Crashy suspension

Supergurrier

Need some help from a mechanically minded person.

So basically to those who read here abit i bought my car with horrible buckled 19 inch wheels (3 were buckled and 3 of the Original ST wheels which have since been straightened out by leahy engineering). Since i dumped the old wheels and put on the factory originals i have fitted.

H+R lowering springs
H+R 20mm spacers
Front upper and lower wishbone polyeurathane bushes.

Car handles much flatter and is low enough to give it a very nice stance while not being stupidly low. However in the last month or two the ride has gotten progressively more crashy and on cornering the lack of damping or indeed the odd damping rate is making the back of the car tramp abit.

It's making the car a pain in the ass to drive and i think myself the shocks have had it. Will be getting the suspension checked out before wednesday but when i went in before when i found fluid around the area of the front right shock awhile back all came back fine so just want an opinion off someone here who has done suspension work on a similar type of car so i don't get taken for a ride.

Also getting alot of toe in (lowering springs and spacers don't help i guess. Car handles perfectly on a smooth road it's just like the shocks piss themselves on a normal country lane with just a slightly bumpy surface (horrible are my tyres flat/lots of cabin noise feeling).

Maybe its from the previous owner as when i went to do nct first time and failed on tyres tester said they were driven on flat and the 6 out of 8 buckled wheels can't be a good sign for the suspension and how it was treated.

Any imput would be greatly appreciated as i put alot of money into decent tyres the few suspension mods i have just to tighten things up but i want abit of comfort back if you know what i mean, if it's the shocks will bilsteins b8'smake much difference ?

Thanks again.

jayok

When you replaced the shocks and springs, did you load the suspension prior to tightening the suspension bolts?

I've seen it before where new components were fitted and everything was tightened while the suspension was hanging. This put strain on various bushings, etc when the car was properly loads and results in torn bushings, etc. This led to the "crashy" ride.

Oh and I find the B8s very, very tough and I wouldn't have used them for 20mm of lowering. The B6s are fine for this as they allow greated travel.

<edit> Ok, so I need to stop speed reading. You replaced the stock springs with H&R springs but get the shocks stock?? If that's the case then more than likely you've blown them.

FWIW, I done the same initially (different car) and the car was also crashy. Replaced the shocks, got a proper alignment and volia!

maceocc2

I did something similar with my car in terms of lowering, I used coilovers and shorteneddrop links. Over the last few months mine too has become more noisy in the cabin and trashy feeling, more clunky feeling through the steering, it did get worse as time went on it got worse. I changed both tie rods (they where gone as well) and got it aligned , but same issues.

Turns out it was the drop links and anti roll bar bushes. Lowered suspension put a lot more strain on the after market drop links.

I wouldn't be so quick to say the shocks have gone though, this is an ST we're talking about the stock shocks are pretty durable, I know dar83 on here has had his ST on eibachs for nearly 2 years now without issue.

Esel

Supergurrier wrote: »

... just want an opinion off someone here who has done suspension work on a similar type of car....

You never said what make / model / year car you are talking about.

Supergurrier

Esel wrote: »

You never said what make / model / year car you are talking about.

2007 focus st

Will have an idea come weekend as gonna get it looked at