Change Springs or Absorber?

[Veloc]

no la bro...my ride is ae 101...to my knowledge...we share the same absorber...i mean toyota se...seg 101...and seg 111...all are the same...so can be easily interchange between these model...plug and play if i'm not mistaken...

the term serviceable is you can actually pull apart the damper part (nothing much to do with the spring though...unless you want to change the spring rate)if anything should happen to it (leaking for example)...replace the wear and tear part, oil/gas in the damper...assemble it back and you are good to go again...so no need to change the damper anymore (unless they are badly damaged)...at a reasonable price too...

it have to be done at specialize shop...not DIY... :P

i wouldn't recommend this route...but if you wanna save budget...you can try the chop shop absorber from levin/trueno package...i think its slightly better than the oem corolla we get over here...maybe cheaper also...but being a used item...there maybe some issues...maybe other sifu can enlighten us on this...

Levin and trueno here don't have. I asked for any adjustable coilovers from the chop shop they also say don't have. Don't know don't have or they don't want to sell. Only got standard JDM corolla ones. RM 80 per piece (spring and absorber together). I don't dare to use because I don't know how many years it has been used. Risky... Later if I buy and use for 2 months and the same thing happens farked up man.... On top of that, it can be that they chop up local corolla and sell the parts. If they want to cheat I also don't know... So I was thinking of going for the brand new OEMs from APM.

What do you think? Have you any experience with chop shop items? Because abs are things that get used up. So I don't dare use. Other things like body panels, engine parts, I'm fine with it.

What do you think?

 

[dennisdreams]

absorber's doesn't actually support weight. You give it enough time, the weight you put on it will eventually press the absorber's shaft back into it's body. But what the nitrogen gas in the gas does is, assist the spring in holding up some weight, (a few kg. i tested with a set of APM wira 1.5 springs and abs gas and without gas, gas type took 6kg more to press the spring to the same hight as non gas filled set)~

And depended to the spring's material and way they were produced. It may last as long as 20~30 years and as short as 3~5 years. As i had seen a 1976 toyota crown royal's spring still holding strong. As some citra customer coming in with faulty spring just 3 years (>_<)

 

[Veloc]

Got a really unpleasant experience today....

Remember I said my car's rear right tyre will hit the arch/body while hard cornering or carrying passenger? Fine. Today I changed APM performax. After I changed it, the mech told me still same. One side lower. It is not the springs either. They took out the springs and I also seen it. Both are slightly cut but both are at the same length. Waste my $$ change abs. Last time they told me it is abs.

Then he told me looks like the driver's side (front right) suspension is slightly lower than the front left. So it will affect the back suspension and pull it down as well. He said try to change the front abs first. See is it absorber kong or not. I want to ask, is there such thing? If the driver's side suspension lower, will it drag the rear right suspension to be lower as well?

After that he said again. If you changed front abs and still like that, then maybe it is the body bengkok already. Farked man. I am really worried. Damn worried. He said if body bengkok, the fastest, easiest and cheapest way people use to balance it back is just add a rubber near the abs mounting to increase the height. But it doesn't sound nice to me. Anybody done this before?
Here no chassis realign machine. And even if got, I no budget to do it...

After that, he told me again "why buy performax"? We got a lot customers buy performax they complain it hangkang fast. I feel really farked. Spend so much in a day and cannot solve the problem. Not just that, I don't even know the problem now. And people told me the abs I buy is not good!

So I want to ask....
1. What could be the problem that my rear right is lower than my rear left?
2. Is it true that if the front right suspension is lower (for whatever reason, maybe abs not good), it will cause the rear right to go down as well?
3. If body/frame bengkok, how much to fix? Will adding the rubber at the suspension mounting cause any harm?
4. Is APM Performax really that sucks?

Thank you...

---------- Post added at 07:10 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 07:00 PM ----------

About the driver side suspension being lower, I checked myself. I don't feel it lower. Only slightly.

Front left - 3 fingers
Front right - 3 fingers (slightly tighter only)
Rear left - 3 and a half finger
Rear right - 2 and a half finger (almost 2 finger only)

 

[^pomen_GTR^]

check all the bushing in lower arm also....

i think it was the spring in the first place....

seg cheap adjustable didn't have ar??i think u can go thru mudah.my back and ask a few seller properly....maybe they didn't really catch your model but got "similiar" model.....

 

[dennisdreams]

[/COLOR]About the driver side suspension being lower, I checked myself. I don't feel it lower. Only slightly.

Front left - 3 fingers
Front right - 3 fingers (slightly tighter only)
Rear left - 3 and a half finger
Rear right - 2 and a half finger (almost 2 finger only)

from that i seen (on words) your rear right was definitely will cause your front right to be lower. For it's more than the 3mm margin which the chassis can 'hide' the ride hight difference. You still using original spring at the back? for my experience, abs won't effect right hight as long as it's the same brand/models as abs pressure won't really affect ride high as well.

