Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Thu May 02, 2013 3:45 pm

Sorry if this has already been covered, had a look for some information but had no idea on how to describe whats going on..

I've just recently had installed a 2" Ultimate suspension lift kit installed up here in the NT. This is my first 4x4 that I have ever had a lift kit fitted...

Now to the question :?

When ever I travel over a speed bump (bit to fast) or hit big ruts off road it feels like the front suspension is making a clicking/thudding noise (whatever you want to call it) and I can feel it back through the steering wheel? Doesn't matter what direction the wheels are pointing in I always get the same result and its only when the suspension has to travel a bit further due to the bounce.

When I had a look at the front shocks I noticed a thick rubber/stopper? ring placed a few inches down from the top of the shock. Is that noise as a result of that rubber ring?? :oops:

Cheers

Matt
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Cowboy Dave on Thu May 02, 2013 3:50 pm

Give Brendan a ring and ask him?
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby fridgie on Thu May 02, 2013 4:02 pm

Sounds more like a loose ball joint or something ;-)
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Dunga71 on Thu May 02, 2013 4:26 pm

I have had a similar poblem and told my stealer about it at the 30k service,they said the steering colum was out of alignment and they had fixed it under warranty(nothing said about the 2" lift )but it has come back again and i have it booked in next tuesday to be seen to again.
There is a thread here on the subject of steering column issues,does yours make a clunking sound when you pull the wheel from side to side with the engine turned off ?
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby paddstar69 on Thu May 02, 2013 4:43 pm

I noticed in your shed you have bash plates fitted, if you still have them fitted check the tightness of all the mounting bolts. I too had a clunk noise when either braking or turning over driveway or speed hump, took me ages to find it but it was the centre mounting bolts not quite tight enough allowing the plates to move against each other and created the clunk. After removing and cleaning the contact surfaces and reinstalling the bash plates the noise had dissappeared and hasn't returned. Hope this helps :)
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby ultimate on Thu May 02, 2013 5:23 pm

There shouldn't be any clunking or abnormal feedback from the lift. I would inspect the components listed above and the upper control arm bolts. As the suspension settles, the upper control arm bolts need to be re-tightened. If they are even a tiny bit loose, the control arms will move and make a clunking noise when turning and driving over big bumps.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Thu May 02, 2013 5:32 pm

thanks for the advice guys, will get right on it
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby boatpc on Thu May 02, 2013 6:03 pm

ultimate wrote:There shouldn't be any clunking or abnormal feedback from the lift. I would inspect the components listed above and the upper control arm bolts. As the suspension settles, the upper control arm bolts need to be re-tightened. If they are even a tiny bit loose, the control arms will move and make a clunking noise when turning and driving over big bumps.

Can confirm this one from experiance. Mine made a clunking sound soon after having a lift and it drove me nuts. Really noticed under hard stop braking.
Was the upper control arm and it was only slightly loose ;)
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Thu May 02, 2013 6:48 pm

Well bash plates are nice and tightly secured, no clunking when turning wheel from left to right. I'm guessing that leaves the upper control arm? Due for a service, probably about time a mitsy tech had a look at it! The place that installed my lift kit (same place that services our ambulances) had never dealt with a Triton before :lol:
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby croydon on Thu May 02, 2013 6:59 pm

Hi Mcraig,

I had the same lift kit put in my MN by Ultimate. They advised that after a run in period the suspension should be checked and tightened. After a 1000K's or so I noticed the same noises you are describing. Had it in to my local mechanic who went over the suspension tightened everything and all good. No more noise. Done a couple of thousand K's with the kit in and have been very happy with the Ultimate gear since. Good luck....

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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Tue May 28, 2013 3:15 pm

Okay time to bump this question...

