Creaking rear suspension

[pbharcourt]

Dan, i found my S2 to be very skittish with very light power steering as well!

I had new tyres on and have found that they have settled over time and it is now much improved, i also played around with tyre pressures.

[soldave]

Hi Dave,

 

Did you have any success with all these studs? If you see what I mean...

 

Replaced the clutch cable that snapped the day after my Eclat passed its MOT (I think I've found a new least favourite job!) and took the S2 out for a spin this morning.  Surprisingly skittish on its toes, even without power steering it takes a very light touch (does that sound right?).  And loves being pushed up through the revs.  But I've got what I think is the same creaking from the rear end every time I go over a speed bump.  And living in London there's a lot of speed bumps!  So it sounds like I need to go through the same process you have.  And I was wondering if regreasing the various studs has improved matters.  And what nightmares I should be looking out for.

 

Thanks, Dan

Hey Dan.  I still have to do 3 of the studs fully.  I think the biggest problem you might come across is the same one I've got: that being the stud gets seized in the diff carrier or hub carrier.  Get some good penetrating oil ready!

[directordanw]

Thanks gents. I haven't had a look yet but is it possible to get the rear links off and change the studs and bushes without dismantling the whole suspension? Can the spring be safy compressed just on the weight of the car with a jack under the rear hub?

And what pressure do people put in their tyres? I'm running them at 30 and that feels too high handling-wise, but I can't imagine they'd want to be much lower!

[soldave]

24psi for tyres is a good starting point.  Some will even go to 23psi.

 

You don't have to take the whole suspension off if the studs will come out.  Just jack up, remove the nuts holding the studs in place and then work out a way to get them moving.

[pbharcourt]

On a previous Elite I had, the studs were well and truly stuck.

I tried the double nut method and just striped the threads, then I tried heat with penetrating oil and a lump hammer which just rounded the end over with still no movement!

So this time I removed the whole suspension unit to the bench (used spring commpressors) and used a hydraulic bench press to push them out, easy peasy!

[soldave]

On a previous Elite I had, the studs were well and truly stuck.

I tried the double nut method and just striped the threads, then I tried heat with penetrating oil and a lump hammer which just rounded the end over with still no movement!

So this time I removed the whole suspension unit to the bench (used spring commpressors) and used a hydraulic bench press to push them out, easy peasy!

Thanks for your experiences on this.  Yeah, my fear about trying to brute force them is rounding the ends with a hammer.  Might try some Plus Gas followed by double-nutting.  

[Denis247]

24psi for tyres is a good starting point.  Some will even go to 23psi.

 

You don't have to take the whole suspension off if the studs will come out.  Just jack up, remove the nuts holding the studs in place and then work out a way to get them moving.

There's no difference between 24 and 23 psi, you won't even notice it IF you could measure the difference, it's within the bounds of error.

Use 28 at front and if steering still too light, check the castor.

[soldave]

Got my suspension apart and over the next few days will be putting studs back in to diff carriers and hub carriers, and everything together.  Should I be using copper grease on the studs as well as threads, or Castrol LM grease on the studs/diff carriers/hub carriers themselves with copper grease solely on the threads?

 

I'm guessing the latter but just want some confirmation.

[Barrykearley]

I personally like the copper slip more than grease. The copper stuff tends to hang around longer......

Use something that's for sure to make the job easier later......

[soldave]

Thanks for the thoughts.  My only thought going the other way is that if I drill holes in the hub carriers for a grease nipple, then it's much easier for me to pump LM grease in.

[pbharcourt]

I used copper slip and grease mixed, there is a train of thought that copper and alloy corrode if put together therefore copper slip will seize in an aluminium case but i have never found that, i think it's just an old wives tale!

[soldave]

I used copper slip and grease mixed, there is a train of thought that copper and alloy corrode if put together therefore copper slip will seize in an aluminium case but i have never found that, i think it's just an old wives tale!

I've heard that similar train of thought too. Right, so a combination of copper grease, LM grease, elbow grease and vaseline to make things super lubricated ;-)