Hi All,

I've a MY05 WRX Wagon with the 'Free' PPP - UK car, about 8.5K on the clock, no other mods than the PPP. Wheels are the standard silver 17" with Bridgestone RE050s as supplied with the car. 33psi front 31psi rear if that helps.

On smooth roads, it's developed a near-vomit-inducing "bounce" - originally at motorway/dual carriageway speeds but now more generally over about 40mph. Seems to have been doing this for some time now. Sometimes it can go for miles without doing it - other days it does it all the time.

I've really noticed it lately, since I've been renting Mondeos on business trips. I thought it was bad road surfacing, but the Mondeo just hits bumps, jerks once and then carries on OK - my scoob decides it's time to get as much motion out of the bump as possible!

It doesn't feel 'hard', more 'wavy'- I'm OK with it hitting bumps in the road, it just seems to find bumps that 'aren't there' (sounds stupid I know!) - occasionally it can get quite jerky and feel like the wheels aren't round! When it does it, it bounces up and down for around 2 to 5 seconds or so, not enough to throw it off track but enough to make you want to throw up!

OK, I've only had it since September and maybe it needs to 'settle down' - but I had a '98 classic turbo (UK unmodified) for 7 years and it was never like this.

It didn't do it in the WRX300 I demo'd before I bought it, and didn't seem to do it for the first month or so I had it, so I'm pretty sure it's not 'meant to be like that'

I've had the alignment lasered(!) and wheels balanced (twice) at Micheldever - the first time they found a bulge in the RH rear tyre which was replaced. This seemed to improve it for a bit - but it's now pretty bad again - they've checked it again and found the wheels were balanced and the geo's OK.

I've searched on 'bounce' and found the following that seem similar to what I've got - but mine's a WRX, not a STi . .

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ghlight=bounce
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ghlight=bounce
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...ghlight=bounce

So:

1. Does anyone else have this? Even better, has anyone else fixed it? I don't want to change the suspension for insurance reasons - I had enough fun trying to insure the PPP until I called Gary Moulson (Cheers Gary!).

2. I'm going to ask my dealer to look at it but is this a 'They all do that sir!' thing? - is there anything I can do to 'prove' there's a problem? If it's a known problem, what's the best way to describe it?

3. I'm willing to change the tyres if that'll definitely make a difference - I don't need any 'on the edge' performance, just something that'll stick it to the road. I used to have RE010s on my old 98 and they seemed fine - Im happy enough with the grip on the RE050s if they're not the problem.

4. Is there anything I can check/test on my own? I'm not very "car technical", but the thing that seems odd to me is that I can 'bounce test' the front of the car (push down and watch it come back up - stops in one 'bounce') but I can't seem to move the rear at all - I'm 14 stone and even when I sit in the boot it doesn't want to move! Someone mentioned that it might have 'wedges' in for shipping - how do I see if it does or doesn't?

I've had to put this in 'General' - I'd put it in 'Wheels & Tyres' or 'Suspension' if I knew which it was . . .

Andy.

 

I too had this problem on my 53 plate WRX PPP.

I would say I have reduced M worble by about 85% by fitting PD Springs, which also cured about the same in understeer

I am still running the 17" Standard alloys with Brdg REO50's with I think don't help. Although I had a good motorway run this weekend in the wet and the car felt fine @ 80-90.

Next week I am fitting 18" alloys with Mich PS2's 225/40. I am confident that this combination will be able to put down the extra power from the PPP much better and eliminate the problem.

Failing that the next modification I will investigate is WhiteLine ARB's which I am told do a similar if not better job than the springs modification.

I hope this helps, I understand this worble is quite disconcerting having come myself from far better motorway cruisers.

But any alteration will affect your insurance.

 

It is a shock/spring issue

 

Very entertaining if you should be lucky enough to have a fairly well upholstered female passenger next to you
The Prodrive springs certainly help. As mentioned, I reckon it's a spring rate/damper mismatch!
JohnD

 

I would say its is defo your springs, i have a 2004wrx and the first thing i got fitted was eichback springs.

Car looks better and holds the road more, i also have 18" and the ride is okay although i have to watch for pot holes.

Gordy.

 

Whoa! That is really uncanny!

I was at Elite today having the tracking optimised on the Wifes 182 ( A girls car! ) Anyway i had my Scooby Jacket on and got talking to a guy from Herts who had his WRX 05 Wagon in for realignment.

He too had such bad problems on the motorway that he said he could not change the stereo channels as his fingers would miss. He has tried replacing the springs with Eibachs, which fixed the teetch chattering ride, but now the struts bottom out over minor bumps.

I have to say I was skeptical when he told me, but it sounds like too much of a coincidence now to me.... I would suggest you email Mike Wood at Prodrive to see if there any fault struts produced.

 

What you have described is exactly how my car was before the rear shockers packed in.

