Overall Tighten Up?

[StudioWizard]

Hey folks

Are there certain parts of the car, perhaps the frame or other major structural joints, that can be or need to be tightened periodically? My car is feeling a little "loose". I'm not sure if it's just the rattles of the interior (there are a lot) and the suspension aging (it moans and groans a bit), or if there are some other areas/parts that can be tightened up.

Any thoughts most appreciated and welcome!


FYI: Mine is a 2005 2.5i approaching 170k miles. I've fixed 95% of all the engine problems (leaks, tweaks, mounts, etc) and the car is running really well.

 

[Street]

New dampers would definatley be a strong contender but not cheap.

After that I’d be looking at anything rubber.
Rear subframe bushes
Rtabs
Lollipop bushes (front lower arm rear)
Drop links
Engine mounts

Just some ideas

 

[MikeyH]

That’s a good mileage, hope mine last that long

 

[StudioWizard]

New dampers would definatley be a strong contender but not cheap.

After that I’d be looking at anything rubber.
Rear subframe bushes
Rtabs
Lollipop bushes (front lower arm rear)
Drop links
Engine mounts

Just some ideas

The engine mounts were done recently. I'll start checking out the other stuff. Thanks!!

 

[StudioWizard]

That’s a good mileage, hope mine last that long

I bought this car at over 150k miles and put love ($$) into it. Just keep changing that oil and stay on top of the engine maintenance and it should go a long time!

 

[enuff_zed]

At 170k it should be on it's third or fourth set of dampers.
However I did change a set on an E86 with 180k on the clock and they turned out to be the originals!
Needless to say, the improvement was noticeable. :roll:

 

[StudioWizard]

Yeah, I have a feeling these are the originals, too. Did you replace with OEM or aftermarket?

 

[Rockhopper]

Decent quality bottom arms and lollipop bushes made a huge difference to my car. With the dampers that i did last year it really does drive as well as a new car.

 

[enuff_zed]

Yeah, I have a feeling these are the originals, too. Did you replace with OEM or aftermarket?

I went OEM. Usually use Sachs but they don’t make rear shocks for the coupe now so used Bilstein B4

 

[Rockhopper]

I did the same, B4's front and rear.

 

[enuff_zed]

I did the same, B4's front and rear.

Yes, I should have clarified; I could have put Sachs on the front but went B4 all round. Doubt it would have made any difference except to my OCD. :roll:

 

[StudioWizard]

Did you guys change out everything including the springs or just the shocks?

 

[enuff_zed]

Did you guys change out everything including the springs or just the shocks?

I often leave the springs if they are ok, but at your mileage, unless you have evidence they've been changed then i think I'd swap those too.
Suplex are a good oem replacement

 

[StudioWizard]

Thanks, I'll check to see if they're original or more recent. I suspect original! haha

 

[Rockhopper]

I put Suplex on the front only because it seemed daft not to swap them whilst the strut was stripped down. I left the rears as they are easy to do when needed.

 

[thecremeegg]

Like others have said, the suspension is a good place to start. If you fancy a small drop in height, the eibach springs work well with the B4 dampers

 

[perttu]

What is the general opinion about preventive maintenance of the flex disc (giubo) and the center support bearing? I’m experiencing a slight looseness in the drive train, for example when changing from the first to second and being a little careless with the clutch. No clunking or hard vibrations yet. I visually checked the giubo, or at least part of it that was visible without taking the exhaust etc off, and it looks fine without cracks or other clearly visible damage. I’m just thinking, 20 years old rubber probably lost some of its dampening properties by getting hard, even though the disc is not totally gone? I’m now considering should I do the giubo and the csb, but then again thinking will it make any difference.

 

[StudioWizard]

My mechanic alerted me that the rear differential bushing was cracked and needed replacement. That fix solved a few problems immediately!

One problem is solved is the creaking sound every time I turned right or left into an elevated driveway, slightly twisting the car and causing it sound like a ship on the waves.

The second improvement is the car seems to handle slightly better - it has a more solid feel, especially when turning into inclined driveways.

Lastly, the alignment immediately improved.

Hopefully this will help others experiencing similar issues.