Clunk clunk clunk

[Cuiken]

The castor and camber angle actually do make the top pin of the shock move around a lot , it would snap the shock mounting pin off if it were solid

The garage who fitted the shocks for me took an intersting approach. They bolted down one side too tightly and left the other one not even finger tight.

I guess the average across both sides was correct

Sorted it immediately myself with the correct 16mm bolts.

 

[DXX]

Sorted it immediately myself

Yep, the horror stories I hear from friends after taken their cars into garages are getting worse. I think some of them are just dragging people off the street and watching over their shoulder - some of the time.

 

[Cuiken]

Today's adventure was having all the ARB bushes front and rear replaced (with 3 of the bolts on the rear needing to be drilled out at great expense!!!).

Still squeaking at the rear and clunking at the front.

I despair

 

[DXX]

having all the ARB bushes front and rear replaced (with 3 of the bolts on the rear needing to be drilled out at great expense!!!).

They need to be regularly soaked with penetrating oil a couple of weeks prior to them coming out and then removed without an impact wrench.

 

[Cuiken]

They need to be regularly soaked with penetrating oil a couple of weeks prior to them coming out and then removed without an impact wrench.

I did actually do that while (pretty much daily) spraying oil around the bushes to reduce the squeaking. The garage knew not to use an impact wrench. Just one of those things I guess.

What's completely baffling is that spraying the old bushes with WD40 did get rid of the squeak. Seemed like a perfect diagnosis. Somehow, installing new bushes (with grease) has made no difference. I can't make any sense of that.

Seriously, I think the van is bl**dy cursed.

 

[T6_FunBus]

I did actually do that while (pretty much daily) spraying oil around the bushes to reduce the squeaking. The garage knew not to use an impact wrench. Just one of those things I guess.

What's completely baffling is that spraying the old bushes with WD40 did get rid of the squeak. Seemed like a perfect diagnosis. Somehow, installing new bushes (with grease) has made no difference. I can't make any sense of that.

Seriously, I think the van is bl**dy cursed.

Damn, I know what you mean I am sure we all get like that at times. I spent £1000 and countless hours, weekends and evenings trying to get a light to go out on the dash, even though everything was working!! Took me about 8 months to get it sorted. At that point I was just fed up and demotivated, but thankfully (for now!) happy again…

That clunk I had on mine I had since purchase too, so it took me three years to find it! Three garages inspected as well and couldn’t bloody find it!

Odd that wd40 stopped the squeak. Assume they used copper grease on the new poly bushes (if poly ones were fitted). I made the mistake years ago of not putting grease on (well hardly any), and my god the creaking and racket!

Can you sunrise a list of everything you’ve done, would probably help and then perhaps CRS or someone can chime in and help with next steps / plan of action.

Keep your chin up mate. At least you have some other bits that will now last the life of the van that you don’t need to worry about again! And if the old ones were a bit worn, it’ll still help the front and rear end to work a bit better!

 

[Cuiken]

Yeah, it's a pain. But, on the other hand, we can do stuff with the van that we otherwise just couldn't (camping, biking, day trips, DIY stuff...). I should probably try to bear that in mind.

As to a list of parts replaced, I've done a few in this thread but I'll recap again below:

1. Shocks and Springs from CRS
2. Top Mounts and thrust bearings (VW parts from CRS)
3. Rear spring seats (VW parts)
4. Front ARB drop links (tried Miele HD and OEM)
5. Top plates(VW parts)
6. Front lower arm bushes (front and rear bushes in the stock front arms replaced with Poly bushes)
7. Lower ball joints (VW parts
8. Front ARB bushes (VW parts)
9. Rear ARB bushes (VW parts)

I don't think there are any other parts on the front that I can actually replace. Leads me to think it's not the suspension of there's an issue with one of the new parts....

Cuiken

 

[T6_FunBus]

Not that this really helps you, but incase anyone gets this in future there is a pipe runs along near the arb, nearside wheel, cannot recall if it’s brake or steering pipe, but I had a terrible buzzing / rattle behind the dash, a clanking in steering and if swerving off and right quick. It was after I got a geo check and alignment. Turns out there was a bolt I guess the guy backed off to get access / a bar on something and didn’t tighten back up! The pipe was loose and could clatter around against the arb. I doubt many people see that, but if it’s common practice to undo that to get better access during an alignment then it could be something to watch out for.

Front engine mount is a ‘bang’ on lifting clutch - feels very harsh and jolts the van.

I cannot think of any other clunk on the front, you seem to have checked or replaced most things :/

One other thing I will add which stumped me for a bit was if you’re running low, you can contact rear bump stops, that’s a bang on the rear floor over harsh bumps, but I’m talking 90mm ish.

