Guys,

After some quick insight before I take it to the dealer for a checkup (and so I know what I'm talking about)

My car barely moves out the garage, however when it does, mostly when cold I drive over some speedhumps (slowly) and the front suspension sounds like its creaking/grinding.

Not sure what this would be (stuffed shock absorber maybe?)

NB. I've had stuffed shocks in a previous car before I replaced them and they made more of a knocking/clunking noise over bumps, so not sure if this is the same symptom.

Any ideas?

Check your front sway bar bushes, common problem on 380s, they wear out pretty quickly, in some cases after only 20,000k. Once worn out they make a creaking / groaning noise over bumps, even little ones. Cheap as chips for a pair of new ones from the dealer, but not real easy to DIY as the mounting bolts are fairly tight & a bit hard to get at. One or two threads on them here somewhere.

KJ.

Get a can of WD40 with the straw attachment, and spray some in the bushes. If the noise goes away you have found the source. If not, try other moving/rubber bits in the front suspension, until you isolate the source of the noise. In my (much older) TS it turned out to be dry ball joints.

Sweet - thanks guys. I'm assuming these components are covered by the factory warranty?

Sweet - thanks guys. I'm assuming these components are covered by the factory warranty?

Sorry, if it is worn out front sway bar bushes they are not covered by warranty, considered to be normal wear & tear.

New ones are cheap, but the dealer labour to fit them isn't, unless you have a friendly pet mechanic who'll do it for a good price.

KJ.

Ah thanks, might just get the suspension place to replace them when I get the car lowered soon then :)

Cheers!

Would nolathane bushes with lithium grease last longer?

Would nolathane bushes with lithium grease last longer?

none available

did ask Wholesale suspension and this is the reply I got so it would be a case of the suspension place finding a substitute


Hi wombat,

Although we do not have a listing for those parts, we are confident we can match-up and/or make a replacement part for your 380 in our Penrith workshop.

Please give us a call at our Penrith shop (4721 2112) to organise a time to check it out.

Regards,
Luke

Ah thanks, might just get the suspension place to replace them when I get the car lowered soon then :)

Cheers!

Who are you looking at for getting your car lowered man?

Looking at getting this done soon myself.

WA Suspensions - top blokes over there :)

WA Suspensions - top blokes over there :)

Ah, I remember them.

I had dealings with them years ago with one of my other cars.

You looking at King lows for the rear and super lows for the front?

That seems to be the general consensus here.

If I had kings super lows on the front I'd never be able to drive in Gawler. I've already chewed up my front spoiler.
I have kings lows all round

If I had kings super lows on the front I'd never be able to drive in Gawler. I've already chewed up my front spoiler.
I have kings lows all round

:stoopid:

Low fronts are the way to go IMO. I have been having a fair few issues with front bar scraping as it is...

I'll probably go for SuperLow's all round. The 380 is seriously a tractor-spec in standard ride height, it's terrible!

It may look awesome using superlows all round. I dont think anyone has tried this yet. Lows all round still look good, alot better than stock, it is also more practical.

If you can put up will the constant scraping/damage to your front bumper and very firm ride, go for the superlows.

EDIT: Maybe be exagerating a bit when I say constant scraping. It shoudnt be too bad, but it will be definately worse than lows where I seem to scrape the front bar a bit.

You guys are putting me off now :(

The firm ride wouldnt bother me, but I really don't want to be scraping my front end everytime I get near a speed hump or anything.

You wont have as many issues with lows, superlows you will most likely experience problems.

Lows are firm, but nothing over the top. It just makes the car feel planted to the road. Superlows will be abit harsher than lows due to the higher compression rate of the springs.

I have lows all round, one of the best mods I have done so far, you wont reget it :)

:stoopid:

Low fronts are the way to go IMO. I have been having a fair few issues with front bar scraping as it is...

Is the GT / VRX front bar really that much lower than the pov pack front bar?

I have the lows rear superlows front combo and I've never had a problem with the front bar scraping on anything.

Update - just checked out the Series 3 brochure, and the measurements shown on the third to last page.

Identical across all models except for one thing - the depth of the rear bar. The GT/VRX/SX rear bar sticks out 13mm more than the ES bar, I'm guessing all because of the lip on the lower insert.

The front ground clearance is shown as 162mm for all models, which suggests that the GT/VRX/SX bar is no lower than the ES (pov pack) bar).

But then again it's not real clear from the diagram exactly where this measurement is taken from. It seems to be from the front of the front wheel arch, but is it from the bodywork or from the lowest point on the front end of the car (which AFAICT is the lowest point of the main front crossmember, just behind the front wheels)?

Anyway, just measured my front clearance and it's 168mm from the front of the wheel arch and 120mm from the lowest point of the main front crossmember.