So it's down to spring and chassis. Spring as the major supporter of your car (it supported your car's weight ^^) and for some reason, springs do had it's life span due to type of material they were used to made and way of manufactured (cold forge/cold roll, hot roll etc~) and treatment accepted later. As many years of experience in suspension tuning, i can make a conclusion which most car's rear spring will give way in 7~10 years (sub 2000 models) and 15~20 for front.
As newer car (might been due to cutting cost) 3~5 years -rear, 10-(dunno now only 11 years) for car models made after y2K~

i recon you try to get a new set of springs and put it on to see if your car still ridding on one side~

hope this help ;) cheerio~

 

[g4i8y0t]

don't forget to check the bushings too.. body 'bengkok' is highly unlikely cause I think.

 

[LittleWhiteWagon]

Body bengkok? LOL how hard have you been driving sampai the mountings 'bengkok'? Haha

 

[Veloc]

from that i seen (on words) your rear right was definitely will cause your front right to be lower. For it's more than the 3mm margin which the chassis can 'hide' the ride hight difference. You still using original spring at the back? for my experience, abs won't effect right hight as long as it's the same brand/models as abs pressure won't really affect ride high as well.

So it's down to spring and chassis. Spring as the major supporter of your car (it supported your car's weight ^^) and for some reason, springs do had it's life span due to type of material they were used to made and way of manufactured (cold forge/cold roll, hot roll etc~) and treatment accepted later. As many years of experience in suspension tuning, i can make a conclusion which most car's rear spring will give way in 7~10 years (sub 2000 models) and 15~20 for front.
As newer car (might been due to cutting cost) 3~5 years -rear, 10-(dunno now only 11 years) for car models made after y2K~

i recon you try to get a new set of springs and put it on to see if your car still ridding on one side~

hope this help ;) cheerio~

Thank you sifu... Your advice always helpful and really technical! I will try that soon. Next month and this month already blow the budget.

But then again, I see the springs already. Both are slightly cut spring. Very little. Not like VIP style low. When jack up the car to fix the springs, the springs are still connected to the top mounting and the absorber. And also, both sides springs are cut same length. They took out for me to see just now. So do you think it is still springs?

What do you think about the car's frame being bent? Is this possible to happen in accident?

don't forget to check the bushings too.. body 'bengkok' is highly unlikely cause I think.

My car accident before... One of my mechs told me there are signs that the car turn turtle before. NOt sure though. The bloody damn saleman did a good job in conning me buying this car when I did not know so much yet. Slowly the problems surface one by one when I take my car to mechanics. See la... I will post that bloody guy's contact and company online.

---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 01:17 AM ----------

Body bengkok? LOL how hard have you been driving sampai the mountings 'bengkok'? Haha

Dear Pope...

Haha... jkjk... No offense... The salesman conned me into buying this car. It had a lousy accident before and they hid it really well.

 

[DanzEterna]

aiya bro, dun ever buy apm performax, 1st : got lotsa manufacturer defects, sometimes spring will bunyi squeek2 sound. 2nd will sag after 2 yrs.

dun think if body bengkok can effect body lowered to 1 side? dun think is the body la....
as pomen said, try checking your lower arms, absorber link, tie rod ends whether all bushes all ok.

simple way, get adjustables....invest abit more ......then adjust all to same height hehe......

but from my point of view. i think its the lower arm.

 

[ACQ2305]

Hrmm,speaking of the height of the car which is not even, i am / did experience the same with mine.. But im using adjustable's..Before installing the new set,i had it adjusted to the same height,the mechanic measured the height before installing..(Using a ruler, counting the 'rings') but upon installing, my right rear seems to be lower then my left..even after 1 month of of using..Letting it compress first. So i adjusted the left rear side till it is almost the lowest,before the height is the same.. So my question is, since my right hand side is like,..the count of the rings(tread) is like almost 15 rounds,...my left is only 3-4 rounds, will it effect the absorber? Driving alone, it feels ok..but when i have a passenger at the back,,it feels weird especially around corners... anybody experience the same??? Btw, am using D2, the RED colour... Before this i was using GAB..did not face this problem...only slight adjustment..

 

[^pomen_GTR^]

Thank you sifu... Your advice always helpful and really technical! I will try that soon. Next month and this month already blow the budget.

But then again, I see the springs already. Both are slightly cut spring. Very little. Not like VIP style low. When jack up the car to fix the springs, the springs are still connected to the top mounting and the absorber. And also, both sides springs are cut same length. They took out for me to see just now. So do you think it is still springs?

