Hey guys,


So I've got H&R springs on stock shocks and 18" wheels with falken tires.

As I'm driving along and I hit man hole covers or sharp bumps in the road I hear a loud noise. It's not a knock or a metal sound but it's just loud. Even when I hit the reflectors on the road it makes a loud noise. I've gotten my shock absorbers checked and have had my car visually inspected by two mechanics. I'm not leaking any fluid from the shocks, and they didn't see any damaged parts?

What could it be? My wheels with low profile tires? Maybe the shocks are gone? Bushings?

I just need to get this fixed because it's driving me crazy! Also just in case what are symptoms of blown shocks?

Thanks in advance!

 

forget the two bad mechanics.... all you need is one good one.

 

My car had Falkens on when I bought it. Two things.

1. The Falkens are loud and sidewalls are hard
2. The sound deadening in these cars is terrible - worse than my 1986 VW golf by a long shot.

I added sound deading to my firewall/floorboards and changed tires. Now it is comparable with a mid-1980s VW in terms of tire and cabin noise.

 

Thanks Jeremy, so you think its the tires? and not a suspension problem?

 

Front Upper strut mounts will knock when bad.
I changed mine out when I installed the HR springs and Bilstein Shocks.

cheap part, easy fix.

I agree, Falkens are a very hard compound-tire as well. When you buy cheap tires,you get cheap results.....

 

It's not really a knocking noise though more like a loud impact noise.

But I bought the Falken tires because they are a good bang for the buck. I didn't feel the necessity to spend money or PS2's, RE11's or Z1 Starspecs.

Problem is the are loud as hell. But they are wearing fast so we'll see how much longer I have them.

 

Try taking the tires down to 35psi if they are not already. There is even a difference when going to 38 or 40psi if compounds are hard.

 

I'm at 32 psi right now, and it has made it a little better but still loud.

 

What mileage have the original shocks covered? Also I remember reading that if you fit lowering springs you need to ensure that the shocks don't bottom out. How much lower are the springs you are using and are your shocks standard (SE in UK) or sport version?

Also did you have the geometry reset after lowering, something that should be done to bring it back within normal tolerances?

 

I have Yokohamas on my ride and the road noise is loud as well as when I hit little pot holes and side markers, I even tried a pair of Sumitomos... kind of crappy to ride in a Jaguar that sounds like a hoopty at times lol

J-bond, both of those brand tires cost me over $650... So its starting to look more like a car problem more than the shoes you put on your kitty.

But most likely Jeremy is correct, these cars don't have the best sound deading installed in them. Wind noise sucks and road noise sucks as well... Hey, we can't complain too much for an entry level luxury vehicle can we?

 

The road noise and ride quality is marginal at best with the OEM 17" wheels and Conti Contact Pro Tires. I stuck with the factory rims but changed to a set of Kumhos that ride great. You can't fault the car when you start increasing wheel size and shrinking the sidewall height. The shorter the sidewall the stiffer it gets until there's nothing left to insulate you from the road. You might as well be riding on the rims but that's the price you pay for looking cool.

 

70,000 miles on stock shocks not the sport ones. I've had them checked by a few mechanics already and they say they look fine and there's no need for a replacement.

I did get an alignment after I installed them so everything was brought back to spec.

I'm pretty sure I'm not bottoming out since the bump stop is in place.

But I'm still trying to get to the route of this problem. I have a hunch its something little I just need to figure out what!

Thanks for all the help guys, but keep it coming.

PS: I just went to another shop and had a mechanic ride along with me and he said everything sounded fine. I'm in a pickle.

 

So when you were driving did you hear the noise, and the mechanic said 'oh that's normal. I run 18s and other than a loose hanger in the back that I hear the pipe bumping periodically I don't hear any bangs from the front, so my vote is it's not normal. I think it's the strut mount, I had 1 go on another car and it is pretty loud

 

Its just like a loud tire noise. I'm really thinking its the tire wheel combo. I'm guessing the springs isn't helping any either. So idk... Its not like a nock or anything. Its just a consistant noise maybe I can take a video and post it up some time.

 

Some compounds actually harden over time. The old Nittos used to turn into bricks after about 10k miles. General UHPs are among my favorites for low road noise and comfort at reasonable prices. The Kumho ASTs I have now are also impressing me in terms of noise and comfort (especially considering are tires mentioned are 35 series).

Side note, when I swapped the 255/30/22s from my wife's van for the factory 225/60/16s she complained about the ride being too harsh, despite having about 6 inches more sidewall. The whole "all low profile tires must ride like bricks" thing is totally dependent on the tire itself and pressures you run. Factory 16s on the van also require 65PSI and despite them having more sidewall than all of my Jaguar tires combined, they ride terribly.

 

Are you sure its not the tire hitting the fender lining or the edge of the fender itself. When i had 18's on mine with a drop, the tire would sometimes hit the fender when i hit a bump. sometimes it was a loud sound, other times not so loud. you can check to see if there is any damage on the tire edge. mine use to scrape a little of the tire.

 

I'm thinking it may be the tires, from what I've read the Falken Ziex 912's are supposed to be rather comfortable. I've read plenty of reviews and nothing really negative besides tread-wear rating.

And not it's not the rubbing noise, I've heard that plenty of times. It just sounds like an impact sound.

 

The tires on my 20" Porsche wheels are 912's and not comfortable. I would have chalked that up to the 225/30/20 size, but the tires on my staggered 20s (Achilles 235/30/20 - I know, I spare no expense) are much more comfortable are the same pressure and almost the same size.

 

Jeez do you have enough wheels already? lol but yeah at this point I'm guessing its the tires and wheels but I can't imagine it being any worse but it has to be with 20's right?

I'm going to try to put the stock 16's back on some time, I hope that will do the trick this way I'm sure its the wheels. By the way any tire recommendations? I want soft and comfortable tires. Thats all my criteria at the moment.

 

i havent checked for bump stops or where they are located on your car, but usually when you drop your car you have to modify the bump stop, usually have to trim it a little.
this may be the noise you are hearing.

im on Falcon FK452 tires on my caddy and i love them. great bang for the buck, and 20" tires arent cheap. i find they handle great in the rain, but i wouldnt dare take them out in the snow...its a summer tire.