I'm thinking that this measurement in the brochure is from the lowest point on the car, probably the lowest point of the main front crossmember, (which on my car would be 42mm less than in the brochure which makes sense with 'settled' Kings superlows) and it has nothing to do with the bodywork or the front bar.

So if I'm right the brochure measurements still don't tell us whether the front bar ground clearance is any different across the different front bar types.

KJ.

Is the GT / VRX front bar really that much lower than the pov pack front bar?

I have the lows rear superlows front combo and I've never had a problem with the front bar scraping on anything.

KJ.
In stock form, I had issues with the front bar scraping. Lows have made it worse, but I have learnt to be extra careful.

I dont think the front bar is that much lower than the POV pack bar. The scraping usually occurs on the corners on the bottom of the front bar.

You wont have as many issues with lows, superlows you will most likely experience problems.

Lows are firm, but nothing over the top. It just makes the car feel planted to the road. Superlows will be abit harsher than lows due to the higher compression rate of the springs.

I have lows all round, one of the best mods I have done so far, you wont reget it :)

I'll never regret lowering it putting lows all round on it, but might be happier with the super lows on the front :)

I've read other posts here that say that it looks more "level" with the supers on the front, and the gap between tyre and arch is more equal front and back.

I can be pedantic at times, and I'm not sure if this is one of those times. HA! :nuts:

Regardless of if you have superlow front/low rear, or superlow front/superlow rear, your front bar is still the same height off the ground :)

I don't like the idea of mixing spring compression rates between front and rear - think about it, the rear reverberates for a longer period of time over a bump, as they're softer springs!

Regardless of if you have superlow front/low rear, or superlow front/superlow rear, your front bar is still the same height off the ground :)



Touche lol

I still dont know why anyone hasnt tried superlows on the rear? Maybe the superlows on the rear are illegal? I have NFI...lol

You will be the first person on AMC to put superlows on the rear...

I don't like the idea of mixing spring compression rates between front and rear - think about it, the rear reverberates for a longer period of time over a bump, as they're softer springs!

The other thing maybe to be aware of is it might get bouncy as the stock shocks may not have enough dampening for the tighter springs. Having an SX you have the stiffer shocks but may need more dampening with the superlows & unfortunately there are no better shocks available.

Fitting lows to my GT has transformed the handling. Feels absolutely planted to the road. The ride is a little firmer but not by much

Regardless of if you have superlow front/low rear, or superlow front/superlow rear, your front bar is still the same height off the ground :)

I don't like the idea of mixing spring compression rates between front and rear - think about it, the rear reverberates for a longer period of time over a bump, as they're softer springs!

Not so sure about that. I would guess that with lows on the rear & superlows on the front (as I have) the front would be 'angled down' (or more likely less 'angled up') compared with superlows all round.

Not much mind you, maybe just a couple of mm difference in ground clearance at the bottom edge of the front bar.

KJ.

Gah! I'm in two minds now, so I'll give myself some time to think about what I'll go for.

Anybody know how much lower over the standard springs the car will sit with the lows? I assume the height reduction will be equal front and rear.

Edit:

I would guess that with lows on the rear & superlows on the front (as I have) the front would be 'angled down' (or more likely less 'angled up') compared with superlows all round.
KJ.

See, this is what I was talking about before, and am worried about.

While we are talking suspension, I just had a call back from one of the KYB Tech guys & they said the Excel G shocks they sell for the 380 are only valved about 5% firmer than the stock VRX/SX/GT shocks so no real benifit upgrading unless your current ones are stuffed.

Anybody know how much lower over the standard springs the car will sit with the lows? I assume the height reduction will be equal front and rear.



Before Lowering

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5310.jpg

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5309.jpg

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5308.jpg

After lowering

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5349.jpg


http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5351-1.jpg

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq8/lewiston142/DSC_0026.jpg

I wasn't a fan of the King springs in my 380 , didn't sit right and the ride qualty was harsh...i took them out after 2 weeks.

Pedders coils are in there now , and im happy..
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/starlet-turbo/side1.jpg

I reckon mine sits 30mm lower than standard.
Kings reckon 25mm but they settle a bit lower with time

I would guess that with lows on the rear & superlows on the front (as I have) the front would be 'angled down' (or more likely less 'angled up') compared with superlows all round.
Not much mind you, maybe just a couple of mm difference in ground clearance at the bottom edge of the front bar.

Yes, that is true. If only by a few mm at the front. A bee's dick really. And I _really_ don't think it would be noticeable.


Anybody know how much lower over the standard springs the car will sit with the lows? I assume the height reduction will be equal front and rear.
See, this is what I was talking about before, and am worried about.

I'm not sure. But here is an example using Lovell's "Sport Low"
Measured as; (standard wheel-arch to center of hub)
Front 385mm
Rear 370mm

http://ix9.integratedx.com/images/posts/lovellsportlow_small.JPG

Gah! I'm in two minds now, so I'll give myself some time to think about what I'll go for.

