strange coilover install noises/ tried everything
 

my new coilovers are clunking really bad in the rear. I have gone through every trouble shooting step I can think of but nothing helps.
- ensured preload was set properly at 4mm
- torqued everything to proper spec
- made sure collars were tight and locked
- removed and inspected pillow mounts
- tightened pillow mounts to 50 ftlbs
- loosened and re torqued end links
- checked shock rebound with top hats removed on different damping settings

sounds exactly like this guy's problem:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13516

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14343

Might have a bad coilover? Send back and get new one and see if it does it? Do all the others have same noise or just rear passenger side?

what brand? so will know not to get them..

I had BC Coilovers in my last car. Had the same issue, annoying clanking if I remember correctly it was coming from the passenger rear. Tried everything, it went away for a few hundred miles, then it came back with a vengeance. Some people had said that it might have to do with the pillow balls being metal. Idk, I'll probably do KWs with this car, or koni with springs.

how well calibrated is your torque wrench?

sometimes 50 is not really 50 and sometimes 50 is not enough :)

I hope belstien comes out with shocks!

it's both rears. I tried hitting the top nuts lightly with an impact on LOW and they didn't really tighten any more.

I would contact vendor and see what they say and possibly have them sent out new ones due to the clanky noise? I know i blew a stock strut and the actual valve was getting stuck in mid stroke which caused a clanky noise... Not familiar with coilovers that much but could that be the situation?

Have you tried spraying lithium grease into the spherical bearing? If not, give it a try and a day or two to work into the bearing.

I did contact the manufacturer. They're the ones who had me test the dampers and told me to torque down the top nut with an impact on low. They've basically told me that they think its something other than their coilovers making the noise.

It could possibly be that the top hats weren't properly bolted to the coilovers. I had that issue with a set of Stance units on my Miata.

Besides that, I'd check the top nut and the spherical bearings themselves, then everything else you mentioned plus stuff such as the swaybar brackets etc.

Good luck!

That list is all the things I've already tested, including removing the top hats and inspecting them and reinstalling properly.

did you resolve this in the end? Im having the same issues with my BC fronts, very frustrating on brand new coilovers

BC said the noise is normal. I am still experiencing the noise with my new coilovers so I'm not entirely sure the problem was with the coilovers or with something I just overlooked.
I'm taking it in for alignment and I will have the shop take a look and see if they can source the noise.