After waiting a couple of weeks to get my car serviced at Mitsubishi they turned around and said they don't have time to check any problems with my suspension since they are too busy and I was only booked in for a 30k service :evil: they said try pedders since they didnt really want to deal with the problem. One week later I finally get my car booked into pedders. Long story short, the front end of my car is now f*&ked. The clunk was a combination of things. When the lift kit was installed (Not installed by ultimate) it was installed incorrectly. The mechanic used some more colorful words... Apparently the washers on the shocks were in the wrong place, thus allowing the shocks to travel up and through the top of the springs and striking underneath the wheel arch. I missed half the technical talk he was going on about, but from what I can understand the strut plates might have to be replaced and the shocks are most likely stuffed. Now I have to wait another week before he can take the suspension apart and tell me the bad news. The mechanic also said taking the front springs off is going to be extremely difficult since so much pressure has been placed on them. Oh and the inside of my front wheels are also starting to chip from this problem, frak! On the plus side, the guys at pedders were fantastic help. The boss has a Triton so at least this time I know its going to be done properly... Excuse me while I go scream now :cry:
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Honky on Tue May 28, 2013 3:37 pm

Sounds like, looks like, tastes like than it must be.
How can a shock punch a hole through the top control arm and hit wheel arch??
I would think that it would make more noise than just a bump as there would be uncontrolled bounce from the front end.
I am a long way from an expert but I would get a second opinion.
Dont they rotate tyres at each service and if the dealer saw that much damage I am sure they would have stopped you from using the vehicle.

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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Tue May 28, 2013 3:45 pm

Don't know what component has pushed through the top but something has Honky. One of the nuts located on top of the suspension is imprinted and put a 3mm hole in the wheel arch. On the last service they didn't rotate anything, its an extra up here. Pretty rushed service if you ask me, I went back to mits that day and told the service staff what had happened and one of them was gob smacked. They didn't know how it was missed but at the same time they weren't exactly going to make a comment on it. The mechanic and pedders didn't even want me driving home, he said if i had to brake in an emergency it would all be over.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby NowForThe5th on Tue May 28, 2013 4:24 pm

How can that happen? :shock:

Here's a pic of the front spring and shock absorber assembly.

front strut assy.jpg


Short of putting the top hat on upside down I have trouble working out what was done wrong. :?

Can you get a photo?

I have a serious mistrust of Pedders.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby ultimate on Tue May 28, 2013 5:25 pm

This is very unfortunate. :(

By the sounds of it, the original dust cover hasn't been refitted (or they haven't used the locating washers with the aftermarket ones). These washers basically hold the top strut bushes together. Without them, the bottom bush can be ripped down and the shaft will go straight to the top as Pedder's described. I haven't seen this happen on a Triton, but have seen it on a Hilux due to incorrect assembly. Pictured below.

Click to view larger picture

These types of fitting issues keep me awake at night. I think we will be making a few changes to our kits where all "send out" struts are pre-assembled.
Last edited by ultimate on Tue May 28, 2013 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Eggman on Tue May 28, 2013 5:30 pm

So the pre assembled struts are pretty much fool proof?
I am thinking of getting some but are a touch wary something like this may happen.
Wish I was near a recognized installer!
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby ultimate on Tue May 28, 2013 5:32 pm

Pre assembled struts do take out a lot of the risk. With them, we have complete control over the assembly and can make sure it's right.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby NowForThe5th on Tue May 28, 2013 5:52 pm

Ta Brendan.

Now the pic I should have looked at the first time. This explains it all, really.

front strut assy parts.jpg
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Chill on Tue May 28, 2013 6:24 pm

I believe I have a similar noise in the front of my car but my strut isn't like the picture above(strut through the top hat). But now i need to go and get it checked out. I just had my car in for a service a couple of months ago and they didn't say anything about the clicking noise so I assumed it wasn't bad. Just something dry like the spring on the top rubber hat maybe dry.
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Tue May 28, 2013 7:04 pm

That picture of the hilux is identical to my problem. When on level ground the shaft does not go through the tophat, but start rocking and bang it goes
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby mcraig on Mon Jun 03, 2013 2:34 pm

Well after waiting a week I have found out that I require two new struts and top hats, what a waste of two brand new struts! Shout out to Ultimate for all there help!
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Re: Ultimate Suspension - Front end rookie question...

Postby Enid_Triton on Wed Apr 28, 2021 2:02 pm

ultimate wrote:This is very unfortunate. :(
I haven't seen this happen on a Triton, but have seen it on a Hilux due to incorrect assembly. Pictured below

These types of fitting issues keep me awake at night. I think we will be making a few changes to our kits where all "send out" struts are pre-assembled.


Who was the total idiot that fitted your springs & struts like that? He should be named & shamed & not allowed anywhere near a toolbox!
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