Anybody know how much lower over the standard springs the car will sit with the lows? I assume the height reduction will be equal front and rear.

Edit:


See, this is what I was talking about before, and am worried about.

The general concensus is that the 380 sits/looks much more level with lower springs at the front than at the rear, which is why I went for superlows at the front and lows at the rear. With the same springs front & rear it looks 'nose high', and with a much bigger wheel arch gap at the front than at the rear. So no need to worry about an uneven or 'nose down' look by going with the lows/superlows combo. The jury is still out on front ground clearance with superlows on the front though, some say it's a problem, I haven't found it to be a problem.

KJ.

Getting a bit off topic here guys, this thread is meant to be about front suspension noise over bumps.

There is a reasonably long & detailed thread here about lowering & springs for 380s:

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69196

As for ride height, see post 21 of that thread.

Just measured mine again (but with 245/35 ZR19s now) and still 680mm front and now 665mm rear. But then was with a full tank of fuel, now is with a quarter tank, so would explain the 5mm higher rear ride height now.

KJ.

Well turns out mine are starting to creak a bit...had a look at it today under the hoist and just a tad bit confused......which specific bush chops out? I found about the same amount of movement in all of them lol

Well turns out mine are starting to creak a bit...had a look at it today under the hoist and just a tad bit confused......which specific bush chops out? I found about the same amount of movement in all of them lol

The front sway bar bushes. One each side.

Before Lowering

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5310.jpg

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5309.jpg

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5308.jpg

After lowering

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5349.jpg


http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/whippmachine/MMX%20Meeting%20-%20Car%20Lowering/IMGP5351-1.jpg

http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq8/lewiston142/DSC_0026.jpg

Hi Breadz - what springs are you using "after lowering" it looks very sporty. does the ride quality got harsher? did you change shocks as well or just springs? I am Sx still the stock set-up. kinda love the ride as it is - maybe just a little lower would be bit sportier. thx

Hi BradGt - what pedders coils are you using. and what about the ride quality? is it harsh?

Hi Breadz - what springs are you using "after lowering" it looks very sporty. does the ride quality got harsher? did you change shocks as well or just springs? I am Sx still the stock set-up. kinda love the ride as it is - maybe just a little lower would be bit sportier. thx

King lows, personally I would stay away from Pedders suspension, I have heard some bad things about them.

The ride is nice and firm, but it is not harsh.

so just King lows springs and you left the original shocks? this seems like to option i would go for.

so just King lows springs and you left the original shocks? this seems like to option i would go for.

Yes, I still have the original shocks. The SX/VRX/GT all have the sports shocks.

Yes, I still have the original shocks. The SX/VRX/GT all have the sports shocks.

Hi - just a quick question. on the ebay are Kings Springs Low - $80 per pair NEW (thats great price) however they told me that this stock is back from June 2007. Have you got any info if Kings changed their technology from 2007 to 2010? thx

back to the OP my Mechanic reckons it is a strut, my passenger side makes the creak/knock AFAWCT

Mine started knocking at 58000km. I looked at it yesterday on jack stands but they look way too hard to get at without a hoist. I'm going to leave it to our mechanic.

I changed my mind and had a go after all. These things are buggers to get at but not too bad after doing it once. As a previous post suggested, it helps putting the front of the car on stands, taking the wheels off and the small body brace just behind where the sway bar runs. The front bolt on the passenger side is the hardest to access. I used a small 14mm socket on a quarter inch rachet and used a lever to break the torque on the bolts. The harder forementioned bolt I undid with a universal extension though the wheel well. Suprisingly the old bushes don't look that worn but the rubber has hardened over the years.

Cheers,

Steve

Linked are some photos of the old bushes. As you can see there isn't a lot of wear. The internal diameter was also very similar to the new ones.

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/2743/img1500wt.jpg
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/883/img1499mk.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4273/img1498ob.jpg
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/8582/img1497em.jpg

I changed my mind and had a go after all. These things are buggers to get at but not too bad after doing it once. As a previous post suggested, it helps putting the front of the car on stands, taking the wheels off and the small body brace just behind where the sway bar runs. The front bolt on the passenger side is the hardest to access. I used a small 14mm socket on a quarter inch rachet and used a lever to break the torque on the bolts. The harder forementioned bolt I undid with a universal extension though the wheel well. Suprisingly the old bushes don't look that worn but the rubber has hardened over the years.

Cheers,

Steve

Did the new bushes fix the noise problem?

Yep, noise gone. The car no longer feels like a 10 year old Commodore. It knocked and tapped over every single bump before changing the bushes.

Yep, noise gone. The car no longer feels like a 10 year old Commodore. It knocked and tapped over every single bump before changing the bushes.

Great news :)

Yep, noise gone. The car no longer feels like a 10 year old Commodore. It knocked and tapped over every single bump before changing the bushes.

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