Storm13

I have installed air ride on my xb myself. East Street front struts and slam specialties rear bags. Anyway, I've had the air ride on it for about 8 months, but I'm developing some sort of problem in the front. Here are the symptoms:
When I turn the steering wheel at all, I get a LOUD squeaking/creaking noise somewhere up front and it sounds like it's near the front left. Also, now whenever I lean the xb to the side (usually leaning it down the driver's side), I get a very loud popping sound coming from the front somewhere. Not like a balloon pop, more like a metal pop. It's very hard to explain.

I haven't noticed a tremendous difference in the handling of the car, but I have noticed a bit of a pull to the left like it's out of alignment. I did have it aligned at ride height after I installed the air ride and it drove fine.

It sounds to my very inexperienced ear that it's something that definitely needs fixed, but I don't know what to look for. I haven't looked around up front on the car yet as this is my first go-round with this type of thing so I'm not really sure what to look for. I thought maybe somebody on here had some experience with this and could point me in the right direction as to what to look for. I'm pretty handy with fixing things myself, but I may be in over my head on this one and will more than likely have to pay someone to fix this. Does anyone have any advice?

Baged_xB

I had the same issues, and I freaked out when I realized the problem, the top mount of the strut had stress cracked into 10 pieces.
CHECK THOSE IMIDIATELY if they are damaged DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR park it and change them out.. They are NOT avail. from the dealer, your best bet is a salvage yard.

Storm13

Thanks for the quick reply, baged_xb. When you say the top mount of the strut had cracked, which exact part are you referring to? If it's what people commonly refer to as the "top-hat" thing, I have previously replaced the stock ones with Cusco camber plates.
Regardless, I will check that for sure.
If that's not what you meant, can you please describe it for me a little more?

Also, the xb has been garaged already until I get this sorted out. It's to the point that I didn't feel safe driving it.

Baged_xB

yup thats what im talking about. also check the inner fenderwells above the engine craddle I had to trim a pocket out for mine to camber in.

Storm13

Cool, thanks again for the fast reply. I will check the camber plates first thing this evening. I have already done quite a bit of trimming on the plastic inner fenderwells, but I'll check that further as well. You didn't have to trim any metal, right....just plastic?

Baged_xB

not the plastic wells, Im refering the metal, walls.

Baged_xB

BTW how do you like the camber plates?

Storm13

Hmmm...I'll have to check the metal for rubbing and see if I need to trim anything. Hopefully that's what that noise is, but I'm a little hesitant in thinking that's what it is as it hasn't been doing it the whole time since I put the air ride on. It just recently started. However, where exactly was it that you had to trim the metal?

As for the camber plates, the only reason I went with them was because it appeared I wasn't going to be able to get the car aligned properly without them (too much positive camber). I think they are WAY overpriced (I spent around $250 for them) but they do serve the purpose. It made it much easier for the alignment shop to align the car and it allows for even minute corrections in the camber of the front setup.

Baged_xB

I had to trim out some of the spring pockets so clear the bags from rubbing

Storm13

ah okay...I think I understand what you mean now. I'll check that out this weekend while I'm tearing it apart to fix whatever's wrong with the xb.

Anybody else with any suggestions or ideas? I'm going to be tearing it apart pretty good this weekend.

Baged_xB

Snap some pics and post or email them to me, and I can try to help you ID the noise

Storm13

Well, I just got done looking at a couple things and it's definitely not the top hats (cusco camber plates). They are all in one piece and look great. I had somebody turn the steering wheel while I listened and it sounds like the creaking noise is coming from the air bag/strut itself.
Also, I compared the both front struts while turning the wheel. On the passenger side, the whole strut (the thread part that sticks through) turns with the wheels. On the driver side, it does not. I'm wondering if the strut on the driver side is broken perhaps? It would explain all the noise, the popping sound, the creaking and the pulling to the left. Any thoughts?

Baged_xB

Sounds like the strut is damaged or the bearing in the camber plate is seized, Im not sure of the construction of the camber plates.

