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Suspension Question?

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Old Sep 12, 2009 | 08:02 PM
  #1  
BAttitude7689's Avatar
BAttitude7689
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Default Suspension Question?

Today I just installed a set of AJE racing caster camber plates and I also have tokico struts n shocks on the car along with me BBK lowering springs. I got the car aligned with the new plates and it stays straight and holds to the road. But now when I hit a medium size bump or dip in the road, the car feels and sounds like its gonna bottom out on me. just loud noise every time it takes a dip in the road. I was wondering if anyone knows what this is caused by and what would help fix for a little smoother ride? Would a bumpsteer kit help at all with this problem?

Thank You,
Luigi
Old Sep 12, 2009 | 08:13 PM
  #2  
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the noise could be because the new cc plates don't have a rubber bushing like the stock ones do.
Old Sep 12, 2009 | 09:58 PM
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At the risk of sounding facetious, if you want a smoother ride put the OEM springs back on...

As to the noise I suspect the struts are bottoming out.

I got this from AJE's website, do the plates look like this?


Those CC plates have an awful lot of hardware under the strut tower--which appears to reduce the available strut travel by well over an inch, as compared to the OEM or any other CC plates I've seen that have only a carrier for the mounting bolts on the underside of the strut tower...

Look how low the strut shaft sits as compared to my Steeda 4-bolt plates.





What made you buy these odd-ball CC plates?
Old Sep 12, 2009 | 10:33 PM
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You bought stock ride height shocks and struts...like i did. You should have bought fox body shocks and struts to put your car in the right range of motion. You lowered your car, therefore moving it lower in the travel of the shock/strut. So youre more likely to bottom out your shocks and struts...which is what sounds like is happening to you right now. I've learned to deal with it.
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 10:29 AM
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BAttitude7689
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so your telling me if i install shocks and struts from a fox body in replace of the ones i have now...that bottoming out sound would go away? would a bumpsteer kit do me anygood?
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 02:09 PM
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The bumpsteer kit will just correct your front end geometry after installation of lowering springs and can lower the car a bit depending on if you put the spacer in or not. But yea, your noises should go away by replacing the shocks/struts that are on the car right now with fox body shocks/struts.

Last edited by teej281; Sep 14, 2009 at 09:18 PM.
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 03:25 PM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by teej281
You bought stock ride height shocks and struts...like i did. You should have bought fox body shocks and struts to put your car in the right range of motion. You lowered your car, therefore moving it lower in the travel of the shock/strut. So youre more likely to bottom out your shocks and struts...which is what sounds like is happening to you right now. I've learned to deal with it.
Never heard of that. So I can't run the tokico struts and shocks with lowering springs and cc plates. That is exactly what I was planning on ordering in a couple weeks. I hope someone can elaborate so I know what I should order.
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 03:55 PM
  #8  
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If you buy Maximum Motorsports CC plates, they include spacers to use above and below the plates so you get the strut positioned the correct distance away from the tower. If your struts are traveling too far such that they hit the tower/plate, you need to put more of the spacers from above the plate, below it.

Also, you need to make sure you re-use the stock bumpstops or replace them with OEM style ones on your struts. Without bump stops your car is definitely going to knock when you go over bumps.

A third thing to consider is whether or not the nut on top of your strut is tight enough. If it isn't it will hop up and bang back down over bumps.

My car was one of the lowest mustangs I've seen and I never had a problem with my stock length Tokico HPs bottoming out. You can run fox body length parts if you want but you dont need to. You really just need to make sure you get the struts installed correctly.
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 04:46 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by teej281
The bumpsteer kit will just correct your pinion angle and can lower the car a bit depending on if you put the spacer in or not. But yea, your noises should go away by replacing the shocks/struts that are on the car right now with fox body shocks/struts.
bumpsteer kit has nothing to do with pinion angle bumpsteer is for the front end pinion is the rear
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 05:37 PM
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Paintballfreak:

I know your saying my best bet would use the maximum motorsport CC plates but with the AJE racing one which i have installed,can I use spacers then it would help with bottoming out or is that only with the MM. I also did reuse the stock bumpstops and the top nut is fully tightened. If not would fox body struts/shocks bolt right on or do I have some modifications? and would the bumpsteer kit help with my problem...yes or no? since some have different opinions on if it would help?



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