Tien S tech spring on Y33

[audiovisiony33]

Does anybody have problem with crack/thump noise from the front suspension of the Y33 when turning into the driveway or going over speed bump ?I just installed Tien and KYB on my 97 Y33. LOOKS Very nice but the ride feels like solid/bumpy ride (feels like riding on the shocks not the springs)and I can hear crack/thump after a turn in to a driveway. I cut away new bump stop in half to give more travel for the struts. I have approx. 1" clearance between bumpstop and the cap of the cartridge at standing level. When I pulled out my old bumpstop with 1" drop Eibach springs, bumpstop was totally smashed out / twisted because I used full bumpstop and I was most likely riding on the bumpstop not on the springs. With 2" drop Tiens and full bumpstop it's gurantee you are riding on your bumpstop not the springs.I end up putting my Eibachs back on today and eliminated all the problems. Except it don't look as good as Tiens .Now I can push the car up and down about an inch. It rides like smooth stock coils. (It almost looks stock)When I pulled the Tiens back out at less than 20 miles of use it had ring scratches on the top two coils and second coil from the top has spring scratch towards the inner side because coil diameter get's greater as they come down. I think noise were comming from the springs rubbing each other due to low rating of the coil. Could it be that spring that I got from Falk is for 6cyl model y33 ? I received S. Tech SKN76-M1B00Any advise ?

I did a quick search on Tien jp web and I couldn't find the application part for FGY33 but I found cedric gloria HY33,PY33,MY33 Grand Turismo and Brhoam model use the same part no:SKN76-M1B00. Are they V8 or V6 turbo ?http://www.tein.co.jp/e/price_....html


Modified by audiovisiony33 at 12:29 AM 1/3/2007

[maxnix]

I did a quick search on Tien jp web and I couldn't find the application part for FGY33 but I found cedric gloria HY33,PY33,MY33 Grand Turismo and Brhoam model use the same part no:SKN76-M1B00. Are they V8 or V6 turbo ?

Probably not too significant weight difference between Iron block VG30DETT (or even just T) and all alloy VH41DE. Later ones had VQ30DET, and are probably 100 pounds lighter.

Were the spacers installed on the bottom of the front inserts for the KYB?

[Falkdesigns]

Those are the same ones I'm using, and have been for 2.5 years now. I have full bumpstops and it's not as close as you describe. But what Brian said is huge, did you make sure the spacers are under the SR Specials in the front strut housing? There should have been two little spacers in the KYB boxes.

When I originally got the part number from TEIN USA, I emailed them and asked if they offered S-Tech for Y33 Cima and that was the part number they gave me which I've brought about 30 sets of to the US.

[audiovisiony33]

Yes, Falk I have used both spacers for both cartridges. Without them shocks will have a play in the struts. I have no problem with KYB. They are working very good with my Eibach springs too.It's that noise were comming from top two coils rubbing eachother when spring gets compressed more than standing height. When you pop the bumpstop out from the dust cover it's about 3" long.If you use the full bumpstop you probably won't get crack/thump noise because the bumpstop will space out for the spring so it can't compress very much.(Which means You are riding on the bumpstop or bottoming out every little bumps)Falk can you do me a favor? Park your car on level ground and turn the steering wheel all the way either left or right. Then lift up the dust cover and tell me how much of clearance you have without bumpstop touching your struts. Thank You.

[Falkdesigns]

Well, I just tried and it's pretty hard to tell, but they're probably closer than I thought, kinda looks like about an inch or so. But it says in the instructions (which I can understand if you don't read Nihongo) to not to cut them at all. If they're 3" long, that gives extra cushion on impact.

[BadQ45t]

I heard a bit of noise the first set or two of speed bumps I went over after install but now smooth as silk, even my wife thinks the car is much better ride than before.

[audiovisiony33]

Well, I just tried and it's pretty hard to tell, but they're probably closer than I thought, kinda looks like about an inch or so. But it says in the instructions (which I can understand if you don't read Nihongo) to not to cut them at all. If they're 3" long, that gives extra cushion on impact.