Driving the work run, over a period of time the car became very harsh at the back. At first i thought it was an old agrivated back injury coming back as it was physicly starting to hurt whilst driving the car. (Got a bad back to start with)

Then the knocking noise came, turned out that both rear shockers had had it.

Try bouncing the boot, see if the car springs back rather than damps like it should. Mine actualy stayed down, they were that far gone, they didnt even return to the normal state of load.

The car is an MY05 WRX as well mate, take it to a specialist if you know one, to diagnose the problem. Then get it to the dealer to replae the parts as needed.

Hope this helps


John

 

Thanks for the replies so far - I'll book it in tomorrow and get the springs looked at. . Worrying amount of 'Change the springs' replies if you ask me - how bad are the standard ones?

Hol: yes - mine gets to the point where I can't work the stereo - you mention contacting Mike@prodrive: The suspension's the 'standard' Subaru issue not Prodrive kit - the PPP (AFAIK) was just the exhaust/downpipe/chip? However if Mike's aware of any rear spring probs, I'd be more than happy to hear about it!

Evolution: I haven't got a knocking noise (yet?) - just tried bouncing the back end again - still can't get it to move much, even with my full weight on it! It's like the springs are too strong/stiff. Front end seems 'normal' as far as I can tell - moves down a bit and then springs back in one 'bounce'

Cheers,

Andy

 

My 03 WRX suffered like this until I changed to the Prodrive spring kit. They make both the ride and handling far better.

 

I've had my 05 WRX PPP for 15 months with no mods to the springs and I've never had anything like this happen to me.

I don't do a great deal of motorway runs but I can't remember anything out of the ordinary on any type of road.

Let us know if they find anything...

Mike

 

Hi,

I've just sold my WRX03 and think I can comply with what you are experiencing. I noticed on certain familiar stretches of high speed road that there was a pulsation though the car when accelerating or cruising but on other surfaces it was not noticable. I also experienced the same in a 8 year old clapped out Astra which I thought was strange.

I had my rear drop link swapped under warranty about 12 months ago because they were splitting, i'm sure it only starting happening around then.

The comment on here about the rear shocks being stuffed sounds like a interesting route to persue.

Frank

 

My completely standard 05 WRX wagon is like a damned nodding dog on certain bits of road (dual carriageway) at around 70. The kids laugh in the back but it's annoying.

 

Both myself (RB5 with P1 susp) and my dad (STI UK '04 with Prodrive springs) encounter the same problem but only on the M25 towards the Dartford Crossing where it splits with the M26.

Makes me feel slightly nauseous but is very noticeable in both cars. Is not noticeable anywhere else, just that particular stretch of motorway.

 

That's the place! Know it well. It was this bit of road that allowed me to change to the Prodrive springs without the usual raising of eyebrows whenever I get something for the car!
JohnD

 

Just to point out, if the dampers have failed, changing the springs for the Prodrive ones will only compound the problem. If the dampers are shot, it will be harder to compress the springs, hence the bouncing.

I would advise heavily against spending any money on aftermarket parts at all, its a new car, get the dealer to sort it out. I called subaru assist and told them to take mine away as it wasnt fit for the road, it was dangerous, abnormal handling characteristics might see you in alot of bother.


If you get nowhere with your dealer, PM me, i know a guy at IM how is aware of this problem and will speak with the dealer to help resolve it.


John

 

Agree with all - my MY05 WRX PPP wagon does the same on certain stretches of road - mostly higher speeds and mostly motorways is where I have noticed it - and although it doesn't hurt, it does make you change speed to avoid it otherwise it seems to settle into the bouncing along. hard to explain but others have done it better than me, so I understand what you are saying. Good to know it's not just wagons...

Have Subaru not had enough time to get this car sorted yet? Wonder.....

 

My 05 has never had this, however it does seem as if the 'inverted strut' on a number of 05> WRX's may have issues..!

 

Same here. 05 wrx with prodrive springs. Been meaning to take the GF to ikea just to check out the bouncing, but it'll be just my luck she'll counteract the frequency and somehow cancel it out...

 

Or maybe the GF and the road may hit perfect resonance, in which case when you leave the M25 the GF may keep bouncing! In my case it was just the wife
JohnD

 

My 05 wrx ppp does the same, the dealer had it back for a day, checked it over, and drove it back to back with others. Then told me " they all do it ".
To be honest it feels so bad i am thinking of getting rid of the car as my wife moans all the time . Do the prodrive springs really cure the problem????

 

Take it back, tell the dealer that they dont all do it, tell them that you have been in several others, im sure that there will be someone local to you on here that will be willing to take there car to prove otherwise.


John

 

Mine is quite bouncy too- but then so is my GF so it's quite fun sometimes

I had assumed that they were all like that to be honest

Worst I've had anti-clockwise M25 around junction 5/6

boing, boing, boing!!!

 

Me as well on an MY03 wagon with std suspension. It tends to happen on fast A roads & motorways that are concrete blocked. I put it down to a resonance of the block joints and the particular speed I'm doing.

Nick