Suspension noise/clunking

[Darius]

As many of you know,I have an alterktion and street lynx 4 bar under my GTX (5.7/NAG1)
While I enjoy driving it hard and it handles well, I am really annoyed at how "clunky" it sounds. I want to say it sounds like the shocks completely extend, then SLAM home when I go over even the slightest bumpiness.Consequently I hear the clunk on the up and down stroke of the shocks.
I am wondering if it is the QA1 shocks??? Has anyone had this experience? I just changed all the bushings on the 4 link...they were JUNK after only 6000 miles. Thinking that was the problem, I am surprised to hear the same clunking noises and I don't even have 100 miles on the new bushings.
Would Bilstiens be quieter??????? Any ideas/suggestions?
BTW, it is quiet and very smooth once ANY level of constant speed is achieved.

 

[Cranky]

Can you joust the car up and down by hand and hear it? If so, disconnect the shocks and joust is up and down again and see if the sound is still there. If so, it's not the shocks. Is the suspension engineered for the street?

 

[Darius]

I cannot re-create the sound manually. This is an AlterKtion/4 link sold by RMS. The set up has been around for quite a few years now and it is not marketed as "race only" or " not for use on the street". The 4 link was installed and set up/tightened at ride height. The only thing I hear manually is a lot of squeaking, which surely must be the shocks ,and I don't really notice that while driving.

 

[gtxno1]

I do not think you can remove the shocks the coils are directly attached to them you must try and isolate the noise not an easy task will take some thought and creativity they actually have whats called a chassis ear microphones that you attach to the suspect components and you drive the vehicle while listening but you can do it without it just tougher

 

[747mopar]

Got a pic of the coil over mount? If it isn't rigid enough maybe it's flexing and hitting the floor? I think I'd put it on a lift and jack the rear up looking for slop in the coil over attaching points, flex in the crossmember and check clearances. Do you still have a pinion snubber installed that could be hitting the floor? I know with my car being lowered I had to raise my tunnel as well but that makes a pretty unique sound. Just throwing ideas out there.

 

[Darius]

Here are the best 3 shots I can find at the moment.
Nothing was showing any wear other than the bushings themselves. If I replace the shocks,I would need a coil over type shock assembly for certain.

 

[Dako]

I had a 'clunking' on my pickup...turned out that while the shock mount bolt was 'tight', it was not screwed in far enough. The shock was rattling within the mount. Drove me crazy figuring that out.

 

[Budnicks]

It could be caused by the old bushing being sloppy screwing up the shocks
or shock mount bushings etc. {?}

If it even is shock related...

Track bar possibly too, when it cycles up & down,
only way to do it isolate it, each part at a time I'd think...

I haven't ran QA1 Coli over shocks in a while,
is the adjusters on the shocks up against both sides of the spring ?
is there an isolator/composite/Teflon {?} style disc between the coils & the adjusters ?

Seem to remember hearing something about that being a problem on the street,
they wear fast, start to let the springs rock back & forth
under high pressure, big bumps {?}

I wonder if there's something damaged in the shocks ?
from when the bushings went bad, sloping around, spring adj.,
valve sticking etc., who knows ?

I used Lamb or Koni Coil-overs for a long time, expensive but good too...
I don't remember having any issues with the QA1's either...

Is the rear end & mounts centered & not in any kind of a bind {?}
never been a big fan of triangulated 4 bar either, I know it is what it is...
You want to make what you have work properly too...

just throwing **** out, seeing if anything sticks, rings the bell...

Good luck

 

[Darius]

Thanks guys. I will continue to try to isolate it. I will look at all the things you have suggested. IF I find it I will post on it. It could well be me just getting used to something completely different than any thing I have ever driven!

 

[Cranky]

I do not think you can remove the shocks the coils are directly attached to them you must try and isolate the noise not an easy task will take some thought and creativity they actually have whats called a chassis ear microphones that you attach to the suspect components and you drive the vehicle while listening but you can do it without it just tougher

Didn't think about what system it was....but even a racing 4 link would have coil overs. Not sure if it was the heat or the beer that gave me mind fade....maybe it was the combination of both!