A few issues to resolve

[Alex Morris]

Hi all,

Looking for some help. I have had my a3 for about 2 and half weeks now ands there are a few problems I want to try and sort out.

Firstly, the car has been lowered and I haven't got a clue by how much. I have caught the front end a few times on speed bumps and driveways, I've even hit the underside of the car on a dip in the road! Does anyone know what the drop on my car is likely to be from the picture?

Second, my radio is terrible, it picks up next to no reception at all, would this just be a case of changing the aerial or is it something else? Picture shows the unit I have.

Third, I've got a lot of creaking noises coming from the front suspension, I notice it more when I'm moving the car at low speeds and when the car is stationary I've rocked the front and it creaks a lot. I had a 2003 leon cupra r a few years ago and I had to get the top mounts done cus they made a lot of noise like this, do A3s have the same issue or is it likely something else?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Alex

 

[gokiwi64]

Are you sure its not on coilovers ?, I would say 35-40 mm drop there.
On the radio it looks like its set to DX which is a setting for long distance stations , You might gain something by setting it to local , that's is pickup stations closest to you. Failing that the aerial amplifier might have died. Has the standard aerial been changed ?

 

[Alex Morris]

Thanks gokiwi64, set the radio to local and it's solved the problem, feel dense now, lol.
I've not had chance to look at the suspension yet, tried last weekend but my trolly jack won't fit under so I'm not sure if it's just springs or coilovers. I'm thinking of lifting it a bit if I can, does anyone know what different spring heights are available other than the standard?

 

[smurfworth]

If it's springs then they'll be 50mm as that's the lowest springs you get. Does look a bit lower than springs at the front tho

 

[Alex Morris]

Well I managed to get the car up and wheel off to look at the suspension between the rain patches today. Turns out that the car is on coilovers, looks like ap coilovers to me, the badge is quite worn. Does anyone know if the creaking noises from the front are likely to be from these or is it more likely top mounts?

 

[audismart]

Those coilies are wound to the bottom and look very corroded, If it was me I would swap em out and renew, hopefully there not seized and you will be able to raise them.
I think going any lower than 50mm upsets the geometry by quite a bit and other things need changing.
Creaking could be your steering rack under lots of tension due to being too low. I would say your sitting between 60/70mm there.

 

[SootySport]

Give the threads a good spraying with penetrating oil, buy a C spanner and raise al 4 corners about 30mm. The creaking is probably the steering rack or Arb rubbing as it's so low. I would have thought the handling is all over the place as well. If no improvement after raising the car then you would need to thing about new springs , dampers and top mounts..

 

[Alex Morris]

Thanks for the replies, my first job today is to get hold of a c spanner and lift the suspension. SootySport, the handling seems fine to me, doesn't pull to left or right and there's no wheel shake or anything. I'm hoping a good clean up and lifting them will solve the problem, the car definitely feels too low imo.

 

[vivalacoulter]

I never get why people leave coilers exposed when they fit them? I'd rather cut up a bike tyre inner tube, pack it with some grease and zip tie it around the bottom to protect the threads.

 

[Alex Morris]

I never get why people leave coilers exposed when they fit them? I'd rather cut up a bike tyre inner tube, pack it with some grease and zip tie it around the bottom to protect the threads.

May well have to try this once I have lifted them, thanks.

 

[vivalacoulter]

May well have to try this once I have lifted them, thanks.

Maybe a bit of WD40 and a wire brush to clean up the threads first

 

[gokiwi64]

They have been on there a hell of a long time looking at the corrosion, creaking as already mentioned but I think the top mounts are probably shot (going by the condition of the rest of the shock).
Going by the part number on the spring they are indeed AP but I dont know if they are a budget brand.

 

[smurfworth]

Is indeed ap, got the same as mine, creaking won't be because of it being too low as mines wound down even further to the point where there's no thread left to go down and I don't get any noises.

Ap is KW's budget brand so they are decent quality however aren't stainless hence the corrosion on the body. A good clean up and you'll be surprised how well they will adjust. There is a grub screw inside one of the holes on the adjustment collar which might be a real pain to undo as it doesn't look like they've ever seen any grease.

Looks like it's around 55mm as the coilovers max out at 65mm

 

[Alex Morris]

They have been on there a hell of a long time looking at the corrosion, creaking as already mentioned but I think the top mounts are probably shot (going by the condition of the rest of the shock).
Going by the part number on the spring they are indeed AP but I dont know if they are a budget brand.

I'm definitely going to replace the top mounts, I'm convinced that is the creaking, seems identical to when I had to get the top mounts done on my old Leon.

Is indeed ap, got the same as mine, creaking won't be because of it being too low as mines wound down even further to the point where there's no thread left to go down and I don't get any noises.

Ap is KW's budget brand so they are decent quality however aren't stainless hence the corrosion on the body. A good clean up and you'll be surprised how well they will adjust. There is a grub screw inside one of the holes on the adjustment collar which might be a real pain to undo as it doesn't look like they've ever seen any grease.

Looks like it's around 55mm as the coilovers max out at 65mm

I take it you have no speed bumps and nice flat roads round where you live then? Lol
Going to give them a decent clean up before I lift them up, the rear looks higher than the front as if it's leaning forward so I want to even them up at least. Thanks for the heads up about the grub screw.

Tried to get hold of a C spanner today but no one sells them off the shelf near me, going to have to order one online, any one know what size I should get?

 

[smurfworth]

I'm definitely going to replace the top mounts, I'm convinced that is the creaking, seems identical to when I had to get the top mounts done on my old Leon.



I take it you have no speed bumps and nice flat roads round where you live then? Lol
Going to give them a decent clean up before I lift them up, the rear looks higher than the front as if it's leaning forward so I want to even them up at least. Thanks for the heads up about the grub screw.

Tried to get hold of a C spanner today but no one sells them off the shelf near me, going to have to order one online, any one know what size I should get?

Exact opposite actually, got 19 each way on my route to and from work, you just get used to the height after a while and can judge what's going to be a problem or not.

You'll need a c spanner where bit that goes onto the collar is round as the collar has round holes instead of the usual square profile so try contacting ap or someone like DPM Performance that might be able to source an ap spanner

 

[smurfworth]

One of these by the look of it

http://www.ap-sportsuspensions.com/ap-c-spanner-80mm.html

 

[Marek196c]

problem is before "a while", in worst case new sump incoming. xD

 

[Alex Morris]

Exact opposite actually, got 19 each way on my route to and from work, you just get used to the height after a while and can judge what's going to be a problem or not.

You'll need a c spanner where bit that goes onto the collar is round as the collar has round holes instead of the usual square profile so try contacting ap or someone like DPM Performance that might be able to source an ap spanner

Nice one, cheers for that and the link.
As I said in my first post, I've caught the bottom of the car too many times already, there is an access gate where I work that has a bump on it and if I don't creep over it at a certain point it scrapes the bottom. Like you say I would probably get used to it after a while but I like having peace of mind.

problem is before "a while", in worst case new sump incoming. xD

I thought I might have needed one last week, hit the bottom on a dip in the road and it sounded like something ripped off, when I checked I couldn't see any damage, lucky escape me thinks.