Possible bad shocks...need oppinion

[kyle986driver]

Yes, on a wavy road i can get thrown around pretty good inside.

Ed- You have the pss9 kit right? Thats what i REALLY wanted but it will never happen($$$$$), so i am going to go for the HD with eibach springs.

Thanks for all the advice!

[CJ_Boxster]

If you are hearing a loud metalic chatter noise in your suspension while rolling over bumps, it could be very likely your Front & Rear Upper control arm/Track Arm bushing cartridges are worn out... I use to have a metalic chatter coming from my suspension at low speeds of 50mph or lower while rolling over bumps or cracks in the road... Turns out my front and rear track arms were worn out. I replaced them with adjustibles from Delubozparts (forum sponser). The Adjustibles are a cheap alternative at $269 a set, to buying OEM non-adjustible units at $600+ a set.

Also, if you plan on lowering your Boxster you will run in to issues with rear Toe and the factory toe links not having enough adjustibility to correct that, so by using the Rear Upper Control Arm/Track Arm (Caster) adjustibility you can correct the excessive positive toe you will have from lowering the car.

[tholyoak]

Regardless of what is causing the noise, there have already been several good suggestions provided, if you have 70k miles on your shocks, they are worn out as are the upper shock mounts. The thing with suspension is that it wears out so gradually that you don't notice it. That is until you replace it and remember what the car was supposed to feel like.

Todd

[Sammy]

Are you sure that you have stock suspension underneath you? I would be surprised if you have worn out shocks and are hearing that noise. As Benny986 noted you would be hitting the bump stops before bottoming your shocks.

Either way I think you might be on the right track with new suspension. My suggestion is to try and narrow it down before you start throwing money at it. My personal method of checking suspension joints is to jack the car up having at least the rear, front or whole car jacked up (not one corner at a time) and using a rubber mallet start checking the joints. All the joints should be solid and should not make even the slightest odd noise. This is how I diagnosed a loose nut on my front sway bar. It didn't sound like much when I hit it with the mallet but it sounded awful when I drove the car. Once I torqued it down properly the noise went away.

[kyle986driver]

Yes Im sure my shocks are original. I am not bottoming out though, the shocks just sound rough through any movement. Kinda seems to me like all the oil leaked out and its moving dry. but I havnt seen any signs of a leak in the area.

thanks again

[CJ_Boxster]

Originally Posted by Sammy

My personal method of checking suspension joints is to jack the car up having at least the rear, front or whole car jacked up (not one corner at a time) and using a rubber mallet start checking the joints. All the joints should be solid and should not make even the slightest odd noise. This is how I diagnosed a loose nut on my front sway bar. It didn't sound like much when I hit it with the mallet but it sounded awful when I drove the car. Once I torqued it down properly the noise went away.

Rubber mallet wont work on worn bearing cartridges. Mine made slot of metal chatter but wouldn't make a peep when hit with a mallet. I know from personal experience on that specific issue with that control arm on the front and rear if the car. 70k miles is about right for the failure point on the bearing cartridge for the upper control arms.

[ppbon]

... it's the upper shock mounts and not the shocks themselves. (item # 3)



I have over 163,000 miles on my original shocks and they still perform well, but I've had to replace both top shock mounts.
These mounts are similar to the engine mounts in that they're made from rubber which fails in time.
The metallic clanking is probably the shock shaft hitting the strut bearing because of an overly worn out upper shock mount.
To find out you must lift the end in question, remove the tire and pull on the shock shaft with your hand to see if there's any movement. If there is, you have a bad mount.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

[CJ_Boxster]

A worn upper strut mount from the rear will also sound like a washer rattling on top of the strut mount behind your head.