What do you think about the car's frame being bent? Is this possible to happen in accident?



My car accident before... One of my mechs told me there are signs that the car turn turtle before. NOt sure though. The bloody damn saleman did a good job in conning me buying this car when I did not know so much yet. Slowly the problems surface one by one when I take my car to mechanics. See la... I will post that bloody guy's contact and company online.

---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 01:17 AM ----------



Dear Pope...

Haha... jkjk... No offense... The salesman conned me into buying this car. It had a lousy accident before and they hid it really well.

how old is your car?? (and the spring as well???)

 

[Veloc]

aiya bro, dun ever buy apm performax, 1st : got lotsa manufacturer defects, sometimes spring will bunyi squeek2 sound. 2nd will sag after 2 yrs.

dun think if body bengkok can effect body lowered to 1 side? dun think is the body la....
as pomen said, try checking your lower arms, absorber link, tie rod ends whether all bushes all ok.

simple way, get adjustables....invest abit more ......then adjust all to same height hehe......

but from my point of view. i think its the lower arm.

Aiyo... I actually didn't want to get that. I wanted APM standard only... But no stock... Anyways... Already buy.... Haiz... Nvm la... If after 2 years fk up I change again lo.... I don't have money to go for adjustables... AE111 adjustables are expensive... I think most common only GAB and Tein...

how old is your car?? (and the spring as well???)

Err... 97.. Means.... Got 14 years lo...

---------- Post added at 02:45 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 02:32 PM ----------

aiya bro, dun ever buy apm performax, 1st : got lotsa manufacturer defects, sometimes spring will bunyi squeek2 sound. 2nd will sag after 2 yrs.

dun think if body bengkok can effect body lowered to 1 side? dun think is the body la....
as pomen said, try checking your lower arms, absorber link, tie rod ends whether all bushes all ok.

simple way, get adjustables....invest abit more ......then adjust all to same height hehe......

but from my point of view. i think its the lower arm.

Lower arm... Thanks Danz... I need to know some of the possible problems so that I can tell those mechs to inspect those specific parts. If not, they will just tell me maybe this maybe that. Try change this first... Try change that first... In the end I change lots of unnecessary parts... I am noob on suspension components. Just googled what is lower arm. Any more potential parts?

 

[DanzEterna]

cos this happened to my bro in law, he using perdana, but slanted to 1 size just like yours, luckily he using adjustables, so able to adjust the car height to normal.....
but when cornering die lor, cos the bounce rate is not consistant.

in the end it was the lower arm.

just check all your bushings bro....

---------- Post added at 02:17 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 02:16 PM ----------

if chasis bengkok ah, u got problem closing your door, u need to use extra force to shut it or when
its closed, the door wont be flat.... will be abit ajar.

---------- Post added at 02:18 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------

dun worry bout the apm performax, since u bought it use la rite.........
can lasts 2 yrs kira good edi......cos performax on perdana sucks cos body heavy, on ae111 maybe ok kot....

 

[Veloc]

cos this happened to my bro in law, he using perdana, but slanted to 1 size just like yours, luckily he using adjustables, so able to adjust the car height to normal.....
but when cornering die lor, cos the bounce rate is not consistant.

in the end it was the lower arm.

just check all your bushings bro....



---------- Post added at 02:17 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 02:16 PM ----------

if chasis bengkok ah, u got problem closing your door, u need to use extra force to shut it or when
its closed, the door wont be flat.... will be abit ajar.

---------- Post added at 02:18 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------

dun worry bout the apm performax, since u bought it use la rite.........
can lasts 2 yrs kira good edi......cos performax on perdana sucks cos body heavy, on ae111 maybe ok kot....

Thanks bro... The mech advised me to add some rubber at the abs mounting. I will check the lower arm. Thanks. This time to a different mechanic.

But, let's say if the lower arm really bengkok and we don't fix it, are there any danger or will it cause damage to the car?

About hard to close door, this happens to my front doors especially driver side. Not surprised as I told you, this car been in accident. Bloody salesman conned me.

About Performax, yeah will just use ti first till it kong. Aftermarket adjustables for toyota quite expensive. Mitsu got mines right? Around 800 only... And by the way, I don't find buying serviceable coilovers worth it here because I couldn't find any place to service it. Even if I buy for long term, but there is not place that offer that service here... No use... Hmm...

Thanks though... Will check lower arm...

 

[DanzEterna]

im not sure bout adding the rubber on abs mounting though....
just give a thorough check under your car....jack it up, look under, look for any arms bengkok that can cause your car to be unbalanced......if u dun mind bro can take some pics of your car where it looks senget.....remember to blank out the number plate......

can ma....if u wanna service, u remove it & replace with any old abs 1st then send it to fstrader via courier lor....hehe...after he servis he courier back to u.....