If you have another mode of transportation use it.

I had an easy street strut sheer on me, the shaft and piston assembly broke off from the cyclinder of the strut, with I was doing ~90 mph on the highway that was scary and caused a cast amount of damage.

Learn from me, if you notice something wrong with the strut stop driving it before its too late.

Storm13

Well I took off both front struts and I'm going to swap sides with them and see what happens. If the passenger side starts acting up and the driver side is normal, I'll know it's the strut. If not, then it's back to square one I guess.

I don't think it's the bearing in the camber plate..I can still move it around with my finger. It's kinda stiff, but it's always been that way...not too loose not too tight.

As a side note, I did notice a difference in the two struts. If I push down on the top of the bag on the driver side strut, the bag slides down over the rod that runs thru the strut. If I push down on the bag on the passenger side, the whole assembly (bag and rod) pushes down (in other words the bag does not slide down over the rod). I wonder if the rod or whatever it's called on the driver side is bad. By rod I mean the actual metal rod with the threads on top that you attach to the top hat. Does this sound plausible?

BTW, thanks for all your replies and advice.

Storm13

Anybody else have any suggestions? I've given up for the night...gonna try swapping sides with the struts tomorrow morning.

Storm13

Here's an update (for anyone that cares to read about it LOL). I swapped sides with the front air struts this morning. I've always had a dull rattle/thud noise in the driver side air strut and learned to live with it. Since I swapped sides, now the rattle is on the passenger side, plus the squeak when turning the steering wheel is now on the passenger side as well. Also, that popping sound when leaning the car has also appeared to have moved to the passenger side. The driver side is now completely quiet at all times. I'd say I've got an air strut that's either going or gone bad.

I sent an email to easystreet as the struts have a one year warranty and my year is done in may. Hopefully I'll get this resolved quickly.

RTon20s

If I am not mistaken this is a known issue with the Easystreet struts. You were right in contacting them. Who did you order your parts from? If you don't get anywhere with Airlift/Easystreet and bought from a reputable dealer, you may want to contact them.

Storm13

I bought the air struts from gaugestore and they directed me to Jim Bigford with Easystreet. Jim has been very helpful in helping me diagnose whatever is wrong. I have ordered the sway bar/end link bushings to replace them and they should be here wednesday. So that'll eliminate that from the mix.

I did discover something last night while comparing the two front struts. When I push down on the strut rod of the passenger side, there is zero return upon decompressing the rod, but it is resistant when I pull up on the rod to return it to full extension. The driver side is another story. When I push down on the strut rod on the driver side, there is plenty of tension (just like on the passenger side) but when I release pressure to allow the strut to decompress, the rod pops right back up to full extension with very little hesitation (little to no resistance upon decompressing). I compared this with my stock struts and found that the stock strut rod returns to full extension VERY slowly, which neither of the air struts do. One doesn't return at all and the other returns with no return dampening. I think I'm on to something and I'm going to let Jim with Easystreet know about it this morning.

BTW, thanks for the reply, RT.

Storm13

Just got off the phone with Jim and I explained what I had found. He said that it's normal from time to time to get some air down into the bottom part of the cylinder and that will cause the strut rod to have some extra pressure to return it to full extension. He said that the air in the bottom part of the cylinder will work it's way out and the strut will return to normal, which he explained is pretty much zero return tension. The strut rod should sit wherever it is placed and the bag should do the lifting/lowering on the strut rod.

I guess I'll see how things work after I get the new end-link bushings put on tomorrow.

RTon20s

It seems kind of odd to me that Jim said their struts are designed to have zero return pressure. Pretty much every shock or strut I have ever encountered returned in a similar fashion that you described for your stock struts. Usually, if you don't get any return pressure (on a standard shock or strut) it is time for new struts.

I'd trust Jim on this though. He knows his companies products. Sounds like the Easystreet struts do very little to actually dampen (at least on rebound).

Good luck on finding resolution. And keep us posted.