GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

hello, my tc with TRD struts and spring is very bumpy on uneven road, even at very low speed. The TRD struts are new. and i also had Tokico struts before. it was also very bumpy.
Any idea what could cause that?

fongyz

what do you mean by bumpy? that's a very vague word to describe a ride, it can mean many things...

loose nuts on rims, control arms going bad, sway bars bad, loose nuts on top mounts of struts, ......

have someone drive your car while you drive behind it, then see if it's really bouncing up and down like dead shocks.

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

the struts are new, i have test out 2 set of of them. and the loose nuts on the rim would cause vibration , not bumpy ride. Drive in city is like going over train tracks.
I guess i would swap out my progress sway bar to stock , see it if it helps.
How would i check the control arms?

pyroman131

1. Did you notice the bumpy ride after the installation? Or did it gradually announce itself?


If you're comparing to train tracks with your ride quality, I'm imagining not just a bumpy ride, but a jostling ride where your car is bouncing around and shaking pretty fiercely.

2. The only thing I can think of is that something is definitely VERY loose. Are all your nuts tightened to torque spec with a torque wrench?

3. I don't think it's a control arm issue. My control arm on my xB was loose one time, and it was definitely not a loose nut. Nor did my car bounce or ride like I was on train tracks. Instead it would creak and groan when I alternated between acceleration and deceleration - an almost "popping" sound not quite like the pop of a bad CV joint. You can check the control arm by inspecting it to ensure there is no damage and then checking the torque on the nuts.

4. Last, this is a stretch, but you might want to consider bringing it to your alignment guy. If inspecting the alignment, perhaps they'll be able to identify something that has been compromised. Maybe you have even been knocked out of alignment? Check your suspension components and even your tires. Look for damage and tightness.

mrexotica

A bumpy ride with that setup?
Unless you have real three piece wheels, you do not have nuts on your rim. You have lug nuts in the wheel though. And if one of those is loose, you should immediately stop, and inspect for the damage you caused.

Spicy_McHaggiz

iTrader: (1)

Taking a sway bar out won't affect if it's "bumpy."

pyroman131

^ x2

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

Took it to the dealership. They said my rear passenger stock wheel is bent. and 4 tires are worn out. I will order some Continental Extreme Contact DWS soon.

Vlad1024

A bent wheel won't affect ride quality(ask me how i know) nor will worn tires. If the wheels were unbalanced there will be a vibration at speed. Trd springs are stiffer than stock(which are already relatively stiff) and the trd struts and probably tokicos are stronger dampers. This would cause a stiffer(more bumpy) ride because of reduced suspension travel and more bumps being transferred to the chassis(as opposed to being absorbed by the suspension).

Spicy_McHaggiz

iTrader: (1)

Bent wheel won't affect ride quality? I would love to know how, then I'll tell you how it will.

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

thanks for all your replies, I am still skeptical about what the dealership told me. 2 of DWS tires are worn. but i don't think it would cause bumpy ride. The tc is fine driving on newly paved street and highway. I have 2 spare wheels from CarbonXe,
I need new tires anyway. i will ask them to the test drive my car before they hand it back to me.

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

it was my Progress Endlink. I grab the end of the sway bar and shake it. it was moving and making clunk noise. Only the driver side was bad. The passenger side was very solid and did not move.
I try to tighten it . but it was already very right. I put back the stock sway bar and the ride was much better.
I will get Dezod rear endlink in the spring.

Vlad1024

I've driven on some ____ed up wheels and if it's not at the point where it loses air the tire won't be out of round and it will still be close to balanced.

Spicy_McHaggiz

iTrader: (1)

Curb rash does not equal bent wheel.

Vlad1024

What am i an idiot or something?

I live in NJ, we have lots of potholes. When you hit one you probably bend your wheel. One time my was bent to the point where it wasn't holding air so I took it to get fixed. It turned out that the inside rim was bent in like 5 places so it must have been damaged for a while but I had no idea. It had absolutely no effect on ride quality.

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

My stock wheel was bent inside too. The ride was fine. I also bent 2 5zigen wheels. On e of them would not hold air. I drove with the donut and bent wheel for over 150 mile with no issue. The bad endlink give me more headache than anything else.
VLAD, DID you ever got the state of to pay for your bent wheel? they paid for my 2 5zigen. Too bad I don't remember when I bent my stock wheel.

Vlad1024

Funny. I paid $100 under the table.

mrexotica

I still don't understand the bumpy ride. A sway bar wouldn't do that.
Is this your first "sports" car?

GammaTNT

iTrader: (8)

the stiffen trd struts wasn't absorb the uneven road that well. ( I was not too please with the stock suspension either)
I guess the noise from the bad and loosen enklink makes me driving experience 10x worse.

mrexotica

Wow...
My wife's stock Mazda3 has a stiffer ride than a stock tC...
Sounds like a sporty car isn't for you. :-(