Eibach Sportline Weird Clicking Noise coming from car

[VeganGirl]

Hello everyone, I just want to make this thread to see if anyone can help me troubleshoot my lowering springs. Just to give you guys some background

1.) I know nothing about cars.
2.) I have mostly stock car 2013 fr-s with 60k miles
3.) I have Eibach Sportline(1.4'' drop ones) installed on stock strut.
4.) From the moment of installing them, even the tiniest of bumps or uneven road or speedbumps will make an extremely loud clicking noise.
5.) I have had these springs for about 4 months now, from day 1 they made this noise, but I have not had any issues with the way the car drives at all.
6.) Prior to having lowering springs the car did not make any of these noises at all.
7.) Noise mainly comes from front 2 struts, cant really tell if the back are making the noise.

So I know what im hearing is not normal, it sounds like extremely loud clicking noise. I have taken it to 4 different mechanics over the past 4 months and none could properly determine what was wrong.

Mechanic 1.) Told me that everything looked like it was screwed in correctly and that he didnt know what was going on.
Mechanic 2.)(dealership) Told me they hear the noise after test driving it but wanted a 150$ diagnostic fee to tell me what was wrong(I declined)
Mechanic 3.)Told me that I have loose bolts and that's why I'm hearing noise(doubted it cause we used air impact tools to install and nothing was loose and I checked multiple times)(charged me 35$ to tighten the strut nut things in "correctly"). Still had noise after this.
Mechanic 4.) Told me all my struts was bad but wasn't 100% Sure.(I really doubt this because 10 minutes before installation they were fine, and this happened immediately after install.

Recorded video of the noisevideo doesnt show how loud it is, but is SUPER loud)
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bjlDfDc5_U"]2013 fr-s eibach sportline springs weird noise - YouTube[/ame]


Can anyone help me in determining what the heck is wrong with this noise im hearing? Like I said ive been driving the car for 4 months like this and its driving me absolutely nuts. Im about to get new Rims next week and im worried that Ill put wear and tear on them or something if something is wrong with the suspension.

Any suggestions of what I should try?

[chaoskaze]

I was gonna say drive it hard till the small click noise go away..... since it takes some time for new spring to be really settle.

after watching the video that's more like a loud clunk. xD......Can't help you, sorry.

[VeganGirl]

I've already been driving it for 4 months and it still sounds the same so I know there already settled in

[jimmillion]

Originally Posted by VeganGirl

I've already been driving it for 4 months and it still sounds the same so I know there already settled in

Did you use an allen key and or a socket to keep the strut barrel from spinning when you tightened the top bolts? This would of required a pass through socket/wrench

I believe you may have spun the internals and shredded your struts. Try searching "spun struts" or "pass through wrench" and i think you'll see what I'm implying.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by jimmillion

Did you use an allen key and or a socket to keep the strut barrel from spinning when you tightened the top bolts? This would of required a pass through socket/wrench

I believe you may have spun the internals and shredded your struts. Try searching "spun struts" or "pass through wrench" and i think you'll see what I'm implying.

I'm inclined to agree with this.

Check your struts and see if there is oil on them. That would be a good indication of them going bad.

[VeganGirl]

I honestly don't remember if we used those tools. Did it in a friends garage. I really don't think we used anything besides the air impact tools. But we did all 4 struts and it's only the front 2 are making the noise. I checked them today and I didn't see any liquid on them

[Irace86]

If you used an air impact gun on those top bolts to open them up and torque them down you probably messed up the strut. If you used a standard ratchet then you definitely messed them up. The other option is that they arent toght enough because you didnt use the right tools.

[Irace86]

[ame="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4C-ZUGi4R-Q"]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4C-ZUGi4R-Q[/ame]

[krayzie]

Isn't Eibach Sportline kinda too low for stock shocks? You could probably get away with Eibach Prokit.

Does it make a clunk when you go full lock on the steering?

Reinstall the front struts again with new nuts on the top mounts as they are stretch nuts and shouldn't be reused. I think they should be 17lb-ft use a torque wrench to be safe.

Clicking noise from the front to me is most likely coming from the top.

[DJCarbine]

Maybe the impact on the front struts messed them up....

I've been running sport lines for 2 years with no clunking problems, I used a pass through socket and Allen key to disassemble/reassemble.

[Irace86]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

Maybe the impact on the front struts messed them up....

I've been running sport lines for 2 years with no clunking problems, I used a pass through socket and Allen key to disassemble/reassemble.

I just used vice grips on a deep socket and an allen key, but I had to really lock them on that socket.