Hi Falk

A friend who is a certified Lexus mechanic at Crown Lexus is the one who worked on my car. He installed my tiens and re-installed the Eibachs back.He said if your car has lack of travel due to lowered springs with full bump stop will relay to damage to other suspension component. (ie: shocks, bearing, mounts and ball joint)First your struts can't stroke up and down to obsorb the shocks as they were design to because bump stop is in the way.Second because it' not stroking as much to obsorb the road shock it's hammering up/down on your upper strut component to lower ball joint. That's why people who lowers the car cuts the bump stop in half or more to give maximum stroke clearance for shocks and springs to do their job. Shocks and springs are design to obsorb the road shocks by stroke movement and bump stop is to prevent of excesive travel of the suspension during bottom out. If you say bump stop gives extra cusion impact are you riding on them? In my calculation you are. I had one inch of clearance between bump stop and the strut cap after cutting the new bump in half and my car was sitting lower than your car. Front tires were tucked under the fender because it is sitting on the springs without the support of the bump stop. Can you push your car up and down at least an inch?


Modified by audiovisiony33 at 9:44 PM 1/3/2007

[BadQ45t]

I lowered my 300ZX in 1991 and never had a seconds problem and Kevin's has been sitting that low for a long time...mine is fine too, still seem slike something fishy going on.

[audiovisiony33]

Is your Z 2 seater or 2+2 ? Do you still have'em ?I sold my 1990 silver 2+2 last year and I regret selling it. Here she is http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2316066

[BadQ45t]

Mine is a older one, an 84 and it is still in my garage. Eibach springs, KYB Shocks, Addcco sway bars, Eurothane bushings, SO3 Pole Position tires and completely restored throughout.

I'm the original owner too, 160k on it but not a daily driver for a long time.

[Falkdesigns]

I'm not sure what to say. My car rides very comfortably, takes bumps with no problems. And like I said, the TEIN installation manual says NOT cut bump stops at all. Different spring companies say different things. On my Civic Si, the H&R springs said to cut them in half, but the TEIN's say not to, so I didn't. I can say for sure, they're not resting on the bumpstops though, and there is plenty of suspension travel. You're not that far from here, we can meet up and you can check out the ride any time.

[audiovisiony33]

Thanks Kevin,

I'll let you know when I get sometime in next 2weeks.My friend @ Kar-plus Performance in Montclair, CA where you shipped the Tien is an authorised Tien Dealer. So I'll have him call tien usa to request more information on the spring. I have the Eibach back in but I really want to keep the Tiens back in if I can solve the spring noise problem.

[one ton garage]

If you're hearing a metallic clunking sound when turning or going over a big bump, it's also possibly coming from the spring settling into the spring cups (usually on the strut housing). Sometimes the spring could move a little bit upon reinstallation, so the end of the spring isn't settled perfectly into the notch in the spring cup, and you'll hear the clunking a few times before it seats perfectly again. If it's way off, then you'll need to take it off and reinstall, but as long as the spring is made for the car, it shouldn't be causing a problem, and if the noise persists, there might be something else to blame. I personally would recommend cutting the bumpstop either way once you lower the car that much. It doesn't hurt to cut it down, as long as you leave at least 1-1.5" of it remaining to prevent bottoming out the strut.

[audiovisiony33]

Hi Van!! Where have you been?

May be you can help me put that Tiens back in. If I knew this is the case I should have ordered Insurance coilover from you for little more money. I've already spend out $1400.00 on KYB, Tiens, strut top parts and labor.I have replaced new strut mount, bearing, bump stop/dust boot, and top spring seat. On a test drive it was little stiff/bouncy but everything was cool except snap/pop (metal clunk/snapping noise obsorb through rubber insulation) when turning in to a driveway. Sounds like ball joint but it can hear from the top of the strut.Funny thing is when I re-installed the Eibach back in all the noise went away.When I had Tiens installed top three coils were sitting on top of each other.When I pulled them out, ring scratches were on the inner side of the coil not in the center, because coil gets bigger as they go down. My guess is springs were rubbing each other as they got to their maximum compression. We took the suspension apart three times to locate the noise but every things were properly installed. Should I use the full bump stop as falk and other Q owners did ? That is the only difference I can think of between my car and other Q's with Tiens installed.What do you think? Give me some advise Van.


Modified by audiovisiony33 at 7:00 PM 1/7/2007