Troubleshooting coilovers

Noises:

Always start by checking that everything is in place! A problem that can arise when you have just installed your coilovers is that you hear noises. It's very rare for a coilover by itself to make noise, but a Pillowball top bearing transports noise much more easily than an OEM Rubber top bearing does. This means that if you had a slight play from before that was not heard in the car, this will be amplified and thus heard inside the car.

Noise from a coilover is often in the top bearing. It is very rarely (Read: Never) that the pillowball itself is loose unless it has been used for a long time and worn out. However, it is more common that the top nut is not tightened. It can be difficult to pull if you have preload on the spring, therefore it is best to let the spring down so it does not make tightening difficult. Then reset the preload to approx. 3-4mm.

Another common error that causes noise is improper alignment. A coilover with an adjustable lower mount is not made to be lowered onto the spring. The reason is that there is no auxiliary spring to hold the spring in place and it therefore causes a rattle.

Leakage:
In the event of a leak, you should replace the damper. Most manufacturers offer only the dampers, so it is enough to move over the mounts, springs and setting rings.

Spring breakage:
In the event of a spring breakage, replace the spring. Springs are available as loose items.