Strange sound after strut/shock/lca upgrade

[NoTicket]

This last weekend I installed the following on my 2014 GT with Brembos:

Koni STR.t struts and shocks.
Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms.

Before this I had Maximum Motorsports Panhard Bar as well as the Whiteline trans bushing insert.

After the install I have noticed a slight groaning sound when first starting to accelerate, or maintaining low speed. The most noticeable case is when slowing down in traffic (to around 1-2mph) and then re-engaging the clutch to start rolling again.

This groan is very short lived and intermittent. I can feel some vibration coming through the pedal when it happens as well.

The car has about 8500 miles on it.

I am just not sure where to start looking for what might be wrong.

Here is the laundry list of disclaimers:

- Everything has been torqued to spec, and I have checked a few times to make sure.

- It does not happen while turning, I am certain it is not the clutch pack in the diff.

- I did not replace the strut mount. I used the 2011+ style Koni struts and the stock strut mount.

- I have had the clutch stay in issue since day one when I bought the car brand new, the dealer would not fix it.

 

[skwerl]

On the rear lower control arms, did you torque them down with the rear suspension compressed or was the axle hanging down?

 

[NoTicket]

I installed and torqued the LCAs with the suspension compressed.

Even if I did, do you suspect this may cause the sound/feeling that I am experiencing?

 

[skwerl]

I have no idea, in spite of the fact that sounds described on the internet are so easy to identify and diagnose.

 

[NoTicket]

Hahaha I know.. Unfortunately the sound is hard to reproduce and not loud enough (yet) to easily record.

 

[kona302]

did you ever figure out what it was?
I have an issue with the koni str.t strut, when compressed it makes a humming noise.
I found someone else on facebook have the same issue, mind the jack noise.
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/Mustanglover246/media/20140108_144856_zps1977d447.mp4.html

I would test out the strut by compressing it.

 

[Gremlin85]

Was a little amount of grease used on the outside of the busings on the LCA's before install?

 

[302GT]

did you ever figure out what it was?
I have an issue with the koni str.t strut, when compressed it makes a humming noise.
I found someone else on facebook have the same issue, mind the jack noise.
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/Mustanglover246/media/20140108_144856_zps1977d447.mp4.html

I would test out the strut by compressing it.

That doesn't sound good. Getting a replacement from them? I have some Str.t's that should be on my doorstep any minute.

 

[Black 5.0]

Hmmm? That sounds like maybe a valve issue in the strut. Does it make this sound if you bounce the car on that side? At any rate, you should get a replacement.

 

[Bad06stang]

that is the video I took of my car when my STR.Ts were acting up. They had about 3K miles on them and I could hear that noise going over speed bumps, coming out of the driveway, etc. I bought them from trackspec motorsports who helped me get them replaced under Konis lifetime warranty for free with no hassles. The new ones that I have still act up but not even close to the extent of the other ones so I am going to say its normal. As you can see in the video I had all the spring isolators on, and everything was torqued. I could also feel it in the floor and the clutch pedal bad.

 

[NoTicket]

That is essentially the same sound I am hearing. My noise is nowhere near as loud. It also only happens sometimes. Looks like I will likely be replacing my struts at some point.

 

[Black 5.0]

If you feel that noise is normal, you are easily satisfied. To me that is not normal and I would be all over getting it replaced. There's no need to settle for second best. In this case, a farting strut. I have Koni Yellows on mine and not because I had a choice between farting and non-farting struts.

 

[NoTicket]

After inspecting everything when the strut was out today I could not find a reason for the noise. Compressing and decompressing the struts very quickly would yield no noise other than the standard fluid sounds.

Then I put it back together... And I realized what it is likely making the sound. The stupid rubber isolator is too thick and barely fits in the strut. I am 99% sure that this is the origin of the noise. I already had everything back together and needed to get to work so I didn't have time to take it back apart and take off the isolator, but some time in the future I will take the time and do it.

 

[Black 5.0]

Well that sounds like you have a handle on the situation. Seems an easy fix. Good luck!

 

[Bad06stang]

highly doubt that is the noise. My car made the noise with the isolator off, on whatever. took the damn thing apart probably 4 times looking for the noise, it was the strut.

 

[NoTicket]

Well I was probably deluding myself in hopes of not having to go through the RMA process. There really is no other explanation for it since it currently doesn't happen when the struts are cold. Only after being driven for a couple miles.

 

[FIVE-OH]

I know three peps with Konis, two have had issues. I was dead set on Konis, now I am not sure. Maybe Eibachs or Steedas?

 

[302GT]

Great. With a week gone by on my new Koni str.t's I just heard this noise. Pulling into my driveway it made that sound.

 

[FIVE-OH]

Great. With a week gone by on my new Koni str.t's I just heard this noise. Pulling into my driveway it made that sound.

Yet another one...looks like I will getting Eibach struts/shocks. Too many people with Konis having issues lately...

 

[302GT]

Yet another one...looks like I will getting Eibach struts/shocks. Too many people with Konis having issues lately...

One interesting note about the install. When I took the strap off the strut it didn't come up all the way. I had to push it down THEN it came all the way up. I pushed it down a few times and it came up all the way every time without noise or any other issue.

Another thing I noticed was the lack of packaging for delivering these things. They are literally just put in a box with tons of room to move around. Is that normal? If it were dropped it would slam right into the strut with only a layer of cardboard for protection. Who knows.