I do feel for you buddy. When there’s a problem you can’t sort it gets under your skin. My clonking wasn’t bad, and as no garage couple find it I figured nothing serious and ignored it for three years lol. But was so happy when I fixed it for £18 the other day!

Hopefully some of the suspension experts can chime in.

 

[T6_FunBus]

Just had a thought - how’s your tie rods? Clutching at straws here so wouldn’t suggest you throw money at them, but have they been checked? Hows the steering feel? Can you feel a clunk on the steering?

 

[Cuiken]

Steering is clunck free but, yes, I did check them

Meanwhile though, progress on the 'squeaking/creaking' from the rear of the van.

I took a few hours in the baking heat on Sunday to jack up the rear of the van and strip out the springs etc. I found some interesting things.

1. Despite the van having had it's lower spring seats (the rubber seats that sit below the springs) replace in March and then again in May, they had already worn through and the noise I was hearing was the spring rubbing against the metal stump that locates the spring onto the trailing arm.

Spotted the worn spring seat below:


Removed srping/spring seat and was able to see this 'polished' area where the spring has been rubbing against the locator stump on the trailing arm:


Inspecting the spring seat off of the van you can see that one side at the base of the seat has collapsed. This has caused the spring to slide 'forward' away from that side of the locator stump and caused the other side to wear through the rubber and rub against the metal.





To be clear, these spring seats are only ~6 weeks old with only a few hndred miles on them. The previous set, installed witht the new rear springs in March also only lasted about 6 weeks.

All were brand new VW original parts.

For now, I have installed the original (6 year old) spring seats that were still in mint condition. I used a load of grease to help them locate properly into the seat as the rear arm was raised back into position. Since then, not a sound.


2. To be absolutely certain it was not simply the boot catch (classic source of squeaking) I removed and reinstalled the boot lock and catch and retensioned. This did not fix the squeak but it did get rid of an irritating rattle that was heard when we hit potholes. So, not really relevant to my suspension issues but worth noting it's worth occasionally tightening that up.


So, I'm a bit baffled . Why is my current usage rate of spring seats more expensive than my monthly fuel costs? @CRS Performance, have you seen anything like this before? Can you offer any tips?

Only downside of having, at least temporarily, fixed the creaking racket coming from the back of the van is that we can really hear the clunking that remains from the front. What a hoot.

Cheers,

Cuiken

 

[T6_FunBus]

Surely they were twisted or not installed correctly? As you probably found as when the van is jacked up or the shock off / arb off and the arm down, compressing it and refitting the shock and parts they can get twisted or move out of that slight notch. I fitted harder ones from van style or somewhere like that when I fitted my coilovers.

At least you’ve identified one problem, one more to go!

 

[T6_FunBus]

Here’s the ones I used.

FITS VW T6 TRANSPORTER UPRATED REAR LOWER RUBBER SPRING SEAT CUP MOUNT PAIR | eBay

Uprated Material from Standard. VW T5 / T6 Uprated Lower Rear Coil Spring Mounting Cup. These rear coil spring mounting cup bushes are manufactured from an uprated material compared the OE equivalent.

www.ebay.co.uk

The factory ones seems soft and smaller. But, I’m not saying that’s your problem… surely it shouldn’t be pressing that tight on the metal nub in the first place? Stupid question, are your springs the right way up? I’m not even sure it’s possible to fit the springs the wrong way, but I’ve see people fitting the collars on the bottom, so anything’s possible I guess!

I’ve done a few thousand miles on them running my coils at about -90mm drop, and so far (fingers crossed as to not jinx it) all good.

 

[DXX]

Less spring travel on a shorter spring so the rubber takes more shock.
Have you got oversized wheels and low profile tyres? If so the tyres won’t be absorbing as much shock as OEM tyre sizing and that’s what it was designed for.

 

[Cuiken]

Less spring travel on a shorter spring so the rubber takes more shock.
Have you got oversized wheels and low profile tyres? If so the tyres won’t be absorbing as much shock as OEM tyre sizing and that’s what it was designed for.

The springs that I just fitted are actually longer than the ones that I removed. The previous drop was 70mm (and those spring seats lasted years). The new drop is only 40mm.

I don’t use low profile tyres, I’m all about the comfort

Even if they were low though, we’re only getting 6 weeks and about 600 miles out of each set of spring seats!

 

[Cuiken]

Here’s the ones I used.

FITS VW T6 TRANSPORTER UPRATED REAR LOWER RUBBER SPRING SEAT CUP MOUNT PAIR | eBay

Uprated Material from Standard. VW T5 / T6 Uprated Lower Rear Coil Spring Mounting Cup. These rear coil spring mounting cup bushes are manufactured from an uprated material compared the OE equivalent.

www.ebay.co.uk

The factory ones seems soft and smaller. But, I’m not saying that’s your problem… surely it shouldn’t be pressing that tight on the metal nub in the first place? Stupid question, are your springs the right way up? I’m not even sure it’s possible to fit the springs the wrong way, but I’ve see people fitting the collars on the bottom, so anything’s possible I guess!

