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Help with new suspension for ST162?

Discussion in 'Suspension / Steering' started by shurik, May 21, 2012.

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Page 1 of 2
  1. shurik

    shurik Member

    Hello,
    I recently purchased an st162. The previous owner chopped the springs and now the ride bottoms out on every little crack in the rode! Im hoping to get a new suspension pretty soon, but Ive been looking into it and it seems like modding is needed for coilovers. Maybe I can get stock struts and stiffer/lower springs? What is the best set up to go with for my suspension? I can do coilovers if it's not too much work, but I think stock struts would do just fine for me. Thanks in advance!

    heres some pics of new project - for those interested: http://s646.photobucket.com/albums/uu187/ishkovv/st162/?albumview=slideshow.
    I got the car for $650 knowing that i'd need to do suspension work. I didn't know its such a hassle though.

    Shurik
     
    shurik, May 21, 2012
    #1
  2. trel162

    trel162 Well-Known Member Donated!

    Hi nice car!
    KYB make good replacement shocks, and there are a lot of springs out there.
    You might need strut mounts too..
    http://www.kyb.com.au/product.htm?http://www.kyb.com.au/pages/33.htm

    I have kyb's and Lovell's 1st drop springs, about 1.5 inch drop, along with poly bushes up front.
    It made the car drive a lot better than before, good for fast driving

    Good luck
     
    trel162, May 22, 2012
    #2
  3. jwagner162

    jwagner162 Well-Known Member Donated!

    right on! another NW member! welcome. where in wa?

    -you actually have a number of options as far as both the struts and springs. price will usually dictate. most people seem generaly happy with an after market spring/strut combo. also depends on the ride quality you want...oem? or race car? if restored to oem, the ride in our cars is quite nice and a good choice all around and budget wise, but youd have to run oem height.
    -if your going racecar style, the opinions will vary on which combo is best. very few have run multiple setups (mafix, stig?) but in general most people are happy with any name brand stuff you can get.
    -i have eibach springs and koni yellow struts. full front poly bushes including engine mounts and aluminum crossmember mounts. just put on the whiteline sway bars, and converted to manual steering rack. my cars probably about as extreme as itll get, handles amazing, but gets uncomfortable quick after about an hour.
     
    jwagner162, May 22, 2012
    #3
  4. shurik

    shurik Member

    Awesome guys. Im going to college here in Spokane, jwagner, and I am going for the racecar style. Budget dictates for sure, but since I got the car for cheap, I've got some money to play around with. BTW, do you have any pics of your ride?

    So I found this set koni struts on ebay (should that even be and option?): http://www.ebay.com/itm/KONI-YELLOW...ies&hash=item3f141922f9&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1608

    Are those the ones you got set up? Is there any cheaper way to go? many the kyb's?
     
    shurik, May 22, 2012
    #4
  5. 4thgenceli

    4thgenceli Test Dummy

    Or you can get a set of coilovers. There's custom ones for sale on Ebay (runs about $1000). You can also buy the Megan coilovers and with slight modification make them work.

    I'd be wary of running poly motor mounts and aluminum crossmember bushings. Over time the radiator core will give way.


    [​IMG]
     
    4thgenceli, May 22, 2012
    #5
  6. eNtraxGT88

    eNtraxGT88 Well-Known Member Donated!

    - b&g 92.1.012 springs are usually under $230, thaifighter, a member here also has a contact with them and i believe he got them for $150
    - i have oem springs for sale (i live in vancouver, canada) so shipping shouldn't be a problem. there's pretty much a st162 member throughout the I-5 LOL
    here was the height that i had with the oem springs i have:
    https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.ne...480042556017_644241016_9089697_37009826_n.jpg

    - struts, here's some good kyb's http://www.ebay.com/itm/KYB-4-GR2-S...ies&hash=item483dcf228a&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1202


    ​
     
    eNtraxGT88, May 22, 2012
    #6
  7. shurik

    shurik Member

    I like the price of the kyb struts, and i might be getting a used set of springs from another st162 owner. I noticed the ad was saying the struts were for the 88-89 model, will they fit my st162 as well? will i have to get mounts with these struts too?
     
    shurik, May 22, 2012
    #7
  8. eNtraxGT88

    eNtraxGT88 Well-Known Member Donated!

    the rear struts replace the whole thing, the kyb gr-2 replacements normally just swap your springs+old top mount and put on new bumper/bellows.

    the fronts need you to open up a nut that opens up the strut assembly, throw out the guts and drop in these. i got mine from eternalegacy and they were kyb ag-x for his 1989 4th gen. i had to use/modify the old nuts. asides from that, everything else from this supposed 88-89 strut worked with my 87. i re-used my old top mounts and just put on new bumper/bellows
     
    eNtraxGT88, May 22, 2012
    #8
  9. shurik

    shurik Member

    sweet deal. Does it matter which bumper/bellows I get? Do you recommend putting in poly motor mounts and crossmember bushings in while I'm at it? Do those make a big difference? sorry for all the questions.
     
    shurik, May 22, 2012
    #9
  10. eNtraxGT88

    eNtraxGT88 Well-Known Member Donated!

    hey, it's a forum for a reason! i used moog part number 7972-07032774 but i don't think it matters. i only have poly mounts for my swaybars so i can't say for the motor mounts/crossmembers
     
    eNtraxGT88, May 22, 2012
    #10
  11. 4thgenceli

    4thgenceli Test Dummy

    It depends on what you're using it for and how you're driving it.

