Noob question: do all coilovers squeak/creased?

[Kcc-Breeze]

Recently just picked up my 2019 brz less than 1500km on it.

Bought a set of lightly used HKS Hipermax iv SP from a friend.

Installed it two days ago and realized something very odd about the coilover.

Sometime not all the time, whenever I go over some bumps or rough pavement especially man-hole coversI can hear a tiny little squeaking sound coming from the rear. Can be hear from inside the car, pretty sure it’s from the rear. sometimes louder than others but not always the same loudness.

The sound is like a mouse got trapped somewhere in the rear of the cabin and everytime the suspension squeezed it, it screams lol.

To make it even more strange, whenever I have the trunk and backseat loaded with things or stuff the sound is barely noticeable. But when it’s empty it squeaks like 60% of the bumps.

Is this considered as a normal thing for performance parts? Is there something I can to do with the adjustment of the dampeners in the rear To eliminate it?

Friend said it’s normal he has the same sound when he first installed it new too!????

When I first got them, they were dirty so I did take everything apart and clean the coilovers with brake kleen, (tried to avoid where the piston/shocks is)

Maybe I just need lubricate something? Or did I installed them wrong?

If you guys have any idea what might cause this or this is normal for the expensive hks coilovers lol??? Please let me know down below


A millions thanks to you all.

[new2subaru]

WD-40

[churchx]

Are hks coilovers really expensive? Imho custom built Penskes should cost very slightly more

BTW, i'd also check as potential squeaking source also other things, eg. misc. suspension bushings, for example for swaybar, how endlinks were tightened and so on .., it's not given that coilovers always must be source of noise.

[why?]

some do some don't. Make sure everything was installed correctly and everything tightened up correctly. And nothing wrong with a little extra lube too.

[new2subaru]

Or Fluid Film.

It would have been easier if you gave them a good cleaning prior but better late than never.

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by new2subaru

WD-40

We-40 where tho •_•


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by churchx

Are hks coilovers really expensive? Imho custom built Penskes should cost very slightly more

BTW, i'd also check as potential squeaking source also other things, eg. misc. suspension bushings, for example for swaybar, how endlinks were tightened and so on .., it's not given that coilovers always must be source of noise.

Yeah they are consider expensive for me lol .

This is true too I thought about end link or sway bar bushings , but this car has less than 1500km on it so I ruled those components out.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by why?

some do some don't. Make sure everything was installed correctly and everything tightened up correctly. And nothing wrong with a little extra lube too.

I don’t mind lubing them but just not sure where to lube to eliminate the noise?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by new2subaru

Or Fluid Film.



It would have been easier if you gave them a good cleaning prior but better late than never.

Fluid fllm? Is that similar to anti seize by any chance ? Btw I did took everything apart and clean the all four coilovers with nylon brush and brakekleen inside out.
Then installed them back together with a layer of anti seize on the thread.

Where else would I need to apply the lube?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[churchx]

Kcc-Breeze: but do also coilovers themselves low-mileage and in pristine state? Were they properly installed? For example when installing, one needs to load car suspension by resting it's weight on wheels, when tightening bushings / end-links. If coilovers have pillow-bushing camber plates, top nut needs tightening in proper way, and so on ..
As for pricing, googled up HKS sets priced 1.5K$ new seem to me more of low budget offering (where one often may see compromises/quality issues and such, with good quality/damping rather being exception then norm). I wouldn't expect much from them in way to be something uber/faultless. From twins aftermarket offerings mid-budget seems to me something like ~2.5-3K$, and high end 4-12K$. Also coilovers are not something lasting forever, they also are wearables and may see damping degrading by mileage/use, though mostly slowly/gradually. If used set has some 10-50K miles on it, depending how it was used/driven/on what kind of roads, some sets may need rehauling to perform like new.

[Tristor]

Mine do this too, however that's to be expected in my case. The reason why is partly because there's basically no sound deadening in the rear, and the top hats are no longer the compliant factory rubber, instead it's a pillow ball upper mount. These are of course going to make more noise and transmit more vibration, because they are a more solid connection between the chassis and the damper.

You should get some CorrosionX, which is a fluid film type product used in aerospace. It's safe on all metals, including aluminum. Spray it around the bearing surfaces at each point where you would typically bolt/mount any part of your suspension and it will dramatically cut down on noise. In the case of my suspension, what I'm hearing is the sound of the teflon bearings flexing in the upper mounts. These don't need lubricated to function, but additional lubrication helps to quiet them.

If you are hearing any thumping sounds though you should ensure the top nuts are properly torqued.

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by Tristor

Mine do this too, however that's to be expected in my case. The reason why is partly because there's basically no sound deadening in the rear, and the top hats are no longer the compliant factory rubber, instead it's a pillow ball upper mount. These are of course going to make more noise and transmit more vibration, because they are a more solid connection between the chassis and the damper.

You should get some CorrosionX, which is a fluid film type product used in aerospace. It's safe on all metals, including aluminum. Spray it around the bearing surfaces at each point where you would typically bolt/mount any part of your suspension and it will dramatically cut down on noise. In the case of my suspension, what I'm hearing is the sound of the teflon bearings flexing in the upper mounts. These don't need lubricated to function, but additional lubrication helps to quiet them.

If you are hearing any thumping sounds though you should ensure the top nuts are properly torqued.

In your case sounds like yours is coming from the front? Or do the rear have pillow ball upper mount too?

Mine is coming from the back of the cabin, this leave me no clue where to lubricate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kcc-Breeze]

Originally Posted by Tristor

Mine do this too, however that's to be expected in my case. The reason why is partly because there's basically no sound deadening in the rear, and the top hats are no longer the compliant factory rubber, instead it's a pillow ball upper mount. These are of course going to make more noise and transmit more vibration, because they are a more solid connection between the chassis and the damper.

You should get some CorrosionX, which is a fluid film type product used in aerospace. It's safe on all metals, including aluminum. Spray it around the bearing surfaces at each point where you would typically bolt/mount any part of your suspension and it will dramatically cut down on noise. In the case of my suspension, what I'm hearing is the sound of the teflon bearings flexing in the upper mounts. These don't need lubricated to function, but additional lubrication helps to quiet them.

If you are hearing any thumping sounds though you should ensure the top nuts are properly torqued.

Mmm the set has roughly 9000km on it and 3 track uses. They were installed by a performance shop previously so I would assume they have done the work right.

And yeah unfortunately I live in Canada so everything is pretty much double the prices here. 12% tax plus the expensive shipping fee
or else I would get a set of kw v3


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by Kcc-Breeze

In your case sounds like yours is coming from the front? Or do the rear have pillow ball upper mount too?

Mine is coming from the back of the cabin, this leave me no clue where to lubricate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, I have pillow ball upper mounts in the rear, as do you. The coilovers you listed in your OP are camber plated in the front and have pillow ball rears. I have a similar setup. You would want to use the corrosion X to fluid film anywhere that you'd expect forces to occur that might cause metal/metal rubbing, such as around the bearing surfaces in the upper mounts, the bolts on the bottom mounts, etc, as well as any of the bearing surfaces on your front and rear suspension links. I replaced most of my rear suspension entirely so now everything is solid/pillow ball, no rubber bushings, and consequently I found that fluid filming all these surfaces made a significant difference in NVH.

The noise doesn't mean anything though, really. Only thing to really worry about is thumping or clunking noises.