I’ve done a few thousand miles on them running my coils at about -90mm drop, and so far (fingers crossed as to not jinx it) all good.

Thanks!

As far as I can tell the springs and spring seats were installed correctly.

Springs were the right way up (it’s very obvious which way they fit) and the spring seats were correctly located using the alignment notch on the trailing arm.

On one side, the spring seat was slightly crimped beneath the spring but it was marginal.

All I can imagine is that, as the arm was raised and the spring compressed, the spring seat became distorted somehow. That is why I slathered the replacement ones (well, the originals that I’m having to reuse) with grease to help the spring slide properly into place.

I just can’t see though how both garages that fitted new spring seats for me in the last three months would have got it so wrong? Plus, like I say, everything looked perfectly aligned aside from the torn spring seats.

I’ll just have to wait and see if my own installation remains creak free once some time (and weather) has passed.

 

[CRS Performance]

Steering is clunck free but, yes, I did check them

Meanwhile though, progress on the 'squeaking/creaking' from the rear of the van.

I took a few hours in the baking heat on Sunday to jack up the rear of the van and strip out the springs etc. I found some interesting things.

1. Despite the van having had it's lower spring seats (the rubber seats that sit below the springs) replace in March and then again in May, they had already worn through and the noise I was hearing was the spring rubbing against the metal stump that locates the spring onto the trailing arm.

Spotted the worn spring seat below:
View attachment 248051

Removed srping/spring seat and was able to see this 'polished' area where the spring has been rubbing against the locator stump on the trailing arm:
View attachment 248052

Inspecting the spring seat off of the van you can see that one side at the base of the seat has collapsed. This has caused the spring to slide 'forward' away from that side of the locator stump and caused the other side to wear through the rubber and rub against the metal.

View attachment 248053

View attachment 248054

To be clear, these spring seats are only ~6 weeks old with only a few hndred miles on them. The previous set, installed witht the new rear springs in March also only lasted about 6 weeks.

All were brand new VW original parts.

For now, I have installed the original (6 year old) spring seats that were still in mint condition. I used a load of grease to help them locate properly into the seat as the rear arm was raised back into position. Since then, not a sound.


2. To be absolutely certain it was not simply the boot catch (classic source of squeaking) I removed and reinstalled the boot lock and catch and retensioned. This did not fix the squeak but it did get rid of an irritating rattle that was heard when we hit potholes. So, not really relevant to my suspension issues but worth noting it's worth occasionally tightening that up.


So, I'm a bit baffled . Why is my current usage rate of spring seats more expensive than my monthly fuel costs? @CRS Performance, have you seen anything like this before? Can you offer any tips?

Only downside of having, at least temporarily, fixed the creaking racket coming from the back of the van is that we can really hear the clunking that remains from the front. What a hoot.

Cheers,

Cuiken

Yes sadly we have !! and the biggest bill i have from VW is for these rubbers 100 s a month , whilst we have never seen then deteriorate this fast , they just dont like after market springs , is the only explanation

We have now shelled out £5K for a mould to make an uprated design

Its new and not long term tested yet but initial tests seem good , send me an address and ill send a pair over to see if it cures the problem , ( The green ones i made for JOG but he has standard springs and these are for after market springs ) ha ha

 

[Cuiken]

Thanks Steve, as per PMs really looking forward to trying these out.

I'll update in due course!

 

[racT6bus]

Jumping on this one as my van seems to have developed a similar noise!

For context I have a T6 SWB T32 with STX coilovers and running Navis MAC-AT 17in wheels.

For the last few weeks at low speed I hear a rattle/creak from the rear of the van (external) when I go over speedbumps, potholes or any other imperfections in the road - there are a lot! It also makes a noise from the rear when I brake at low speed. There is no noise on flat and smooth road surfaces, although I do also get a more audible hum at higher speeds from the rear - it's not super loud, but more noticeable.

The coilovers have been on since Jan 2023 and were fitted with Powerflex rear spring mounts (PFR85-1330), rear brake disc and pads were also replaced last year, just to rule them out. There is no uneven wear on the tyres at all. No noise from the front at all.

Any suggestions? Is it possible that the Powerflex mounts have given up already? They look OK to me (from my untrained eye!) I've heard nothing but praise for them - but I know @CRS Performance you mentioned you had concerns about the design?

 

[DXX]

Someone needs to take the Up out of Upgrade, leave it as stock and it’s keeps on rolling.

 

[Cuiken]

Someone needs to take the Up out of Upgrade, leave it as stock and it’s keeps on rolling.

Yeah, but you can't get into 2m carparks if you have roof bars