    If you can stand some vibrations, go ahead and do the poly motor mount inserts. It'll increase the responsiveness, but you'll feel more vibrations (as the stock ones are rubber and absorb a good chunk of that). Personally, I do NOT recommend the aluminum crossmember bushings. Stick with rubber ones.

    Myself, when I had my '87 GTS I replaced the motor mounts (front & rear) with poly inserts and was happy. I also have the same motor mount inserts on my '89 GTS (that I have swapped out with a gen4 3s-gte and e153 transmission). I will NOT do the aluminum crossmember bushings.
     
    4thgenceli, May 22, 2012
    #11
  12. shurik

    shurik Member

    Alright I'm ordering the struts, rear top mounts, bellows/bumpers, and hopefully will get springs soon. Il update when I get to it or if I run into some trouble. Thanks again guys.
     
    shurik, May 23, 2012
    #12
  13. shurik

    shurik Member

    So I got the new suspension in, and the the shocks and springs are pretty firm - which i like. But, theres this click and loud hitting sound coming from the suspension every time I hit a crack. Its not as bad as the loud bang you get from bottoming out, but the hitting sound is very annoying especially with the bad roads in my town. Its also quite embarrassing to drive by people. Did I do something wrong? or is it just the firmness and I have to deal with it?
     
    shurik, Jun 7, 2012
    #13
  14. eNtraxGT88

    eNtraxGT88 Well-Known Member Donated!

    front control arm bushes or swaybar chassis mount bushes. see if those are loose for you.
     
    eNtraxGT88, Jun 8, 2012
    #14
  15. shurik

    shurik Member

    I checked just now and both control arm bushes and sway bar bushes seem to be tight. I posted pictures of them in the link below. Im clueless at what it could be... any other suggestions?

    http://www.flickr.com//photos/80051771@N03/show/
    thanks
     
    shurik, Jun 8, 2012
    #15
  16. shurik

    shurik Member

    okay so i may have found a part of the problem. My frame seems to be resting on the control arm on the passenger side - picture in the link. The only thing is thing is that the driver side is making the same hitting sound and the control arm is not in contact with my frame. Now I'm just confused.

    http://flic.kr/p/bVjvCV
     
    shurik, Jun 8, 2012
    #16
  17. shurik

    shurik Member

    alright I see it now. I feel lousy for not noticing before, but I couldn't see behind the bellow. It really is just resting on the bumper. Its like a three or four inch bumper. could I just take it out? Or is there a way to make my shocks firmer so they wouldn't go so low? But there is already is like a four inch clearance between my wheel and fender, and I think its just that bumper thats holding it that high. Should I look for a shorter bumper, or can I just go with out it?
     
    shurik, Jun 8, 2012
    #17
  18. Seank90

    Seank90 Well-Known Member Donated!

    i dont see how your having this issue? Can you take a photo from further back?
     
    Seank90, Jun 8, 2012
    #18
  19. shurik

    shurik Member

    I don't know. The car seems to be sitting on my bumpers. I would think that the shocks arnt doing their job, but the car is kind of high so i think the bumpers arnt letting my the shocks do their job.

    http://flic.kr/p/ccKr49
     
    shurik, Jun 8, 2012
    #19
  20. Stig

    Stig ST162 Guru Donated!

    Need to see better pics but that pic looks like the rear bush has collapsed.
    That bush is the common failure point in the 3S/5S due to being bombarded with oil from the cams, oil pump and power steering.
    Not sure what you mean by "bumpers"?, the bump stops will slide down and appear to be stopping the shock but in reality they are keeping the damper clean.

    Lie under the car and get someone heavy to work the suspension for you, listen for noises and look for witness marks, bad shock rubbers and coils binding can cause weird sounds

    [​IMG]

    Stock bump stops look like this
    [​IMG]

    Incorrect fitting of the top hat will cause noises and incorrect alignment, it's easy to miss the slots when tightening the damper. What this means is the camber and caster won't be correct and the rubber sleeve won't sit straight due to the spring being 1/2 turn out
    [​IMG]

    Rubbers shouldn't have holes in them - always chamfer the springs so there's no sharp edges
    [​IMG]

    Rusted top mount bearing was noisy and hard to diagnose, note the missing balls and the twisted cage
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2012
    Stig, Jun 8, 2012
    #20
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