mount is very soft it allows movement that should not be there, and instead of the shock going through it's stroke, it's not really moving as much and the movement is in the rubber of the mount. As such ride quality and control are also both effected.
And fwiw, how good your shocks mounts are dictates how well you shocks work. If mount is very soft it allows movement that should not be there, and instead of the shock going through it's stroke, it's not really moving as much and the movement is in the rubber of the mount. As such ride quality and control are also both effected.
Are the Monroe mounts you sell the GM units or different? Also, my TA has about 94K miles on it. Are the mounts going to be OK when upgrading to Konis and your springs or should I look into replacing them? The undercarriage is kept pretty clean so buildup of road crud shouldn't be a problem.
Thanks
