I think it is damper rebuild time :-(

[richjones76]

Hi all,

My car has felt a little "different" lately especially on the front passenger side. Doesn't seem to handle as confidently as it did and the front seems a little "bouncy". I can push the passenger side down and get it to bounce quite easily whereas the driver's side is solid and will barely budge.

I know the bouncing is a sympton they need a service so I took the wheel off today to looks for any other systems such as the lack of a 5mm gap and any leaking. I still have the 5mm gap and I could see no signs of leaking. Is there anything else that could be causing the softness? Just want to make sure it is the dampers before sending them off.

p.s. Apparently the first owner had both front dampers replaced under warranty in June 2008 as they leaked.

 

[hoolio]

If you think about it there arn't too many things that it could be apart from a faulty damper. Broken spring, you'd see that. An unpinned damper that had unwound itself to fully soft, Still don't think you'd be able to bounce the car. The rod had somehow broken, You'd know about that.
Basically the bounce is cause by the undamped spring.

 

[BenG]

An unpinned damper that had unwound itself to fully soft, Still don't think you'd be able to bounce the car

If you dial the dampers 10 clicks or so softer you can bounce the front end quite easily.

 

[bearne1]

Mine look fine too and no leaks but car just doesn't feel right - at high speed on the dual carriageway it feels very loose and not tight like when I first got it.

Think I will send mine off and get them done in the next few months.

 

[hoolio]

An unpinned damper that had unwound itself to fully soft, Still don't think you'd be able to bounce the car

If you dial the dampers 10 clicks or so softer you can bounce the front end quite easily.

Before I posted I was going to ask if the dampers had been unpinned and was the first thing that came into my head with the info provided but discounted the idea as I didn't think they went that soft, harder being the only direction I've moved them.

 

[BenG]

An unpinned damper that had unwound itself to fully soft, Still don't think you'd be able to bounce the car

If you dial the dampers 10 clicks or so softer you can bounce the front end quite easily.

Before I posted I was going to ask if the dampers had been unpinned and was the first thing that came into my head with the info provided but discounted the idea as I didn't think they went that soft, harder being the only direction I've moved them.

I set mine to 11, felt great driving over speed bumps, not so great on roundabouts! It just shows you how soft the springs are and how much of an effect a few clicks can make on the dampers.

 

[Midder]

my driverside was very 'spongy', but there were no signs of leaking fluid etc when i removed them last saturday.

They have since been down to BG Motorsport who advised the driverside one was totally 'broken' and the passengerside was very nearly 'broken' - due to get them back today and i cannot wait to drive the car again!!!

 

[richjones76]

Sounds like very similar symptoms to mine. Let me know how the car feels when you re-fit them!

I have them booked in for the 13th