Rear Suspension

[Bay]

I am getting a loud clunk from the rear suspension on the Drivers side, when I drive over rough ground or Pothole.
Any ideas ?
Cheers,
Woody

[dapinky]

There are many things it *could* be, and without looking it is impossible to be specific with a single guess.....

..... some things are far more serious (dangerous) than others - so an early squint is the best advice I can give.

Things like broken suspension arms have been known, and that is as serious as it can get, but also, an anti-roll bar drop link could cause a noise and not be dangerous even if left alone (unless you go round a bend on the limit).

A broken spring, or worn shock absorber is somewhere in the 'middle ground' of seriousness - and there is always the "wild card" of it being a broken exhaust rubber mounting which is an annoyance but simple to fix with no alteration of the way the car will behave.

[woody]

Thanks Dave,
I'll get it jacked up, and have a good look underneath tomorrow.
Cheers,
Woody

[Bay]

Can someone confirm that GAZ rear shocks GP5-2133 are the correct ones for my S2, and where is the best place to buy a pair.
Regards,
Woody

[dapinky]

That is the right part number.... well, it's what I have on mine!

Nearly everyone has the same price listed, as most sellers are just 'drop shippers' for the factory - order from wherever you fancy, but they will be made and delivered direct from GAZ.

That said, some places will have a deal on at different times, so a quick google search on the part number will give you a handful of options.

Then again, I know that Mike Hopes at South West Lotus tries to keep a set in stock (or if sold, awaiting another set to sit on the shelf) all the time. I would give him a call during office hours to see what lead time and price he can offer (unless you find an absolute bargain elsewhere, you are looking at a price range of about a fiver difference between top and bottom prices, so it's worth going for the shortest lead time with good customer service).

[woody]

Thanks Dave,
I will ring a few local suppliers tomorrow, and SWL.
Cheers,
Woody

[FunElan]

Mine has the same kind of clunk only AFTER I installed the GAZ. Will be looking under there to see what things look like soon.

[woody]

FunElan,
Let me know if you find anything amiss.
I had a good look underneath yesterday, but could not find anything obvious like a broken spring or anything loose.
I assumed the original shock absorbers just need replacing.
Cheers,
Woody

[dapinky]

If nothing appears to be broken, I wouldn't suspect a shock absorber unless there is evidence of a fluid leak from it.

I would think that if it is from rough ground, then it implies that the suspension is moving quite a bit at the time, so I would be thinking that the wishbone may be hitting the exhaust pipe????

Or, completely left-field, is there anything in the boot that could cause it - like the jack hitting the spare wheel???

[woody]

Dave,
I will empty the boot, and take it out to see if the clunk is still there.
It definately feels like the suspension is bottoming out.
I used to get the same effect when driving pickups, and 4 x 4's around quarries, and along pipeline haul roads.
Cheers,
Woody

[woody]

Completely emptied the Boot, and the clunk has disappeared, so now it's a process of elimination to find the item that is causing the problem.
I suspect the jack is rattling about in it's clip, or my set of golf clubs, rattling about in the bag, or too much stuff in the Boot !
Cheers,
Woody

[dapinky]

What I'd do whilst the boot is empty, is to put a bag of sand (or similar) in the boot and drive over some rough ground..... that may help to decide if the weight on the suspension is a problem, or if it is really just something rattling (which is another issue entirely to decide what to carry around!!!!!).

[woody]

Dave,
If it's the weight on the suspension thats causing the clunk, then would it indicate the springs, and shocks are tired, and need replacing ?
Cheers,
Woody

[dapinky]

If you can rule out the exhaust pipe hitting anything and 'just' needing adjustment, then I would be looing towards the shocks (if the springs are not broken). Springs may sag a bit with age (and the weight of the car on them) over time, but only by about half an inch in my experience. The spring rate will remain the same, as long as they are not seriously weakened with corrosion. They will usually clean up and get painted to go again, and the new shocks will have a height adjustable platform to set it back to factory ride height.

[woody]

Thanks Dave,
I will order a pair of new GAZ shocks from Ebay (£260 inc delivery, but 3-4 weeks lead time).
Now are there any Forum members in my locality who would lend me a set of spring compressors ?
Cheers,
Woody